Full plate: April food + drink happenings

Fill your bellies with food and drinks events around San Diego including The Mad Hatter’s Beer Party, annual Fallbrook Avocado Festival and Tequila and Taco Music Festival.

4.1: Playing with Fire

Guest chefs from the Mastiff Sausage Company ignite a new outdoor-grilling series during this unique al fresco experience featuring a family-style feast cooked on a custom-built rotisserie grill.

The Lodge at Torrey Pines, La Jolla, lodgetorreypines.com

4.4-14: Petal to Plate

Drawing inspiration from the Flower Fields’ flourishing ranunculuses, Carlsbad’s best chefs, brewers, mixologists and wellness specialists converge to tickle guests’ senses with floral creations.

The Flower Fields, Carlsbad, visitcarlsbad.com

4.5: The Mad Hatter’s Beer Party

Venture through the looking glass at this psychedelic celebration offering live music, magnificent mushrooms and samples of more than 30 local ales and lagers.

The Lafayette Hotel, North Park, eventbrite.com

4.5-6: Boochcraft’s Third Anniversary Pairing Dinner & Party

The fermenting experts behind California’s first hard kombucha commemorate three years in business with a brewery tour and gluten-free feast, followed the next day by interactive installations, a vegan taco station and an authentic tea ceremony, among other attractions.

Boochcraft, Chula Vista and Bread & Salt, Barrio Logan, facebook.com/boochcraft

4.6: Fifth annual Meading at the Garden

More than 35 meaderies, cideries and breweries offer unlimited pours of the world’s oldest fermented beverage at the West Coast’s largest mead festival, which also features ax throwing, a Viking-themed village and a five-course meal that pairs contemporary cuisine with modern honey wine.

Alta Vista Botanical Gardens, Vista, altavistabotanicalgardens.org

4.6: Fourth annual Uncorked Wine Festival

Swirl, sniff and sip to your heart’s content at this grape-centric event boasting more than 200 wines and champagnes in addition to gourmet food trucks, a live DJ and loads of lawn games.

Embarcadero Marina Park North, Marina District, uncorkedwinefestivals.com

4.6: 12th annual North Park Festival of Beers

Knock back limitless samples of more than 50 beers from dozens of local breweries at this event benefiting the San Diego Music Foundation.

The Lafayette Hotel, North Park, 91x.com

4.8-9: The Anti-Convention 2019: Catalyst

This inaugural event presented by Chef’s Roll includes a dinner under the stars and two days of legendary chefs, thought leaders and industry influencers offering insight into the farm-to-table movement.

Idea1 Building, downtown, anticonvention.com

4.9-10: Chef’s Catch

Continuing Ironside’s ongoing dinner series, executive chef James McLeod welcomes Chicago’s Lee Wolen — a two-time James Beard Award nominee — to join him for a two-night stint cooking a selection of seafood sourced directly from Tuna Harbor Dockside Market.

Ironside Fish and Oyster, Little Italy, ironsidefishandoyster.com

4.10: Food Memorias

Chef Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins teams up with award winning chef and author Francisco Migoya (Modernist Cuisine), who will be cooking in San Diego for the first time ever, for a six-course dinner featuring some of Migoya’s avant-garde creations. — Leslie Hackett

El Jardin, 2885 Perry Rd., Point Loma, exploretock.com/eljardinrestaurantbar

4.11: Wine Dinner featuring Domaine Carneros Winery

Showcasing libations from the Domaine Carneros vineyard, this five-course feast includes sparkling wines with distinctive styles, ranging from the classic Brut cuvée to the luxurious Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs.

La Valencia Hotel, La Jolla, lavalencia.com

4.12: Friday Night Fish Fry

It’s a Fry-day celebration with fishmonger Tommy Gomes (Catalina Offshore Products) as he breaks down a yellowtail fish that will be prepared by 10 Barrel executive chef Tommy Fraioli in addition to a Golden Spotted Bass fry and shellfish spread — not to mention all-you-can-drink beers. — Leslie Hackett

10 Barrel Brewing Co., 1501 E St., East Village, eventbrite.com

4.13: Seventh annual VinDiego Wine and Food Festival

Wine, food and music collide at this oenophilic festival featuring more than 200 varietals from top-tier vintners alongside fare from some of San Diego’s best chefs.

Enter here for a chance to win a pair of tickets!

