{"id":16477,"date":"2025-10-21T20:45:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T20:45:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/16477\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T20:45:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T20:45:08","slug":"16-things-to-do-in-san-diego-this-weekend-october-22-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/16477\/","title":{"rendered":"16 Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend: October 22\u201326"},"content":{"rendered":"

This weekend in San Diego is full of triumphant returns: BirdStock is back for year four with another free, all-day street festival; Rosin Box Project\u2019s Ghost Light Masquerade has another set of spectral performances in store; and the third edition of Villa Manila\u2019s Taste the Tradition promises a delectable Filipino feast<\/a>. Of course, there are plenty of newcomers, too\u2014The Poetry Brothel\u2019s Spellbound cabaret takes over Park & Rec for one sultry night, and The Other Places art fair heads south from its LA epicenter<\/a> for an afternoon at the California Center for the Arts Museum. San Diego FC<\/a>\u2019s inaugural postseason match will close out the weekend, bringing the city\u2019s sports fans another playoff experience and hopefully delivering a first championship.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Food & Drink<\/a> | Concerts & Festivals<\/a> | Theater & Art Exhibits<\/a> | More Fun Things to Do<\/a><\/p>\n

\"FunCourtesy of Villa Manila\u00a0<\/p>\n

Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Weekend<\/p>\n

UnGala: A Dada Bash at Mingei International Museum\u00a0<\/p>\n

October 23<\/p>\n

Channel Dadaism\u2019s strangeness and charm at Space 4 Art<\/a>\u2019s first-ever UnGala: A Dada Bash<\/a> this Thursday at the Mingei International Museum. The fun begins from 5 to 7 p.m. with bites, cocktails, Dada-inspired art activities, and exhibit tours and continues from 7 to 9 p.m. with Dada After Dark, a costume and dance party with a live DJ and cocktails. This 21+ event will include interactive performances from Poets Underground and DIY costume- and mask-making. Tickets are $100<\/a> for UnGala.<\/p>\n

1439 El Prado, Balboa Park<\/p>\n

Taste the Tradition at Villa Manila\u00a0<\/p>\n

October 23<\/p>\n

Celebrate Filipino American History Month and San Diego\u2019s Filipino community at Taste the Tradition<\/a> this Thursday from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Villa Manila. The night will begin with a cocktail hour and a look at Kwento Thesis\u2019 Navy-inspired art exhibition<\/a>, followed by a Kamayan feast crafted by five local chefs, each of whom will prepare a few dishes for the family-style meal. The event will also include a photobooth, karaoke, a meet-and-greet with boxer Mercito Gesta, and more. Indoor ($98) and outdoor seating ($103) can be purchased on Eventbrite<\/a>; a portion of proceeds will go to Asian Pacific Islander Community Actions<\/a> and First Gen Scholars<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

500 East 8th Street, National City<\/p>\n

\"FunCourtesy of Dijon<\/p>\n

Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Weekend<\/p>\n

The Nightmare Before Christmas with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra at Jacobs Music Center<\/p>\n

October 24 \u2013 25<\/p>\n

Talk about surround sound\u2014the San Diego Symphony Orchestra will play the score of the stop-motion animation adventure The Nightmare Before Christmas<\/a> live while the film screens for two consecutive nights at Jacobs Music Center. In this spooky season favorite<\/a>, Pumpkin King Jack Skellington grows tired of the traditions of Halloweentown, becomes enamored with the holly jolly possibilities of Christmas, and hatches a plan to take over Santa\u2019s job. Tickets for performances Friday<\/a> and Saturday<\/a> at 7:30 p.m. range from $90 to $110.\u00a0<\/p>\n

1245 Seventh Avenue, Downtown<\/p>\n

OPAF South<\/p>\n

October 25<\/p>\n

The LA-based Other Places art fair<\/a>, an annual hangout for underrepresented artists, will journey down the coast for its first-ever event in San Diego. This Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., OPAF South<\/a> will feature more than 30 booths and installations from local, regional, and international talents, along with a series of talks, performances, and readings at the California Center for the Arts Museum. The event will also include an interactive workshop tent and a pop-up showcasing Japanese artists and galleries. Admission is free and open to all ages, but there is a suggested $5 donation to help fund future events.<\/p>\n

