Calendar of Events

You might want to plan your trip around one of these annual events in the San Diego area. For an exhaustive list of events beyond those listed here, check http://events.frommers.com, where you'll find a searchable, up-to-the-minute roster of what's happening in cities all over the world.

January

The Carlsbad Marathon & Half Marathon takes place along a scenic coastal route in San Diego's North County. For more information, call tel. 760/692-2900 or visit www.sdmarathon.com. Mid-January.

Annually, San Diego Restaurant Week encourages diners to check out some of San Diego's best eateries. For 6 days, more than 130 restaurants offer special three-course prix-fixe meals. For details, go to www.sandiegorestaurantweek.com. Late January.

February

Buick Invitational, Torrey Pines Golf Course, La Jolla. Since 1952, this PGA Tour classic draws more than 100,000 spectators each year and features 150 of the finest professional golfers. For information, call tel. 619/281-4653 or see www.buickinvitational.com. Early February.

Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp Quarter remains the West Coast's largest "Fat Tuesday" party, featuring a Mardi Gras parade and an outdoor celebration in downtown's historic Gaslamp Quarter. This is a ticketed event for ages 21 and older. For more information, call tel. 619/233-5227 or visit www.gaslamp.org. February 24, 2009.

Wildflowers bloom in the desert between late February and the end of March, at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Timing varies from year to year, depending on the winter rainfall. For details, call tel. 760/767-4684.

March

Kiwanis Ocean Beach Kite Festival. The late-winter skies over the Ocean Beach Recreational Center get a brilliant shot of color during this kite-flying contest and festivities. The grand finale is a parade down to the beach. For more information, call tel. 619/531-1527. First Saturday in March.

The San Diego Latino Film Festival, one of the largest and most successful Latino film events in the country, features more than 100 movies from throughout Latin America and the United States. Call tel. 619/230-1938 or surf to www.sdlatinofilm.com. Mid-March.

St. Patrick's Day Parade, Hillcrest. A tradition since 1980, the parade starts at Sixth Avenue and Juniper Street. An Irish Festival follows in Balboa Park. Call tel. 858/268-9111 or check www.stpatsparade.org. March 14, 2009.

Flower fields in bloom at Carlsbad Ranch. The North County's yearly blossoming of bright ranunculuses during March and April creates a striped blanket visible from the freeway. Visitors are welcome to tour the fields off I-5 (at the Palomar Airport Rd. exit). For more information, call tel. 760/431-0352.

April

San Diego Crew Classic, Crown Point Shores, Mission Bay. Since its launch in 1973, this has grown into one of the great rowing events in the country, drawing collegiate teams and clubs from throughout the U.S. Call tel. 619/225-0300 or check out www.crewclassic.org. First weekend in April.

Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bicycle Ride, Mexico. About 7,500 participants cycle from the Rosarito Beach Hotel road to Ensenada and the Finish Line Fiesta. (Repeats in Sept.) For information, call tel. 858/483-8777 or visit www.rosaritoensenada.com. Mid- to late April.

Adams Avenue Roots Festival, Normal Heights. Blues, folk, Cajun, Celtic, bluegrass, and international music festival held on six stages along Adams Avenue, between 34th Street and Wilson Avenue. Free to the public and features food, beer gardens, and Arts-and-Crafts vendors. Call tel. 619/282-7329 or stop by www.normalheights.org. Late April.

Coronado Flower Show weekend, Spreckels Park. Organizers claim this is the largest tented flower show in the Western United States. The weekend-long event, now in its 8th decade, includes a book sale, an art show, and a lineup of classic cars. Go to www.coronadoflowershow.com for more details. Late April.

ArtWalk, Little Italy, along Kettner Boulevard and India Street. This 2-day festival is now the largest art event in the San Diego/Tijuana region. For more information, call tel. 619/615-1090 or visit www.artwalkinfo.com. Late April.

Day at the Docks, Harbor Drive and Scott Street, Point Loma. This sportfishing tournament and festival features food, entertainment, and free boat rides. Call tel. 619/234-8793 or see www.sportfishing.org. Usually the last Sunday of April.

Del Mar National Horse Show. This is the first event in the Del Mar racing season and is held at the famous Del Mar Fairgrounds. The field at this show includes Olympic-caliber and national championship horse-and-rider teams. Call tel. 858/792-4288 or visit www.sdfair.com. Late April to early May.

May

Fiesta Cinco de Mayo, Old Town. Uniformed troops march and guns blast to mark the 1862 triumph of Mexican soldiers over the French. The festivities include a battle re-enactment. (Hint: Take the trolley and make dining reservations well in advance.) Admission is free. Call tel. 619/296-3236 or visit www.oldtownguide.com. Weekend closest to May 5.

Carlsbad Spring Village Faire, Grand and State streets. This event is billed as the biggest and best Arts-and-Crafts fair in Southern California. Call tel. 760/931-8400 for more details, or go to www.carlsbad.org. Early May (a fall festival is also held in Nov).

