Things to do in September
Events in San Diego during September include the Miramar Air Show, KAABOO Del Mar, Swoop Freestyle FAI World Championships and South Bay Pride.
9.1: 22nd annual Julian Grape Stomp Festa
Ditch your kicks, roll up your jeans and stomp grapes till your toes are tender, then bowl a round of bocce ball, sip samples from local wineries or strut your stuff to Italian tunes at this annual oenophile frenzy.
Menghini Winery, Julian, visitjulian.com
9.1: Reggae Splash Summer Boat Party
Get all irie, then stir it up before the summer ends aboard this reggae boat party featuring three floors of jammin’ bands, three hours of breathtaking views and five fully stocked bars.
Inspiration Hornblower Yacht, Waterfront Park, reggaesplashsd.com
9.1: Sunset Cliffs Music & Art Street Fair
Spanning two blocks of Point Loma Avenue, this burgeoning street fair boasts two stages of live music, more than 100 merchants and art from local creatives.
Point Loma Avenue, Sunset Cliffs, sunsetcliffsma.com
9.2: Lafayette Labor Day Luau
Admission to this end-of-summer luau includes two drinks and a TJ-style hot dog, as well as upbeat music and locally sourced bites from the hotel’s in-house restaurant.
Lafayette Hotel, North Park, lafayettehotelsd.com
9.2: Big SoCal Euro 2018
Scope out more than 3,300 imported vehicles — or showcase your own set of wheels — at one of the West Coast’s largest all-European car gatherings.
SDCCU Stadium, Mission Valley, big-euro.com
9.2: San Diego Vintage Flea Market
Shop till you drop while browsing through wares from more than 100 merchants at this free, rain-or-shine market touting clothing, furniture and vintage vendors from around the globe.
Observatory North Park Theater, North Park, sdvintagefleamarket.com
9.7: Third annual Play on the Bay
Support local education while enjoying spectacular food, drinks and live music during this unforgettable evening on the waterfront, benefiting DonorsChoose.org, a nonprofit that helps teachers obtain supplies to help their classrooms succeed.
Loews Coronado Bay Resort, Coronado, loewshotels.com
9.7-9: Third annual Beach Polo Cup
Fifty horses and polo players from far and wide compete in four matches during this lavish, three-day event boasting boutiques, hat contests and informal fashion modeling.
Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado, hoteldel.com
9.8: South Bay Pride
Celebrate love, equality and South Bay enthusiasm at this free event highlighting live bands, DJs and dancing along with artisans, adult beverages and an array of beachy activities.
Bayside Park, Chula Vista, southbaypride.org
9.8: 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb
Raising awareness for the sacrifices made by firefighters and their families, this 110-story climb commemorates the 403 emergency responders who lost their lives 17 years ago on Sept. 11.
Hilton San Diego Bayfront, downtown, sandiegostairclimb.com
9.8: Epic Obstacle Course
Forget about mud and long distances on this unorthodox obstacle course that challenges locals to compete in one of three races, ranging from the relatively easy to the absurdly difficult.
Fiesta Island, Mission Bay, epicseriesocr.com
9.8: Eighth annual San Diego Blues Festival
Outstanding acts provide head-bobbing blues tunes at this revered event that raises funds to support San Diego’s battle against hunger.
Marina Embarcadero North, downtown, sdbluesfest.com
9.8-9: Aloha Run
This fun and festive Hawaiian-themed 5/10K is inspired by the islands and invites dancers, photographers and musicians to all take part in the festivities.
Tecolote Shores, Mission Bay, thealoharun.com
9.8: Indie Jam 2018
Featuring Dirty Heads, Bishop Briggs and lovelytheband, this year’s Indie Jam promises to be the most unforgettable one yet.
Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre Pier, Oceanside, alt949.radio.com
9.8-9: 40th annual Cardiff Greek Festival
Munch on mouthwatering Greek food and pastries while award-winning musicians and folk dancers perform alongside cooking demonstrations, beer presentations and many other Mediterranean delights.
Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, cardiffgreekfestival.com
9.14-15: Cotopaxi Questival
With more than 200 unique challenges from Torrey Pines to Coronado, this 24-hour race pits teams of up to six competitors against each other on a mission to explore lesser-known areas of the city.
Waterfront Park, Little Italy, cotopaxi.com
9.14-16: KAABOO Del Mar
The SoCal mixperience festival returns for the fourth year with three days of gourmet cuisine, craft libations and an entertainment lineup that’s certain to appeal to all five senses. Here’s a glimpse of what’s to come in each of the four main weekend experiences:
Music: This year’s headliners include Foo Fighters (Friday), Imagine Dragons (Saturday), Katy Perry, and Robert Plant (both Sunday), but also of note are Halsey, N.E.R.D and Wiz Khalifa. Keep an eye out for current and former San Diego performers including Jewel, Elise Trouw, Creature Canyon and Shane Hall.
“As with every year of KAABOO,” said Jason Felts, the festival’s chief brand and marketing officer, “we try and have an equal focus on today’s hit-makers and iconic, bucket-list artists who have a catalog of songs our guests would love to hear live.”
Comedy: Bringing the laughs this year will be Judd Apatow, Craig Ferguson, Kevin Nealon, and Iliza Shlesinger amongst others.
Palate: A who’s who of A-list celebrity chefs will be in attendance this year, including Michael Mina, Ludo Lefebvre, Marc Forgione, Michelle Bernstein and Daniela Soto-Innes who will be on hand during a variety of tastings, cooking demos and competitions. Familiar faces from San Diego include Richard Blais (Juniper & Ivy, Crack Shack) and Brian Malarkey (Herb & Wood).