340 North Escondido Boulevard, Escondido<\/p>\n

BirdStock Music Festival & Artisan Market<\/p>\n

October 25<\/p>\n

This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the free BirdStock Music Festival & Artisan Market<\/a> returns with its biggest street fair yet. Throughout La Jolla Boulevard, there will be five music stages featuring local bands and live DJs, plus a wine and beer garden, a pet parade and costume contest, food trucks, and an artisan market with more than 70 booths. This year\u2019s festivities will also include a pumpkin patch, a street tennis court, a dunk tank, and an assortment of kid-friendly arts and craft activities<\/a>. Plus, a portion of event proceeds will benefit Bird Rock Elementary.\u00a0<\/p>\n

5500\u20135700 La Jolla Boulevard, Bird Rock<\/p>\n

Community D\u00eda de Muertos Festivals<\/p>\n

October 25 \u201326<\/p>\n

Honor your dearly departed at a local Day of the Dead festival. This Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the annual celebration<\/a> at Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park will feature community altars, free live entertainment, mask\u2013making, and more. On Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Oceanside<\/a>, expect trunk altars from Por Siempre Car Club, two stages with music and dance performances, and an interactive chalk cemetery. Plus, Barrio Logan\u2019s third annual\u200b\u200b D\u00eda De Muertos festival<\/a>, taking place Sunday from noon to 7 p.m., will include youth workshops, live art, and a lowrider showcase.<\/p>\n

4455 Wightman Street, City Heights | Downtown Oceanside | 2185 Logan Avenue, Barrio Logan<\/p>\n

Water From Your Eyes at The Casbah<\/p>\n

October 26<\/p>\n

As the alternative rock duo Water From Your Eyes, Nate Amos and Rachel Brown specialize at making distortion sound super cool. The band\u2019s newest album It\u2019s A Beautiful Place is a voyage into pop, dance-punk, and shoegaze chock-full of unlikely earworms<\/a> and face-melting guitar riffs<\/a>. This Sunday at 8 p.m., Water From Your Eyes will grace the stage of The Casbah along with opening act Dutch Interior, a SoCal rock band with a folksy twang. Tickets are $25<\/a> for this concert.\u00a0<\/p>\n

2501 Kettner Boulevard, Middletown<\/p>\n

Dijon at SOMA<\/p>\n

October 26<\/p>\n

R&B artist Dijon<\/a> has had a banner year: In addition to dropping his excellent new album Baby, he also boasts several appearances on Justin Bieber\u2019s SWAG and SWAG II and a role in the Paul Thomas Anderson blockbuster One Battle After Another. Tickets are $58<\/a> for Dijon\u2019s concert Sunday at 8 p.m. at SOMA, with his Saturday show already sold out.<\/p>\n

3350 Sports Arena Boulevard, Midway<\/p>\n

\"FunCourtesy of Fever
Ghost Light Masquerade<\/p>\n

Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Weekend<\/p>\n

Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground at North Coast Repertory Theatre<\/p>\n

October 22\u2013November 16<\/p>\n

In Richard Hellesen\u2019s one-man drama Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground<\/a>, \u201cIke\u201d reflects on his life\u2019s accomplishments as the 34th president of the US. The same team that led the play\u2019s 2023 Off-Broadway run have returned for the San Diego premiere of Eisenhower at the North Coast Repertory. Tickets are $59<\/a> for previews (Wednesday through Friday at 8 p.m.), $87 for Saturday\u2019s opening night (8 p.m.), and $67 to $87 for all successive shows.\u00a0<\/p>\n

987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach<\/p>\n

The Poetry Brothel: Spellbound at Park & Rec<\/p>\n

October 23<\/p>\n

The Spellbound literary cabaret, San Diego\u2019s introduction to The Poetry Brothel<\/a>, comes to Park & Rec this Thursday (7 p.m. to midnight). The immersive experience includes a cocktail hour, tarot card readings, a live jazz band, private poetry readings, and an after party. Ticket options<\/a> include general admission ($50), VIP seating ($66), and VIP tables ($215); a portion of profits will be donated to the LGBTQ advocacy and service organization GLITS<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

4612 Park Boulevard, University Heights<\/p>\n

Ghost Light Masquerade at The Soap Factory<\/p>\n

October 23\u201330<\/p>\n

Enter The Soap Factory and wander the dark halls of The Nocturne Theatre, the Halloween home of Rosin Box Project\u2019s Ghost Light Masquerade<\/a>. For seven nighttime performances, dancers will entrance masked visitors with a spectral ballet experience. General admission is $71, with showtimes Thursday through Sunday this week (7:30 p.m.).\u00a0<\/p>\n

