Fair Weather to Usher In Official Start of Summer

Weather officials are predicting a warm, pleasant weekend, ideal for getting outdoors.

Though the usual night and morning low clouds will still hover over San Diego, the afternoon sunshine and warm temperatures should make the weekend enjoyable, said Wilbur Shigehara, chief forecaster for the National Weather Service in San Diego.

The fair weather is usual for this time of year, when spring turns into summer. Saturday, which marks the official beginning of summer, will be the longest day of the year, with sunrise at 5:41 a.m. and sunset at 7:59 p.m., Shigehara said.

Temperatures at the beaches will be in the upper 60s all weekend, Shigehara said.

Along the coast, including downtown, the high temperature this weekend will be 67 to 75 degrees, with lows near 60, Shigehara said.

Highs in the low 80s are expected inland this weekend, Shigehara said. The low temperature there should be about 57, he said.

In the mountains, the temperatures will climb to 77 and fall to about 50 at night, Shigehara said.

Temperatures are expected to reach the low 100s in the deserts during the day and fall into the 60s at night, Shigehara said.

For those looking to enjoy the weather outdoors, two events will take place in different parts of the county.

Traditional crafts, a working threshing machine and a tractor parade will be on display at the Threshing Bee and Antique Engine Show in Vista this weekend.

The biannual event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is a living history demonstration, said Rod Groenewold, director of the 40-acre Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum.

The four-day show, which begins Saturday, is a fund-raiser for the nonprofit museum. Children under 15 years old are admitted free; a $5 donation is requested from others.

“Our wheat field is looking real good. We’ll have a scaled train running that gives rides, horses and a country kitchen that will all be open,” Groenewold said.

Entertainment will include the Cowboys from Mars, a country-Western band, and a group that performs bluegrass music, he said.

According to officials, the show and the year-round museum are designed to evoke nostalgic memories of rural lifestyles and family traditions. The show will be at 2040 North Santa Fe Ave. in Vista. For information, call 941-1791.

On Saturday, a free all-day fair that duplicates a traditional African marketplace will be held at the Gateway Shopping Center in Southeast San Diego.

The African Marketplace and Juneteenth Celebration will feature singers, dancers, arts, a Gospel choir, food and crafts vendors, African face painting and African mask making, said Elizabeth Mathews, a spokeswoman for the African-American Museum.

The Juneteenth is a traditional holiday that celebrates the emancipation of slaves in Texas in 1865, Mathews said.

There will be free educational art workshops for children, Mathews said.

Entertainment includes the Gospel choir, jazz music performed by local group B Natural and storytelling by Saron Williams, an African storyteller.

There also will be plenty of food for sale.

“Everything from baby-backed ribs to cakes and pies will be on sale,” Mathews said. “There will be a Nigerian woman making fried black-eyed peas, plus Caribbean food, Ethiopian specialties and nachos.”