San Diego's top weekend events: from Culture & Cocktails to Without Walls Festival

Oct. 17, 2019 9:46 AM PT

Top events this weekend include Culture & Cocktails, Dine Out for the Cure, Without Walls Festival, Celebrate the Craft and more.

10.17: Culture & Cocktails

It’s all about the ladies at the San Diego Museum of Art’s popular art-themed party. Celebrate female artists from the Abstract Expressionist movement with an evening filled with spin art, face painting and makeup, lemon cupcakes and dancing. The Abstract Revolution exhibition will be open during the event, and on view at the museum through February 2020.

San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park, sdmart.org

10.17: Dine Out for the Cure

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and more than 50 local restaurants will donate proceeds from their Thursday, Oct. 17, sales to Susan G. Komen. Dine out at spots from the casual Blaze Pizza and Lolita’s Mexican Food to the more upscale Terra American Bistro and Waypoint Public to help this annual fundraiser. Find a complete list of participating restaurants online.

Restaurants throughout the county, komensandiego.org/dineout

10.17-20: Without Walls Festival

The La Jolla Playhouse’s biennial celebration of site-specific, immersive and otherwise unconventional performance has become a certified happening. And this year, it moves to a new location: Arts District Liberty Station. (James Hebert)

Arts District Liberty Station, Liberty Station, wowfestival.org

A photo of "Tall Tales of the High Seas"

10.19-20: San Diego Green Homes Tour

You’ve eliminated plastics and have the whole composting thing figured out. But, now what? Get more green living inspiration at the 10^th annual Green Homes Tour. You’ll see green designs from high-tech home battery systems to backyard native plant gardens. Saturday is for homes in South, East and Central San Diego, Sunday showcases spots in North County.

Throughout the county, sdgreenhomestour.org

10.20: Boots in the Park with Cole Swindell

Put on your cowboy boots and head to Waterfront Park for Boots in the Park, an ongoing music series and all-day country party. Country star Cole Swindell headlines the concert, alongside performers Dylan Scott, Devin Dawson, Cassadee Pope and Leaving Austin. The 21-plus event features BBQ, full bars, line dancing, and of course, a whole lot of tunes.

Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Hwy, downtown, bootsinthepark.com/san-diego

10.20: Celebrate the Craft

Foodies, this is your event! Mingle with high-profile chefs, farmers, brewers and wine-makers at this annual gourmet food festival. Talk bread-making with representatives from Bread and Cie, or learn how chefs Kelli Crosson (The Lodge at Torrey Pines) and Jason Knibb (Nine-Ten) create menus around seasonal, SoCal ingredients.

The Lodge Torrey Pines, La Jolla, lodgetorreypines.com/celebrate-the-craft

10.20: Third annual Tiki Luau

Say goodbye to summer in Polynesian style at The Grass Skirt’s Tiki Luau, featuring a traditional pig roast, rum tasting, craft cocktails and more.

The Grass Skirt, Pacific Beach, venno.com/event/tiki-luau-2019

10.20: Wasted: A Celebration of Sustainable Food

Local and national chefs are tasked with creating a meal using an ingredient that might normally be thrown away at this event (which benefits Kitchens for Good) that aims to change the way people think about food waste.

Kitchens for Good, Lincoln Park, wastedcelebration.com

A photo of chefs at Wasted: A Celebration of Sustainable Food

Through 10.27: San Diego Italian Film Festival

Celebrating Italian culture through film, the San Diego Italian Film Festival’s feStivale spans 12 days and includes a launch party (on Oct. 6), film screenings at the Museum of Photographic Arts and a closing night gala.

At venues throughout San Diego, sandiegoitalianfilmfestival.com/event/2019-sdiff-festivale

Through 10.27: Fern Street Circus Neighborhood Tour

You know in the movies when you see a circus coming to town? That’s the inspiration behind this locally based arts group. Acrobats, actors and puppet artists perform free shows -- with socially conscious messages -- in neighborhoods from North Park to City Heights and beyond. (See site for tour schedule.)

Neighborhoods throughout county, fernstreetcircus.com