Waterfront Park, Little Italy, vindiego.com

4.13: Beerfest at Dive

Showcasing beverages from more than a dozen of the nation’s best breweries, this event has the distinction of being the county’s only beer festival taking place adjacent to a swimming pool.

Harrah’s Resort SoCal, Valley Center, harrahssocal.com

4.13: Eppig Biergarten Frühlingsfest

Bust out your best Bavarian-wear to commemorate the arrival of spring — and the first anniversary of this waterfront biergarten — during a traditional event that serves as Oktoberfest’s sister celebration.

Eppig Brewing Waterfront Biergarten, Shelter Island, eppigbrewing.com

4.13: 18th annual Taste of Hillcrest

Take your taste buds on a culinary tour to more than 35 of Hillcrest’s best restaurants during this annual uptown foodie fest featuring free shuttle service for all participants.

Throughout Hillcrest, fabuloushillcrest.com

4.13: Brew Down Beer Competition & Festival

Enjoy unlimited samples and vote for your favorite as more than two dozen breweries compete for the title of San Diego’s most beloved beer at this inaugural event that awards the winner with a trophy, bragging rights and a $5,000 donation to the charity of their choice.

Green Flash Brewing, Mira Mesa, sdbeer.com

4.13: Burning Beard Third Anniversary

The subversive San Diego brewery crosses the three-year milestone with hard-rocking bands, multiple beer stations and specially selected food trucks serving gourmet hot dogs, tacos and sliders.

Burning Beard Brewing Co., El Cajon, burningbeardbrewing.com

4.14: 33rd annual Fallbrook Avocado Festival

Guacamole contests, inflatable avocados and even a race featuring vehicles made from SoCal’s signature fruit make this one-of-a-kind event an unmissable affair for lovers of “alligator pears.”

Main Street, Fallbrook, fallbrookchamberofcommerce.org

4.18: Field to Vase Dinner Tour, Carlsbad

Enjoy an artisanal dinner amid a sea of flowers overlooking the Pacific Ocean during this multi-course meal paired with wine, craft beer and floral-influenced cocktails.

The Flower Fields, Carlsbad, americangrownflowers.org

4.18: Mezcal Vago Pairing Dinner

Tahona will host Mezcal Vago’s founder, Judah Kuper, for a Oaxaca-inspired four-course dinner pairing created by executive chef Adrian Villareal. — Leslie Hackett

Tahona, 2414 San Diego Ave., Old Town, eventbrite.com

4.20: 10th annual Bikes, Boards and Brews

Express your fondness for three facets of PB’s iconic culture at this annual event that includes beer tastings, food pairings and a gallery of local artists.

Crown Point Park, Pacific Beach, pacificbeach.org

4.24: Taste of Liberty Station

Indulge in Liberty Station’s many gustatory experiences on this self-guided, art-infused food walk that also features live music all day long.

Liberty Station, Point Loma, libertystation.com

4.26-27: Taste of Temecula Valley

Featuring VIP dining and an exclusive concert experience on Friday, followed by all-day savor-and-stroll extravaganza on Saturday, this event gives locals an opportunity to feast on menu selections from many of Southern California’s finest restaurants, wineries, distilleries and breweries.

Town Square Park, Old Town Temecula, temeculaeducationfoundation.org

4.27: Ninth annual Mission Valley Craft Beer & Food Festival

This all-inclusive festival features unlimited samples from several food-and-beverage vendors and offers guests a neck-based beer-holder that makes it easier to simultaneously eat and drink.

SDCCU Stadium, Mission Valley, mvcbf.com

4.27-28: Tequila and Taco Music Festival

This traveling tequila-and-taco music festival returns to San Diego for two days of fun in the sun with spirit sampling on Saturday, margarita madness on Sunday and gourmet tacos along with live music all weekend long.

Embarcadero Marina Park South, Marina District, tequilaandtacomusicfestival.com

4.28: Gather Dinner Series: Land & Sea

Kicking off a new pop-up dinner series, this event celebrates the chefs of Del Mar with a barrel-aged whiskey tasting and an exclusive, off-the-menu culinary experience paired with wines from the Russian River Valley.

Pacifica Del Mar, Del Mar, pacificadelmar.com

4.28: Dinners for Good

Tommy Gomes from Catalina Offshore invites guests to dine on a gourmet, five-course tasting menu (plus paired drinks) during a live cooking demonstration from chef Matt Gordon and Sam “The Cooking Guy” Zien.

Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, Chollas Creek Villas, kitchensforgood.org