2995 Commercial Street, Logan Heights<\/p>\n

Nolan Oswald Dennis: Demonstrations (i) at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library<\/p>\n

October 25\u2013January 17, 2026<\/p>\n

Nolan Oswald Dennis: Demonstrations (i)<\/a>\u2014a commentary on colonialism and repatriation\u2014has journeyed from Johannesburg to Rotterdam, New York, London, and now La Jolla\u2019s Athenaeum Music & Arts Library<\/a>. Dennis\u2019 works will include sculptures, drawings, and the West Coast premiere of Isivivane, a project in which a 3D printer re-produces rocks from each display location to create a \u201cBlack Earth Library<\/a>.\u201d The exhibition will have a free opening reception this Friday from 5:30 to 8 p.m., featuring a conversation with Dennis and critic KJ Abudu (5:30\u20136:15 p.m.)<\/p>\n

1008 Wall Street, La Jolla\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200bFrancisco Eme: Future Rituals & La eco-resistencia at Oceanside Museum of Art<\/p>\n

October 25\u2013March 16, 2026<\/p>\n

Multimedia artist Francisco Eme<\/a> has weaved together folktales, ecology, and a range of mediums (such as ceramics, drawing, digital audio and digital photography) to call for conservation in Future Rituals & La eco-resistencia<\/a> at the Oceanside Museum of Art<\/a>. Expect an exhibition celebration at the Oceanside Museum of Art on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 5 to 7 p.m.; admission is free for members and $15 for visitors.\u00a0<\/p>\n

704 Pier View Way, Oceanside<\/p>\n

\"FunCourtesy of San Diego FC<\/p>\n

More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend<\/p>\n

A Visit from Portlandia with Fred and Carrie at Balboa Theatre<\/p>\n

October 24<\/p>\n

In their beloved sketch comedy series Portlandia<\/a>, Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen both poked fun at Portland, Oregon\u2019s hipster reputation and lovingly captured the city\u2019s peculiar charm. This Friday at 7 p.m., Brownstein and Armisen will discuss their friendship, Portlandia, and their respective career paths in A Visit from Portlandia<\/a> at the Balboa Theatre. Tickets start at $48 and can be purchased here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

868 Fourth Avenue, Gaslamp<\/p>\n

The Rocky Horror Picture Show 50th Anniversary Spectacular Tour with Nell Campbell at Balboa Theatre<\/p>\n

October 25<\/p>\n

Few films have a more passionate fanbase than The Rocky Horror Picture Show<\/a>, with audiences regularly convening worldwide to bask in a bizarre night at Dr. Frank-N-Furter\u2019s castle. San Diegans can catch a 50th anniversary screening of this cult classic Saturday (8 p.m.) at the Balboa Theatre\u2014and Nell Campbell, who played the role of Columbia in the movie musical, will be there. Moviegoers can expect all the essential facets of Rocky Horror screening, including a costume contest, a live shadow cast<\/a>, and plenty of audience participation. Tickets start at $59<\/a> and come with a bag of props to employ during the film.<\/p>\n

868 Fourth Avenue, Gaslamp<\/p>\n

San Diego FC vs. Portland Timbers or Real Salt Lake at Snapdragon Stadium<\/p>\n

October 26\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s official: San Diego FC have clinched the Western Conference<\/a> crown. Their first-place finish has granted them home field advantage until the MLS Cup and a best-of-three series against the victors of Wednesday\u2019s matchup between the Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake. SDFC\u2019s inaugural season has been nothing short of magical, with the club leaving records in their wake and achieving unprecedented success for an expansion side. Wouldn\u2019t it be fitting if they broke the city\u2019s championship drought<\/a> in year one? Stranger things have happened. Tickets for SDFC\u2019s first-ever playoff match<\/a> this Sunday (6:30 p.m.) at Snapdragon Stadium start at $60.\u00a0<\/p>\n

PARTNER CONTENT<\/p>\n


\n \"Summer
\n Summer Escapes Guide 2025
\n <\/a><\/p>\n


\n \"Joven
\n Joven Golden Hour Tour With Bebemos & Happy Half Hour
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

2101 Stadium Way, Mission Valley<\/p>\n

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