Gator by the Bay, Harbor Island. Let the good times roll at this annual zydeco and blues music festival. In addition to the music, the festival features Cajun food and cooking demonstrations, dances, and a variety of exhibitors and vendors. Call 619/234-8612 or go to www.sandiegofestival.com for more details. Mid-May.

June

Mainly Mozart Festival. Presenting the work of Mozart and his contemporaries, this acclaimed classical-music festival features concerts on both sides of the border. An all-star orchestra draws players from around the world. For information, call tel. 619/239-0100, or go online at www.mainlymozart.org. Performances throughout the month.

The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon not only offers runners a unique course through Balboa Park, downtown, and around Mission Bay, but it also pumps them (and spectators) up with live bands on 26 stages along the course. There is a pre-race fitness expo and post-race concert, featuring big-name talent. Call tel. 800/311-1255 or go online at www.rnrmarathon.com. Early June.

Indian Fair, Museum of Man, Balboa Park. Native Americans from dozens of tribes across the United States gather to demonstrate tribal dances and sell arts, crafts, and edibles. Call tel. 619/239-2001. Mid-June.

San Diego County Fair. Referred to by locals as the Del Mar Fair, this is the other major happening -- besides horse racing -- at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. In addition to livestock competitions, thrill rides, flower-and-garden shows, and more, there are also grandstand concerts by name performers (some require a separate admission). The fair lasts more than 3 weeks. Call tel. 858/793-5555 or visit www.sdfair.com. Mid-June to early July.

Twilight in the Park Concerts, Balboa Park. These free concerts at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. Call tel. 619/239-0512. Mid-June to August.

Old Globe Summer Shakespeare Festival, Balboa Park. The Bard takes center stage with three different works staged at the Tony Award-winning Old Globe's open-air theater. Produced in true repertory style, shows alternate each night, performed by the same company of actors. Call tel. 619/234-5623 or visit www.theoldglobe.org. Mid-June through September.

July

San Diego Symphony Summer Pops, downtown. The symphony's summer pops series features lighter classical, jazz, opera, Broadway, and show tunes, all performed under the stars and capped by fireworks. Held most summer weekends at the Embarcadero downtown. For details, call tel. 619/235-0804 or visit www.sandiegosymphony.com. Early July to early September.

U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition, Imperial Beach Pier. Here's the quintessential beach event: A parade and children's sandcastle contest occur on Saturday, followed by the main competition Sunday. Note: the castles are usually plundered right after the award ceremony. For details, call tel. 619/424-6663 or visit www.usopensandcastle.com. Mid-July.

World Championship Over-the-Line Tournament, Mission Bay. This popular event is a San Diego original -- a beach softball tournament dating from 1953. It's renowned for boisterous, beer-soaked, anything-goes behavior, with a total of 1,200 three-person teams competing and more than 50,000 fans in attendance. It takes place on 2 consecutive weekends, on Fiesta Island in Mission Bay, and the admission is free. For more details, call tel. 619/688-0817 or visit www.ombac.org. Mid-July.

Thoroughbred Racing Season. The "turf meets the surf" in Del Mar during the thoroughbred racing season at the Del Mar Race Track. Post time is 2pm most days; the track is dark on Tuesdays. For this year's schedule of events, call tel. 858/792-4242 or 858/755-1141, or visit www.dmtc.com. Mid-July to early September.

San Diego LGBT Pride Parade, Rally, and Festival. This event is one of San Diego's biggest draws, celebrating the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. It begins Friday night with a rally at the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park, reconvenes at 11am on Saturday for the parade through Hillcrest, followed by a massive festival -- held at the park's Marston Point -- that continues Sunday. For more information, call tel. 619/297-7683 or visit www.sdpride.org. Third or fourth weekend in July.

Comic-Con International, downtown. Upward of 60,000 people attend America's largest comic-book convention each year when it lands at the San Diego Convention Center for a long weekend of auctions, dealers, autographs, and seminars focusing on graphic novels, fantasy, and sci-fi. Note: single day tickets often sell out; pre-registration is encouraged. Call tel. 619/491-2475 or check www.comic-con.org. Late July.

August

La Jolla SummerFest is perhaps San Diego's most prestigious annual music event. It features a wide spectrum of classical and contemporary music. SummerFest also offers master classes, open rehearsals, and workshops. Presented by the La Jolla Music Society; call tel. 858/459-3728 or visit www.ljms.org for more information. Early to mid-August.

Julian Weed & Craft Show, Julian. This is one event that's better than its name. Artwork and arrangements culled from the area's myriad woods, rocks, wildflowers, and indigenous plants (okay, weeds) are displayed and sold. The Julian Chamber of Commerce (tel. 760/765-1857; www.julianca.com) has further details. Second half of August.

Surfing Competitions. Oceanside's pier-side surfing spot attracts several competitions, including the World Bodysurfing Championships and the Longboard Surf Club Competition. Call the Oceanside Visitors Bureau at tel. 800/350-7873 or 760/722-1534, or visit www.worldbodysurfing.org and www.oceansidelongboardsurfingclub.org. Mid- or late August.

