San Diego’s top weekend events for Sept. 22-25: ‘Kinky Boots,’ Poway Rodeo, Restaurant Week and more
Here are the top events happening in San Diego from Thursday, 22 to Sunday, Sept. 25.
You can also check out some of our latest San Diego guides, which are exclusive for Union-Tribune subscribers, to help you plan your weekend:
From activities with animals to bike rides, here’s a list of activities for children and teens in San Diego.
Guide to Halloween and fall activities, haunted houses, Oktoberfest and other spooky festivities throughout San Diego County
Here’s this weekend’s lineup.
Thursday
“Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord”: Performance artist Kristina Wong presents her Pulitzer Prize finalist solo play about her real-life experience marshalling an army of 800 volunteers to sew nearly 400,000 face masks during the pandemic. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Through Oct. 16. Potiker Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, UC San Diego Theater District, La Jolla. $25 to $80. (858) 550-1010, lajollaplayhouse.org
North Park Oktoberfest Beer Crawl: Several North Park taprooms are teaming up for an Oktoberfest event with drink specials and a punch card that, when completed, allows the beer drinkers to enter a raffle for a $600 prize package. Second Chance Beer, Original 40 Brewing, Rouleur Brewing and Mike Hess Brewing are participating and punch cards will be distributed at each location. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22.
“Kinky Boots”: Moonlight Stage Productions closes its summer season with this film-inspired musical about an English shoe factor that strikes it rich making platform boots for drag queens. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays (gates open at 6:30 p.m.). Through Oct. 1. Moonlight Amphitheatre, Brengle Terrace Park, 1250 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista. $8 to $56. (760) 724-2110, moonlightstage.com
Friday
Poway Rodeo: Welcome autumn with a roundup of riding, racing and roping this weekend at the annual Poway Rodeo. Other skills on show are bareback riding, rodeo clowns and the popular kids-ride-sheep event, mutton-busting. Free dances after the Friday and Saturday evening shows. Sam’s Posse Roundup Rodeo, a free event for individuals ages 5 and up who have intellectual and physical disabilities, takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.; show starts at 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with an extra performance at 1 p.m. Saturday. Poway Valley Riders Association grounds, 14336 Tierra Bonita Road. Tickets start at $25, available online only. Box office opens on event day, when ticket prices increase by $5. powayrodeo.com
“The Long Christmas Ride Home”: Turnkey Theatre presents Paula Vogel’s memory play about a family’s fateful Christmas Eve gathering, told using Japanese Noh and Buraku puppet and mask theater traditions. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Sept. 28, 29 and 30; 2 p.m. Sept. 25 and Oct. 2. Don Powell Stage, Dramatic Arts Building, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego. turnkeytheatre.com
“Mary’s Garden”: BFree Studio presents an exhibition of floral watercolors by 91-year-old La Jolla artist Mary MacLaren, who paints a new canvas every day. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. BFree Studio gallery, 7857 Girard Ave., La Jolla. bfreestudio.net
Saturday
Dragon Boat Races: The 11th annual San Diego International Dragon Boat Race harks back to ceremonial roots in China, and the spectacle of these sleek boats slicing through the water has become a tradition in many Asian countries. According to the San Diego Dragon Boat Team website, dragon boating came to California in 1983, when Singapore presented San Diego with three dragon boats. Enjoy the opening ceremony with a lion dance, music and performances, plus a Vendor Village with food trucks, clothing, jewelry, paddling gear and more. Bid at the silent auction, with donations going to a local charity. Races start at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and continue through the day until about 4:15 p.m. Tecolote Shores North, Mission Bay Park, San Diego. Free. sddbt.org
Spirited evening: The San Diego Spirits Festival shakes things up for its 13th year with a move to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla. The spirits celebration features unlimited cocktails from more than 60 brands, live music and entertainment, access to museum galleries and more. 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla. Tickets start at $85 online; at-door tickets $100. www.sandiegospiritsfestival.com
Sunday
ArtWalk Carlsbad
This annual festival returns for its third year bringing visual arts to North County all weekend. Set above the Carlsbad Flower Fields, ArtWalk Carlsbad will showcase just about every medium — painting, sculpture, glass work, fine jewelry, photography and more. The event will also feature live entertainment, a wine and beer pavilion, street food, interactive art experiences, a KidsWalk and more. Free parking next to the festival, in parking lots along Fleet Street. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdayand 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday . Armada Drive, above the Carlsbad Flower Fields off Palomar Airport Road. Free. artwalksandiego.org.
San Diego Restaurant Week returns: The California Restaurant Association’s San Diego Chapter hosts its semi-annual Restaurant Week celebration, with more than 100 area restaurants from Imperial Beach to Oceanside, and from Escondido to El Cajon, offering prix fixe meal specials from Sunday through Oct. 2. Among the participating restaurants are Coasterra, Cori Trattoria Pastificio, Del Frisco’s Steakhouse, Farmer’s Bottega, George’s at the Cove, Jake’s Del Mar and many more. Diners can choose from dozens of menus starting at just $20. Diners can fine-tune their dining choices online, searching by neighborhood, food type, price point or by choice of brunch, lunch, dinner or drinks as a course. Many of the special menus are also featured online. For the full lineup, visit sandiegorestaurantweek.com
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