Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend

Check out this week’s Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend and make your plans!

Dance the night away at Bachata Sensual Festival SoCal, shop unique holiday gifts at Mission Trails Regional Park’s Holiday Marketplace, and recharge with self-care at SSBD Renew Wellness.

If that’s not enough… there’s plenty more below. Have a great weekend!

This Weekend’s Top Picks – Week of November 12

Catch the Hottest Concerts in San Diego

Día De Los Deftones brings heavy riffs and atmospheric intensity, HUGEL delivers Afro-Latin house grooves built for dancing, and The Psychedelic Furs return with distinctive vocals and enduring new wave favorites, giving San Diego three very different reasons to head out.

Check Out the Latest News from the San Diego Food and Drink Scene

The Craving is your source for the latest menu updates, new cocktail programs, happy hours, and special offers from San Diego’s best restaurants and bars.

Thursday

Dance the Night Away at Bachata Sensual Festival SoCal

Get ready to move at Bachata Sensual Festival SoCal! Join fellow dance lovers for an exciting celebration of bachata, featuring workshops, social dancing, and opportunities to learn new moves, connect with dancers, and enjoy the rhythm all weekend long.

Step Into Christmas Magic at The Barn

Explore themed Christmas trees, a life-sized gingerbread barn, and a candy shop trailer at The Barn Redefined in Poway. Christmas at the Barn pairs festive decorating inspiration with opportunities to support children in need through donations benefiting Anvil of Hope.

Make a Wreath That Outlasts the Season

Succulents are the one plant San Diego never struggles to keep alive, which makes them ideal wreath material. The Garden’s team provides everything and walks you through the build, no experience needed. Yours holds its color for months. Tickets run $79 for members / $89 for non-members, daytime admission included.

Watch the Reaper’s Kid Fall for a Human Teen

Reaping souls is the family business, and Diana is next in line. One test stands between her and the big job, until she falls for a dorky human teen. GRIM lands at La Jolla Playhouse as a world premiere, with songs from Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying and Hamilton’s choreographer staging it.

Friday

Rooftop Cinema Club Fireside Films lights up Little Italy on a chilly night

Cozy Up by a Wood-Burning Heater at Fireside Films in Little Italy

Rooftop Cinema Club’s Fireside Films is back at the Porto Vista Hotel in Little Italy, pairing a wood-burning heater, a blanket, and a warm drink with a padded Adirondack chair. Pick from 70-plus November films and cozy up under the night sky.

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Catch the Grinch and Scrooge at The Old Globe

The Old Globe brings holiday favorites to life with How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, its Spanish-language counterpart, and Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show. Expect Who-ville magic, familiar songs, and a playful local spin on Dickens’ classic ghostly tale.

Discover Incredible Stories at the San Diego Asian Film Festival

Celebrate Asian and Asian American storytelling at the San Diego Asian Film Festival. Discover compelling films, fresh perspectives, and emerging talent through screenings that spotlight diverse voices and cultures. Connect with fellow film lovers and experience cinema that inspires conversation.

Saturday

A storyteller on stage at About Last Night

Laugh Along at About Last Night’s Dating Disasters

Get ready for a night of music, dancing, and good vibes at About Last Night San Diego. Gather your friends, hit the dance floor, and enjoy an energetic atmosphere made for letting loose, making memories, and keeping the party going.

Shop Unique Holiday Gifts at Mission Trails Regional Park

Get into the holiday spirit at Mission Trails Regional Park’s Holiday Marketplace. Browse handcrafted gifts, discover creations from local artists, and find something special for everyone on your list while supporting talented makers in a beautiful natural setting.

Unwind with crystal singing bowls at San Diego Botanic Garden Winter Wellness

Ease into Winter With a Sound Bath at San Diego Botanic Garden

San Diego Botanic Garden’s Winter Wellness Sound Healing is a one-hour sound bath among lush greenery, with crystal singing bowls and gongs to help you relax and renew. Bring your own mat and pillows, then lie back and let the sounds ease you into winter.

Carve, Ink, and Create at MCASD’s Printmaking Workshop

Get creative at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s hands-on printmaking workshop with artist Isa Ybarra! Carve linoleum blocks, experiment with layered designs, and create your own party flyers inspired by nightlife, community, and artistic expression. No experience necessary.

Clean Up Pacific Beach and Celebrate at Firehouse’s Trash Bash

Give back to Pacific Beach at Firehouse’s Trash Bash! Join a free community cleanup, then celebrate with DJs, complimentary refreshments, kids’ pancakes, and exciting prizes. Bring friends and family, collect trash, and support local veterans through a clothing drive.

Meet the Axolotls at Birch Aquarium

Explore The Axolotl’s Garden at Birch Aquarium at Scripps, where two axolotl habitats anchor a story-rich exhibition inspired by Mexican and Baja California ecology, mythology, and folklore. Discover endangered amphibians, other Mexican species, and conservation stories.

Sunday

Recharge and Dance at Belmont Park

SSBD Renew Wellness brings yoga, Pilates, mindfulness, and cold plunges to Belmont Park for a day of movement and music. Recharge with wellness activities, then keep the energy flowing with Tchami as this beachside gathering blends relaxation with dancefloor fun.

Savor Seasonal Bites and Celebrate a Decade at State of the Farm

Coastal Roots Farm in Encinitas celebrates a decade with State of the Farm, a farm-to-fork evening of seasonal bites inspired by its fields and gardens. Meet new CEO Kesha Dorsey, hear what’s growing next, and support the farm’s food access programs with every ticket.

Watch Art Come Alive at The San Diego Museum of Art

Museum as a Stage brings dance, music, and Shakespeare into The San Diego Museum of Art’s galleries. Discover performances by local arts companies, from Día de los Muertos ballet to family concerts, with select experiences included free with Museum admission.

Get on the Pier Only Birch Aquarium Can Open

Birch Aquarium educators are taking you past the glass this fall. Sunset Pier Walks get you onto the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier, normally closed to the public, for plankton, squid dissection, and shark science. Tidepooling Adventures put you at the water’s edge at low tide. Both sell out fast.

Great Things to Do in San Diego

Spend a Full Day Exploring Liberty Station

Start with lunch at Liberty Public Market, climb aboard the U.S.S. Recruit, then settle into the wine garden at Carruth Cellars before a Cygnet show at The Joan. That’s four stops. Our updated Liberty Station guide has 17 more.

Discover Normal Heights, One of San Diego’s Best-Kept Secrets

Don’t let the name fool you. Normal Heights packs great coffee, vintage, brunch, and craft cocktails into one stretch of Adams Avenue. We cover the whole walkable strip, plus the spots locals keep coming back to.

Unleash Your Inner Kid at San Diego’s Best Arcades and Adult Playgrounds

Pinball, skee-ball-style lanes, and a cocktail in hand – San Diego’s grown-ups play harder than you’d think. Our guide rounds up the best arcades, bowling bars, axe-throwing, escape rooms, and more, from the Gaslamp to Mission Beach.

Your 2026 Guide to San Diego’s Best Bars

We’re rounding up the best bars in San Diego right now, from laid-back neighborhood gems to standout cocktail spots. Every bar on this list has earned a regular place in our 2026 rotation.