September

La Jolla Rough Water Swim, La Jolla Cove. The country's largest rough-water swimming competition began in 1916 and features masters, men's and women's, junior, and amateur heats. Spectators don't need tickets. For information, call tel. 858/456-2100. Downloadable entry forms are available at www.ljrws.com. Sunday after Labor Day.

Ocean Beach Jazz Festival. This daylong outdoor concert features a wide spectrum of jazz. Call 619/388-3037 or go to www.objazz.org. Early September.

Julian fall apple harvest. The popular apple harvest season runs for 2 months in early fall. For more information, contact the chamber of commerce at tel. 760/765-1857; www.julianca.com. Mid-September to mid-November.

Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bicycle Ride, Mexico. Held twice yearly; see the April entry for a description of this late-September event.

October

Fleet Week is a bit of a misnomer. It's the nation's largest military appreciation event and it lasts the entire month. It features navy ship tours, a college football game, an auto race of classic speedsters, an air show, and more. Call tel. 800/353-3893 or check out www.fleetweeksandiego.org for more information.

November

Carlsbad Fall Village Faire. Billed as the largest 1-day street fair in California, this festival features more than 850 vendors on 24 city blocks. The epicenter is the intersection of Grand Avenue and Jefferson Street. Call tel. 760/931-8400 or visit www.carlsbad.org. First Sunday in November (a spring festival is held in May, as well).

San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival. Held at various venues over several days, this is Southern California's largest wine and culinary event. More than 200 wineries and restaurants participate. For details call 619/342-7337 or log onto www.worldofwineevents.com. Mid-November.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Balboa Park. San Diego was the adopted hometown of Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, and since 1998 the Old Globe Theatre has been transformed into Whoville each holiday season. This musical has become a family tradition, with discounted seats for kids. For more information, call tel. 619/234-5623, or check www.theoldglobe.org. Mid-November through December.

San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival. More than 20 bands perform at this annual festival, held over Thanksgiving weekend. Call tel. 619/297-5277 or visit www.dixielandjazzfestival.org. Late November.

Fall Flower Tour and the Poinsettia Festival Street Fair, Encinitas. These two events celebrate the quintessential holiday plant and other late-flowering blooms. The 1-day street fair takes place in late November. For the flower tour, make reservations by early October; the nursery tours take place in early December. For poinsettia information, call the Encinitas Visitors Center at tel. 800/953-6041 or 760/753-6041; for the street fair, call tel. 760/943-1950 or see www.kennedyfaires.com.

December

Ocean Beach Christmas Parade and Tree Festival. This parade is a family affair to be sure (Santa Claus is on hand, of course), but with entries like the Off-Key Choir and the Geriatric Surf Team, it's definitely quirky. Call tel. 619/224-4906 or see www.oceanbeachsandiego.com. First Saturday in December.

Balboa Park December Nights. San Diego's fine urban park is decked out in holiday splendor for this 2-night event. The event is free and lasts from 5 to 9pm both days; the park's museums are free during those hours. For more information, call tel. 619/239-0512 or visit www.balboapark.org. First Friday and Saturday in December.

Whale-watching season traditionally takes place in the cooler months of San Diego County as more than 20,000 Pacific gray whales make the trek from the chilly Alaskan seas to the warm-water breeding lagoons of Baja California. Cabrillo National Monument, on the panoramic Point Loma peninsula, offers a glassed-in observatory from which to spot the whales, examine whale exhibits, and listen to taped narration describing these popular mammals. Many companies offer whale-watching tours throughout the season. For more information, visit www.sandiego.org. Mid-December to mid-March.

Mission Bay Boat Parade of Lights, from Quivira Basin in Mission Bay. Held on a Saturday, the best viewing is around Crown Point, on the east side of Vacation Island, or the west side of Fiesta Island; it concludes with the lighting of a 320-foot tower of Christmas lights at SeaWorld. Call tel. 858/488-0501. For more vessels dressed up like Christmas trees, the San Diego Boat Parade of Lights is held in San Diego Bay on two Sundays, with a route starting at Shelter Island and running past Seaport Village and the Coronado Ferry Landing Marketplace. Visit www.sdparadeoflights.org for more information. Mid-December.

College bowl games. San Diego is home to two college football bowl games: the Holiday Bowl and the Poinsettia Bowl, both held in late December. The Holiday Bowl pits top teams from the Pac 10 and Big 12 conferences, and the Poinsettia Bowl pairs a team from the Mountain West Conference against an at-large opponent. The fledgling Poinsettia Bowl (tel. 619/285-5061; www.poinsettiabowl.net) was inaugurated in 2005; the Holiday Bowl (tel. 619/283-5808; www.holidaybowl.com) has been around since 1978, and features several special events, including the nation's biggest balloon parade of giant inflatable characters. Late December.