This week I am dedicating my blog posts to San Diego, a great city that I spent Memorial Day visiting. I’ll run though my hotel stay, where I ate and activities that I enjoyed, but first I wanted to share some amazing summer activities in San Diego that you can plan on attending in the coming months. This huge list is courtesy of the San Diego CVB, a place where visitors can find great information. Visit www.sandiego.org to see all the CVB suggestions.

MAJOR EVENTS

Guests can wiggle their toes in the sand and view hundreds of sand sculptors at work during the Annual U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition, July 18 – 19, at Imperial Beach Pier. www.usopensandcastle.com

The “turf meets the surf” at the Del Mar Racetrack where fans flock each summer to wager on their favorite horses during the popular, annual Del Mar Thoroughbred Club racing season, July 22 – September 9. The races run six days weekly, except Tuesday. Every Friday, guests can catch 4 O’Clock Fridays, a free headliner concert following the day’s last race. www.dmtc.com

On September 6, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s Grade 1 Pacific Classic treats guests to a prestigious event with a race between the nation’s top thoroughbreds and $1 million purse. www.dmtc.com

Visitors can be Super Man or Wonder Woman for a day at Comic-Con International, July 23 – 26, at the San Diego Convention Center. Comic-Con has become a signature summertime event for San Diego; it is the largest comics and pop culture event in the United States, attracting thousands of artists, celebrities and fans of comic books, movie memorabilia and all things related to pop culture. www.comic-con.org

San Diego’s culinary community joins forces during September 13 – 18 for San Diego Restaurant Week. Hundreds of the region’s top restaurants offer prix-fixe, three-course dinner menus, at just $20, $30 or $40 per person, so visitors can sample the signature cuisine and sophisticated style that makes San Diego’s dining scene one of the region’s top attractions. www.sandiegorestaurantweek.com

During September 18 – 20, the thrilling San Diego Bayfair features thunderboat racing, tunnel hulls, drag boats, hydroplanes, fireworks and concerts, as well as specialty vendors and food, along and on the waters of Mission Bay. www.sandiegobayfair.org

FESTIVALS AND FAIRS

During June 12 – July 5, this year’s San Diego County Fair, themed “Music Mania,” features music of all types and genres. The San Diego County Fair is the largest annual event in the county and features top performing artists and popular attractions like the Craft Brewers Competition & Festival, livestock exhibits, home and hobby displays, woodworking and an award-winning flower show. www.sdfair.com

The 23rd Annual La Jolla Festival of Arts and Food Fair, June 20 – 21, hosts over 190 award-winning local and national artists displaying paintings, sculptures, fine jewelry, photography and more. Guests can enjoy a variety of cuisines in the festival food area, listen to live entertainment and visit the children’s area featuring interactive booths, hands-on games and activities. www.lajollaartfestival.org

San Diego celebrates Independence Day with a variety of Fourth of July celebrations, throughout the county. Coronado’s popular Independence Day Celebration on July 4 features a two-hour parade followed by a family concert in Spreckels Park and spectacular fireworks over Glorietta Bay. www.sandiego.org

Residents and visitors alike show their pride at the 34th Annual San Diego LGBT Pride Parade and Festival, July 18 – 19, one of the most popular events of its kind in the country. Highlights include a mile-long parade through Hillcrest and two-day festival in Balboa Park. http://sandiegopride.org

The 15th Annual San Diego Festival of Beer will take place September 18 in downtown San Diego. More than 75 breweries will be in attendance, providing samples and tastings alongside live musical performances, vendors and food. www.sdbeerfest.org

During September 25 – 28, the annual San Diego Film Festival in downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter showcases the best in American and international full-length films, documentaries and short films; it also features Q & A sessions with directors and guest appearances by film artists. www.sdff.org

Visitors can become a part of history and celebrate the discovery of San Diego during the Cabrillo Festival, September 26 – 27. Guests can enjoy cultural festivities, educational activities, music, food, dancing and a reenactment of the explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s landing on the shores of San Diego Bay in 1542. www.cabrillofestival.org

MUSIC FESTIVALS AND CONCERTS

During its 4th Annual Green Flash Concert Series, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla offers a unique summertime experience with live music and spectacular ocean sunsets. The concert series occurs on May 20, June 17, August 19 and September 16. These monthly summer concerts, set on the aquarium’s stunning outdoor tide-pool plaza, offer food, drinks and a sophisticated mix of national performers. Green Flash Concerts take place 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. and are for guests ages 21 years and older. http://aquarium.ucsd.edu

This year, the Mainly Mozart Festival, June 6 – 20, brings the famous sounds of 19th century Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky to San Diego’s Balboa Theatre. Highlights of the festival include 13 of Tchaikovsky’s popular works, including pieces from his most famous ballets, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. www.mainlymozart.org

The 29th season of Balboa Park’s Twilight in the Park offers its free concert series Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, June 16 – August 27. Twilight’s live music under the stars features a mix of musical performances, including military bands, Dixieland jazz, big band swing and Latin salsa. Concerts take place 6:15 – 7:15 p.m. on the stage of the majestic Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. www.balboapark.org

Guests can visit Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion for its free International Summer Organ Festival, occurring every Monday at 7:30 p.m., June 22 – August 31. San Diego’s warm summer nights allows for guests to enjoy the majestic sound of the world’s largest outdoor pipe organ, while enjoying music played by world-renowned concert and theater organists. www.balboapark.org

The San Diego Symphony’s Summer Pops Series features food, fireworks and fantastic orchestral performances under the stars at picturesque Embarcadero Marina Park South in downtown San Diego. This year’s pop series takes place June through September and includes performances from Gladys Knight, John Pizzarelli, Marvin Hamlisch, Davy Jones, Burt Bacharach and more. www.sandiegosymphony.com

The popular 26th Annual Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay features top name entertainers and takes place June through October at Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn & Suites on Shelter Island, adjacent to a picturesque marina. www.humphreysconcerts.com

During July 31 – August 23, the La Jolla Music Society SummerFest 2009 features over 70 world-class, classical artists and ensembles performing 13 diverse concerts. www.lajollamusicsociety.org

On August 9, visitors can experience a rockin’ good time at North Park Music Thing’s Street Fest, which features a live art show, international food court, street vendors and a number of musicians performing live on three different stages. http://sandiegomusicfoundation.org/npm

For music lovers, San Diego’s biggest music festival, Street Scene, occurs in downtown’s East Village neighborhood, August 28 – 29. The two-day annual music festival brings more than 40 of the hottest names in indie rock and hip hop to San Diego’s city streets. www.street-scene.com

No related posts.