Pack a Picnic for Surf Rock Night at the Garden
Thursday nights just got better. The San Diego Botanic Garden is bringing back its Summer Nights series with a Surf Rock Night featuring The Surf Birdz – a local surf and classic rock band with all five members trading harmonies and driving guitars. Setting: 37 acres of gardens and ocean-view pathways.
For anyone who’s been looking for a low-key summer evening that isn’t the beach or a bar patio, this is it. Show up early, wander the paths, and stake out a good grass spot before the music kicks in. Bring the good sneakers – the Garden is big enough that we’ll want to walk it.
Beach Boys to Hendrix on the Set List
The Surf Birdz have played more than 250 shows around San Diego, and it shows. Five vocalists trading lines, driving guitars, and a flute that threads through everything from The Beach Boys to Jimi Hendrix. It’s a set list that reads like a summer playlist we forgot we loved.
The energy is exactly what an outdoor concert calls for – familiar songs, tight harmonies, and enough momentum to keep the crowd on its feet. Add in the ocean view a few miles west, and it’s the kind of set that lands even harder in a garden.
Bring a Blanket, Bring a Picnic
The Garden opens up for extended evening hours, so we can wander the 37 acres before, during, or after the set. Craft beer, wine, non-alcoholic drinks, and light snacks are available at the on-site bar – or we can bring our own food and non-alcoholic drinks if we’re building a proper picnic.
Bring a blanket, bring a partner, bring the family. This is one of those San Diego evenings that reminds us why we live here. Low key, low pressure, and one of the more relaxed ways to spend a summer night.
See you there!
Grab a picnic, round up a friend, and head to Encinitas. Surf Rock Night at the Garden is the kind of summer Thursday worth keeping.
📆 Thursday, July 23 | Admission 4 PM | Music 5:30 PM – 7:15 PM
📍 300 Quail Gardens Drive at, Ecke Ranch Rd, Encinitas
🎟️ Get your tickets
ℹ️ Find more details
See you there, San Diego!