Artwork: Adding a pop of color to the festival will be returning San Diego-based artists Christopher Konecki and Carly Ealey, as well as Amandalynn, Cryptik, Gloria Muriel and a host of others working on murals and installations around the festival, as well as exhibiting artwork at the contemporary art fair.
Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, kaaboodelmar.com
9.14-16: San Diego Bayfair
Five days of friends, fireworks and fast boats will be at this high-energy celebration along the water.
In and around Mission Bay, sandiegobayfair.org
9.14: Second annual Swoop Freestyle FAI World Championships
If you’re in search of a fresh adrenaline rush, this relatively new, internationally accredited action sport unites the world´s best aerial athletes while creating a visual experience spectators are certain to remember forever.
Embarcadero Marina Park, downtown, swoopfreestyle.com
9.15: Santee Bluegrass Festival
Support people, parks and programs during this fundraising festival that highlights beer, wine and bluegrass shine.
Town Center Community Park East, Santee, anteebluegrassfestival.com
9.16: Rock the Bay San Diego Triathlon
This downtown triathlon is back with rock bands, a boardwalk swim entry and a unique cycling course traversing Harbor Drive and concluding with a run along at Embarcadero Marina Park.
Fifth Avenue Landing, downtown, rockthebaytri.com
9.16: Ironman 70.3 Superfrog
Run, swim and cycle as never before during this annual half-Ironman that starts and ends in Imperial Beach, with a bike ride along part of Coronado’s Silver Strand.
Imperial Beach, ironman.com
9.22: Magic Men Live!
The premier ladies’ night concert experience returns to San Diego to forever change the way women think about male revue shows.
House of Blues, Gaslamp Quarter, magicmenlive.com
9.22: Gone Country Party Cruise
If you love country, don’t miss this Southern-centric booze cruise boasting live bands, line dancing and multiple DJs eager to earn your appreciation.
San Diego Bay, Check Facebook event page
9.22-23: ArtWalk Carlsbad
Making its debut in North County, this fine art festival that’s part of the ArtWalk brand unites factions from around San Diego while promoting the experience of owning one-of-a-kind art.
Armada Drive, Carlsbad, artwalksandiego.org
9.22-23: Pacific Islander Festival
Immerse yourself in the culture of the indigenous people of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia during this annual celebration of the Pacific Islander lifestyle.
Ski Beach, Mission Bay, pifasandiego.com
9.22-23: Vista Viking Festival
Hurl spears, throw axes and amble through living history encampments, all while experiencing what Viking life was actually like in its heyday.
Norway Hall, Vista, vistavikingfestival.com
9.23: One Love Seventh annual Charity Yoga Event
A DJ will provide live beats for more than 1,000 local yogis at this fundraiser that aims to unite community members by renouncing bullying and supporting social advocacy.
Waterfront Park, Little Italy, onelovemovement.org
9.25-30: GI Film Festival
Cinephiles with an appreciation for the military won’t want to miss this film festival that focuses on movies affiliated with the nation’s armed forces.
Various theaters around the city, gifilmfestivalsd.org
9.26: Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson: An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies
Everyone’s favorite astrophysicist dissects the science featured in many of pop culture’s signature sci-fi films.
San Diego Civic Theatre, downtown, sandiegotheatres.org
9.28-29: Poway Rodeo
Celebrating the culture of the Old West, this competitive event includes rodeo clowns, steer wrestling and a traditional dance on both nights.
Poway Rodeo, Poway, powayrodeo.com
9.28-30: MCAS Miramar Air Show
The nation’s largest military air show performs above MCAS, while an exhibit of past and present aircraft — along with an extensive array of ground-combat equipment — offers enthusiasts an insider’s glimpse of wartime weapons.
MCAS Miramar East Gate, Miramar, miramarairshow.com
9.29: Free to Breathe San Diego Run/Walk
With a mission to double lung-cancer survival rates by 2022, this fundraising 5K along the waterfront features a survivors’ area, a local DJ and post-run refreshments.
Ruocco Park, Seaport Village, participate.lcrf.org
9.29: AIDS Walk/Run
Join 8,000-plus locals while walking in remembrance of the countless lives lost to AIDS during this ambulatory event that raises funds for the 20,000 San Diegans currently living with HIV.
Throughout Hillcrest and Balboa Park, thecentersd.org
9.29: Bubble Run
If you’re in the mood for something unconventional, this infamous, exercise-oriented event is the equivalent of a trek through Willy Wonka’s whimsical bubble room.
Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, bubblerun.com
9.29-30: CRSSD
The city’s infamous underground dance festival is back for a fifth year, featuring Duke Dumont, Bob Moses and Nina Kraviz among dozens of other acts.
Waterfront Park, Little Italy, crssdfest.com
9.29-30: 37th annual Adams Avenue Street Fair
With six stages, 80 musical acts and more than 300 arts, crafts and clothing merchants, SoCal’s largest, free two-day music festival returns with even better beer gardens, carnival rides and festival food than ever before.
Adams Avenue, Normal Heights, adamsavenuebusiness.com
9.30: 2018 Mission Bay Triathlon
Join more than 1,600 competitors from around the country at this event that begins with a calm swim at Bonita Cove and concludes under Belmont Park’s iconic Giant Dipper roller coaster.
Bonita Cove, Mission Bay, sdtriseries.com
9.30: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets
The game has long been sold out (signing LeBron James to the Lakers greatly accelerated ticket sales), but this preseason meeting between the two teams could be the first time for fans to catch King James in his new Pacific division uniform.
Valley View Casino Center, Sports Arena, nba.com/lakers
Padres Home Games
9.1-2 vs. Colorado Rockies
9.14-16 vs. Texas Rangers
9.17-19 vs. San Francisco Giants
9.28-30 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
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