30 Things to Do in April
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Padres Home Games
4.4-6: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (promotions: Taco Tuesday 4/5; College Night 4/6)
4.15-17: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (promotions: First Responder Salute, Jackie Robinson Day, Party in the Park and African American Heritage Night 4/15; Padres Hat, S.D. Decal and 2016 Schedule Cling 4/16; Military Opening Day, Pony Day, Sunday Funday and KidsFest 4/17)
4.19-21: vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (promotions: Comunidad Award and Taco Tuesday 4/19; Autism Awareness 4/20; College Night 4/21)
4.22-24: vs. St. Louis Cardinals (promotions: BeerFest 4/22; Tyson Ross jersey t-shirt 4/23; Military Salute, Padres pet calendar giveaway, SDSU Day and KidsFest 4/24)
4.1-2: VinDiego
NTC Liberty Station, Point Loma
vindiego.com
Swirl, sniff and sip more than 300 wines at this fourth-annual festival featuring world-class vino, top local chefs and their dining selections, live entertainment and more to benefit the San Diego Food Bank.
4.1-3: Goodguys Meguiar’s Del Mar Nationals
Del Mar Fairgrounds
good-guys.com
Check out an enormous selection of hot rods, custom cars and vintage autos at the car show, and cheer for your favorites during the Nitro Thunderfest drag races.
4.2: Ironman 70.3 California
Begins at Oceanside Harbor
ironman.com
Swim a 1.2-mile loop in Oceanside Harbor, bike 56 miles through Camp Pendleton, and then finish with a 13.1-mile run along the coastline to complete in this popular international triathlon event.
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4.2-3: Carlsbad 5000
Grand Avenue and Harding Street, Carlsbad
runrocknroll.com
Run a 5K or 20K course before enjoying post-race beers and a concert headlined by Betamaxx.
4.3: Chocolate Festival
Maritime Museum of San Diego, Downtown
sdmaritime.org
Build a chocolate pizza, learn about the history of the cocoa bean and enjoy beers and wines paired with chocolates at this family-friendly event.
4.4: Opening Day Block Party
J Street and Sixth Avenue, East Village
eastvillagesandiego.com
Join the crowd in the streets of East Village to enjoy live bands and DJs, food-truck fare, and a beer garden before San Diego faces the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Padres first home game of the season.
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4.8-10: La Jolla Concours D’Elegance
Ellen Browning Scripps Park, La Jolla
lajollaconcours.com
See some of the world’s most expensive and exotic automobiles displayed above La Jolla Cove at this 12th annual event, which also features top-notch dining, shopping and more befitting this year’s “French Curves” theme.
4.9: The Neon Run
Qualcomm Stadium, Mission Valley
theneonrun.com
Black lights illuminating neon liquids and powders blend with live musical performances to transform this 5K into a glowing nighttime festival.
4.9: Tour de Cure
Del Mar Fairgrounds
diabetes.org
Live music, organic beer and street tacos await competitors who complete this 15-, 29-, 62- or 100- mile bicycle ride in support of the American Diabetes Association’s greater San Diego division.
4.9-10: Thunder From Down Under
Sycuan Casino, El Cajon
sycuan.com
The muscled mates from down unda turn Magic Mike fantasies into reality during their sexy and interactive stage show.
4.9-10: ArtFest
San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas
sdbgarden.org
Peruse and purchase works from local painters, potters and sculptors, and see iconic surf-culture automobiles at Saturday’s Classic Woodie Car Show (new this year).
4.9-10: Healthy Living Festival
Del Mar Fairgrounds
healthylivingfestival.com
With bathing suit season around the corner, it’s a good time to take advantage of the yoga classes, fitness tips, healthy-cooking demonstrations and more offered at this annual meeting of health-conscious humans.
4.10: Fight Night at Parq
Parq Restaurant & Nightclub, Gaslamp
parqsd.com
Watch live MMA action as amateur fighters face-off in a cage in the middle of Parq nightclub’s dance floor.
4.10: Campagnolo Granfondo
Courses begin and end on India Street, Little Italy
sdgranfondo.com
Follow one of four cycling tours (all of which begin and end in Little Italy) before enjoying the Italian Pasta Fest, beer garden and complimentary massage at the finish line.
4.10 Fight For Air Climb
One America Plaza, Downtown
action.lung.org
Climb San Diego’s tallest high-rise - all 657 steps of it - for a killer glute workout and to raise funds for those affected by lung disease.
4.12: WWE Smackdown
Valley View Casino Center, Point Loma
valleyviewcasinocenter.com
World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) biggest Superstars and Divas faux fight in Point Loma during this live performance, which will air Thursday, April 14, on the USA Network.
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4.16: Taste of Hillcrest
Several Hillcrest restaurants
fabuloushillcrest.com
Embark on an international culinary tour by way of this self-guided restaurant-tasting trek through Hillcrest.
4.16-17: Coronado Flower Show
Spreckels Park, Coronado
coronadoflowershow.com
Billed as “the largest tented flower show in the nation,” this annual affair features landscape designs, floral and horticulture competitions, live entertainment, and a beer and wine garden.
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4.17: EarthFair
Balboa Park
earthdayweb.org
This free, environmentally friendly celebration of conservation, organic gardening, alternative healthcare and all things green draws a crowd of 60,000 to Balboa Park.
4.22-24: Lakeside Rodeo
Lakeside Rodeo Arena
lakesiderodeo.com
Behold the bareback bronco rides, broken hillbilly bones and beer-guzzling cowboys that bring the Wild West to East County each April.
4.24: La Jolla Half Marathon
Del Mar Fairgrounds
lajollahalfmarathon.com
The second race in the Half Marathon Triple Crown Series challenges participants to complete a 13.1-mile course from the Del Mar Fairgrounds, through Torrey Pines and culminating in a finish- line festival in La Jolla’s Ellen Browning Scripps Park.
4.30: Life in Color
Valley View Casino Center, Point Loma
valleyviewcasinocenter.com
Expect to be entertained by aerialists and acrobats - and EDMer 3LAU - while being blasted by neon paint cannons at this paint party/rave.
4.30: Ocean Commotion
Campland on the Bay, Mission Bay
sdcoastkeeper.org
Oceanside folk rock trio The Barnwell Shift headlines this outdoor music festival, where partygoers can enjoy local beers along the bay to benefit San Diego Coastkeeper’s clean-water efforts.
4.30-5.1: Mission Federal ArtWalk
Ash and Grape Street, Little Italy
artwalksandiego.org
Nearly 400 visual and performing artists will show and sell across 17 blocks in Little Italy during this free two-day event. Meet the event’s featured artists and see their works in “Strokes of Genius,” page 56.
4.30-5.1: Adams Avenue Unplugged
Adams Avenue, Normal Heights
adamsavenuebusiness.com
More than 150 bands and artists will perform on 25 stages spread along a two-mile stretch of Adams Avenue in one of the city’s most rockin’ weekends of the year.
4.30-5.1: International Mobil Film Festival
San Diego Innovation Center, Miramar
internationalmobilefilmfestival.com
Mingle with the filmmakers behind the 42 flicks shot exclusively on cell phones at this fifth annual film screening and red carpet event.
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