Things to Do in September

9.2-5: U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge & Dimensional Art Exposition @ B Street Pier/Cruise Ship Terminal, Downtown , ussandsculpting.com

Watch master sculptors from around the globe create gravity-defying three-dimensional art using 300 tons of sand piled on B Street Pier during this four-day event featuring live bands and gourmet food trucks.

9.3 San Diego Bacon Festival @ Preble Field At NTC Park, Liberty Station, Point Loma, sdbaconfest.com

Celebrate International Bacon Day by double-fisting unlimited samples of bacon-driven dishes and cold beers at this outdoor carnivore’s paradise.

9.3 Julian Grape Stomp Festa @ Menghini Winery, Julian, visitjulian.com

Help make Julian’s Grape Stomp Festa’s 20th anniversary a crushing success by jumping in with two feet and sipping vino from 11 local wineries.

9.3-5 Festival Of Sail @ Maritime Museum Of San Diego, Downtown, sdmaritime.org

The largest tall-ship festival on the West Coast transforms the North Embarcadero into a nautical theme park complete with a floating parade, cannon battles and twilight sails.

9.8 Taste Of Del Mar @ Downtown Del Mar, visitdelmarvillage.com

Take a self-guided evening culinary tour of more than 20 Del Mar restaurants, pausing at “Sip Stops” featuring beer, wine and spirits along the way.

9.10 South Bay Pride Art & Musical Festival @ Bayside Park, Chula Vista , southbaypride.org

Dance the day away with an expected 20,000 revelers at Chula Vista’s rapidly growing celebration of LGBT pride.

9.10 Carlsbad Brewfest @ Holiday Park, Carlsbad, carlsbadbrewfest.org

More than 30 craft breweries will haul their beers to Carlsbad for an afternoon of suds and fun in the sun.

9.10 San Diego Brazilian Day Festival @ Belmont Park, Mission Beach, braziliandaysandiego.com

Samba by the sand at this free outdoor festival celebrating Brazilian culture and music with live bands, dance performances and a carnaval-esque parade.

9.10 San Diego 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb @ Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Downtown, sandiegostairclimb.com

Climb 110 flights of stairs - the number of flights in the former Twin Towers - while wearing the name of an emergency responder killed on September 11, 2001.

9.10 San Diego Blues Festival @ Embarcadero Marina Park North, Downtown, sdbluesfest.com

Los Lobos headlines the annual event, which features 10 acts performing a broad spectrum of blues styles while helping to raise money for the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.

9.10-11 Cardiff Greek Festival @ Saints Constantine And Helen Greek Orthodox Church, Cardiff-By-The-Sea, cardiffgreekfestival.com

Eat like a god, enjoying Greek cuisine and culture (from A to Zeus) in Cardiff. Opa!

9.10-11 Coronado Art Walk @ Coronado Ferry Landing, Coronado, coronadoartwalk.com

Peruse and purchase paintings, handcrafted jewelry and other works at this free two-day show.

9.15 Taste Of Downtown @ Various Restaurants, Downtown, downtownsandiego.org

Sample menu offerings from more than 40 restaurants throughout the Gaslamp, East Village and The Headquarters during this four-hour culinary walkabout.

9.16-18 San Diego Bayfair @ Mission Bay Park, Mission Bay, sandiegobayfair.org

Powerboats thunder to the finish line, reaching speeds in excess of 225 mph during this annual event on Mission Bay.

9.16-18 KAABOO Del Mar @ Del Mar Racetrack, Del Mar, kaaboodelmar.com

Aerosmith, Jimmy Buffet and Jack Johnson headline the second KAABOO Del Mar, which also features stand-up comedy, art and pop-up installations of popular local restaurants. (See story here.)

9.17 SoCal Beast Spartan Race @ Pala Raceway, Pala, spartan.com

Try to conquer more than 30 obstacles while racing along a grueling course that stretches a dozen miles.

9.23 Magic Men Live @ House Of Blues, Downtown, magicmenlive.com

Get thrust into the action of this muscle-bound stage show where clothing is minimal and fan-interaction abounds.

9.23-25 MCAS Miramar Air Show @ Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, miramarairshow.com

Celebrate 100 years of the Marine Corps Reserve at the nation’s largest military air show, which brings 700,000 people to Miramar to see the Navy Blue Angels perform and the Shockwave Jet truck barrel down the runway at 300 mph, among other incredible spectacles.

9.24 Del Mar Mud Run @ Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, delmarmudrun.com

Get down and dirty while racing through a muddy, obstacle-filled 5K course providing free beer and a clean t-shirt at the finish line.

9.24 San Diego Zoo Food, Wine & Celebration @ San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park , zoofoodandwine.com

Have a roaring good time celebrating 100 years of the San Diego Zoo with live music and dancing; food and drinks from more than 150 restaurants, wineries and breweries; and close-up encounters with exotic animals.

9.24 Tour De Fat San Diego @ Golden Hill Park, South Park, newbelgium.com

Join a crowd of 10,000 in Golden Hill Park for New Belgium Brewing Company’s annual traveling festival, which promotes sustainability and a two-wheeled way of life with a bicycle parade, costume contests and great beer. One person who pledges to go car-free for an entire year will win cash and a new ride: a brand new Fat Tire bicycle.

9.24-25 Adams Avenue Street Fair @ Adams Avenue, Normal Heights, adamsavenuebusiness.com

Adams Avenue transforms into a massive two-day outdoor music fest with more than 90 bands. Come for the music, stay for the beer garden, carnival rides and festival fare.

9.25-10.2 San Diego Restaurant Week @ 180-Plus Participating Restaurants, San Diego County, sandiegorestaurantweek.com

For eight days, San Diego foodies can feast their eyes and mouths on dishes from nearly 200 participating restaurants offering prix-fixe, multi-course lunch and dinner menus at a discount.

9.28-10.2 San Diego International Film Festival @ Balboa Theatre, Horton Grand Theatre And Regal Cinemas, Downtown; And Arclight Cinemas, La Jolla, sdfilmfest.com

Watch films from around the world as independent filmmakers and studios converge to showcase their work during five days of screenings downtown and in La Jolla, then rub elbows with actors and directors at nightly after-parties.

San Diego Padres Home Games

9/5-7 vs. Boston Red Sox

(promotions: Bark at the Park 9/5; Biotech All Stars, Taco Tuesday 9/6; All-American Special, Roberto Clemente Day, PCL 80th Anniversary 9/7)

9/8-11 vs. Colorado Rockies

(promotions: Star Wars Day 9/8; American Red Cross Salute, BeerFest, Native American Heritage Night, Nurses Night 9/9; Pacific Islander Heritage Night 9/10; Military Salute to Veterans, Sunday Funday, KidsFest 9/11)

9/19-21 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

(promotions: Bark at the Park, 4-ALS 9/19; Biotech All-Stars, Taco Tuesday 9/20; All-American Special 9/21)

9/22-25 vs. San Francisco Giants

(promotions: Fiesta in the Park 9/23; postgame fireworks, team photo and 2017 schedule 9/24; Military Appreciation Day, Shirts off their Backs, Domingos Padres, KidsFest 9/25)

9/27-29 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

(promotions: Biotech All-Stars, Taco Tuesday 9/27; All-American Special 9/28; Oktoberfest 9/29)

9/27-29 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

(promotions: Biotech All-Stars, Taco Tuesday 9/27; All-American Special 9/28; Oktoberfest 9/29)

San Diego Chargers @ Qualcomm Stadium, Mission Valley

9/1 vs. San Francisco 49ers (preseason)

9/18 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars