For craft brewers, securing distribution is a huge deal. And not easy to do. But now Rough Draft Brewing Co. will have a better chance of ending up in your mouth. The Miramar-based craft brewery recently signed a deal with San Marcos’ Markstein to distribute their beers across North County. Since opening their 4,500-square-foot brewhouse and tasting room last March, Rough Draft has grown from three to 11 beers, available in 80 locations throughout the county. For their anniversary, Rough Draft will host a two-day event, March 8-9. Friday’s get together is open to the public from 3PM-9PM but you will need tickets for Saturday. Two sessions are available from 12PM-3PM and 4PM-7PM, with tickets an affordable $20. Attendees will get a taste of their newest release, Southern Triangle (an IPA made with three different hops from the southern Hemisphere), a refill of your choosing and a “mini-Sweiner” (a Swiss-style hotdog) from Sweiners food truck. You get to keep the glass, too.
When Latchkey Brewing vacated the Mission Brewery Plaza brewhouse mid-pandemic, it looked like lights out for the small brewery. 2021 was a weird, hard year, and plenty of restaurants, bars, and other businesses didn’t make it. But Latchkey persevered, making beer out of Viewpoint Brewing Company in Del Mar and maintaining a presence across San Diego. But come this spring, they’ll have a new permanent home at 4170 Morena Boulevard in Bay Ho.
The 3,200-square-foot location formerly housed Bitter Brothers Brewing Company from January 2016 until what they described as a “temporary closure” in August 2022. Despite no formal announcement, Bitter Brothers never opened again.
Latchkey will take control of the 15-barrel brewhouse and tasting room and start operating as a brewpub with a food element in the coming weeks. With on-site food, plenty of parking, and an established place in the San Diego beer scene, Latchkey seems set up for success after a long slog through uncertainty. I, for one, am glad the latchkey kids have finally found themselves at home.
The Kearny Mesa craft beer icon opened in 1994 by Jim O’Brien before he sold it to Tom Nickel of Nickel Beer Co. O’Brien’s second co-owner Tyson Blake also owns and operates The Pub at Lake Cuyamaca with his wife Kristina and Nickel, as well as San Diego Brewing Company, which is open during renovations.
To celebrate the win, O’Brien’s is throwing a party on Saturday, March 9 with beer and food specials, and have plenty of events lined up for the coming months, including a Pink Boots Society Tap Takeover in April, a floral event for Mother’s Day and more.
Pizza Port Is Officially An Elder Millennial
Pizza Port opened its first location in Solana Beach in 1987, long before San Diego became the beer powerhouse it is today. On Saturday, March 23 from noon to 5 pm, they’re celebrating 37 years of cold beer and tasty pizza with a Cardiff Crack Tri-Tip special from Seaside Market (I mean, how could they not), a cornhole tournament, a tie dye station, and oh yeah, probably some beer.
I’m a huge fan of meat markets (not that kind—get your mind out of the gutter). La Carniceria in Chula Vista caught my eye recently, but I wonder: is there anything specific I should pick up? Let me know at [email protected].
*USA Today did tap me for the initial nomination process in multiple categories, but I did not personally vote or solicit votes on anyone’s behalf.
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Give your usual Guinness a rain check and try a stout from San Diego’s favorite punk rock brewery. 2AM Bike Ride—a vanilla bean stout and nitro pour in collaboration with one of San Diego’s top coffee roasters—may be love at first sight. This light mouthfeel brew features a special edition Guatemalan roast from Dark Horse Coffee (which you can order online from Fall Brewing), infused with chocolate malt, roasted barley, flaked oats, and British malts. This caffeinated nitro brew offers a welcome kick, perfect for jumpstarting a lackluster date on the town.
Courtesy of Eppig Brewing
Little Secret Milk Stout
Eppig Brewing | 4.1% ABV
Surprise your soulmate with this little secret from Point Loma’s Eppig Brewing. This dark chocolate stout is enriched with the rich aromas of maple syrup, espresso, and bakers chocolate, ideal for pairing with the dessert of your choice. The added lactose and maple syrup give it a creamy texture and sweet aftertaste that can enhance any Valentine’s Day plans.
Courtesy of Stone Brewing
Stone Xocoveza
Stone Brewing | 8.1% ABV | 50 IBUs
Inspired by the rich flavors of Mexican hot chocolate, Stone Brewing’s Xocoveza imperial stout is a hearty reimagining of your abuela’s favorite drink. This special batch collaboration between Tijuana’s notorious Cerveceria Insurgente brewery and award-winning San Diego homebrewer Chris Banker has become a fan-favorite among Stone’s seasonal beers. With a mix of chocolate, vanilla, coffee, cinamon, nutmeg, and pasilla peppers, this blend is well worth seeking during cuffing season. Crafty DIY mixologists should also check out Stone’s beer-nog recipe using Xocoveza for a twist on an old favorite.
Courtesy of Ballast Point
Victory at Sea
Ballast Point | 10% ABV | 60 IBUs
If you’re not having success in the dating game, at least you can have Victory at Sea. This high ABV porter from local brewing empire Ballast Point packs a punch with flavors from the coffee beans of North Park’s Caffe Calabria, along with hints of caramel, vanilla and malt. At select breweries and Ballast Point locations, beer aficionados can try their barrel-aged, 12 percent ABV variant flavored with the smoky casks of High West Bourbon or their Chai Victory at Sea featuring masala chai along with cinnamon, cloves, black tea, and cardamom for a spiced alternative to this classic stout.
Courtesy of North Park Beer Co.
Velvet Phenix Marshmallow Mocha Stout
North Park Beer Co. | 5.8% ABV
Valentine’s Day plans fell through? Rise like a phoenix from the ashes and visit North Park Beer Co. for a stout that will definitely make you fly. One of the smoothest stouts around, the Velvet Phenix Marshmallow Mocha Stout is a mix of Chicago’s Dark Matter coffee beans, cacao nibs, and vanilla. This mocha stout has a silky smooth mouthfeel just like velvet.
Courtesy of Pure Project
Obsidian Cliff
Pure Project | 13.2% ABV
Often overshadowed by the brewery’s excellent hazy’s, IPAs, and kombuchas, Pure Project’s Obsidian Cliff is certainly worth a sip. This high ABV stout is brewed with cacao, vanilla wafer, marshmallow, and graham cracker flavors and aged for 13 months in Old Fitzgerald bourbon barrels where it develops a smoky accent. Inspired by the great outdoors of Yellowstone National Park, The Obsidian Cliff stout is a potable s’mores sandwich best enjoyed in the company of your loved one around a campfire.
Courtesy of Belching Beaver
Peanut Butter Milk Stout
Belching Beaver | 5.3% ABV | 30 IBUs
Belching Beaver’s Peanut Butter Milk Stout is likely already high on your list of sweet brews but you can’t celebrate Valentine’s Day without mentioning it. While peanut butter flavors dominate the brew, hints of dark chocolate, rolled oats, and lactose greet you with each additional sip. Those with a sweet tooth top this stout with a scoop of ice cream for an alcoholic root beer float that won’t disappoint. Belching Beaver’s iconic brew is the perfect desert beer nightcap for a beer-lovers’ Valentine’s Day.
Cole Novak is an award-winning writer with a passion for highlighting local figures, small businesses, and nonprofits. Born and raised in San Diego, Cole is passionate about photography, surfing, art, the local food scene, and the great outdoors.
The last time I tried to predict the future of San Diego beer, I failed to foresee that a global pandemic would throw the entire world into a tailspin from which we are only beginning to fully emerge. (Still, I was pretty on-the-nose about the South Bay beer scene exploding.) So this time, I decided to take a look back at this year’s good, bad, and prescient happenings and asked a few beer insiders what 2023 meant for San Diego’s craft beer industry.
Here’s what they had to say.
What’s a word you’d use to describe the San Diego craft beer scene and industry in 2023?
Rebooting
“I feel that everyone was still getting over the pandemic, so this [was] a year of recovery.” –Esthela Davila, Board of Directors member, San Diego Brewers Guild
Motivated
“San Diego can’t be the greatest beer city forever, can it? Time will tell, but we can surely try. Every business and household feels the struggles of the economy right now, but all we’ve seen this year is continued motivation to succeed and support our communities of beer lovers throughout San Diego.” –Erik Fowler, Executive Director, San Diego Brewers Guild
Modernizing
“This wave of the digital age continues to advance, and craft breweries everywhere are faced with fresh opportunities to develop the way we brew and to strengthen the relationship with our customers. Over the last year in San Diego, I’ve seen shifts in trends that tell us a lot about what our customers want to drink, what they care about, and how they want to interact with our brand.”
“It’s exciting to evolve and grow both with our community and our beer, learn from and share ideas with brewery collaborators, experiment with hyper-creative products from our hop growers, and interact with our audience in totally new ways.” –Mackenzie Kline, Marketing Director for Burgeon Beer Company
What do you predict the San Diego craft beer scene and industry will be like in 2024?
Smaller
“[There are currently] over 150 breweries in San Diego. [With] the changing market dynamic, there will likely be a shift in the number of breweries.” –Chad Heath, Chief Operating Officer, Beer Division for Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Recovering
“The way craft beer has changed and shifted has all breweries really looking at how they can try and get out of the pandemic hole and gain the high ground.” –Davila
Innovative
“New products, business models, and ways of engaging with beer drinkers are all things we’ll see more of in 2024.” –Fowler
Modernizing
“I’m carrying this concept over to 2024 because it feels like technology is becoming more sophisticated with each passing second, and craft breweries will continue to go along for the ride in the new year.”
“How do we re-imagine our operating practices to reduce our carbon footprint and respond to the urgent climate crisis? How do we reach a wider audience by opening new channels or expanding existing ones? How do we push the boundaries of our craft even further? New methods and tools are at our fingertips, and I’m here for it!” –Kline
What openings, closures, accomplishments, events, or people are significant to note in 2023?
“Anyone that opened this year really comes to mind—GOAL Brewing, Fall’s second location, Thr3e Punk Ales’ second location—but none more so than Joann Cornejo and Eddie Trejo, the owners of Machete Beer House, opening their second spot, La Nacional, on Third Avenue in Chula Vista. They have always been about great beer and drinks. Now, with adding food to the mix, I see nothing but great things for this place!”–Davila
“Kristina and Tyson Blake purchasing San Diego Brewing Company is pretty sweet in my book. Two of my favorite people in the business [leading] such a legacy brewery for San Diego will only help push our industry in a positive direction.” –Fowler
“[I have to note] Paige McWey Acers for passionately and expertly acting as the executive director for the SDBG for 10 years. [I have] deep admiration, empathy, and respect for the founders and staff of breweries that had to make difficult but necessary decisions in 2023, [and I offer] encouragement and friendship to new and upcoming breweries.” –Kline
Any other thoughts you’d like to offer about the San Diego craft beer scene as we look back on 2023 and toward 2024?
“One of the things we used to say at New Belgium is that hope is not a plan. We also know that you can’t have a plan without hope. It is time for execution, excellence, and really listening to the voice of the customer.”–Jen Briggs, acting CXO for Karl Strauss Brewing Company
“San Diego Beer Week is back, and I can’t wait to see what it will look like in 2024. We in the craft beer community really want to see everyone succeed, so I see nothing but amazing things for #SDbeer in 2024.” –Davila
“There has been a generally negative outlook on the brewing industry in San Diego throughout 2023. While not completely unjust, I think it’s important to not see it in a vacuum. The industry has matured and, although some of our favorite breweries may have changed or closed, it’s presented opportunities for new breweries to welcome to the neighborhood. The same skepticism doesn’t seem to be applied to restaurants and other businesses, but, at the moment, there are a lot of parallels between the struggles of the beer industry and most other industries made up of small, independent businesses.”–Fowler
“Providing breweries bring their A-game to the table in 2024, I feel it will be a good year. You can’t be a hobbyist and be successful in craft beer anymore. You have to run it like a thriving business where you invest the time and effort to make your brand well-represented.” –Heath
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
For Executive Chef Emily Brubaker, Omni La Costa Resort & Spa feels like home. She grew up just a mile-and-a-half away from the 400-acre property and fondly recalls walking the golf course perimeter as a kid. Though her ambitions led her away from San Diego for nearly two decades in which she honed her craft in some of the highest of high-profile Las Vegas restaurants—including triple Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand—they ultimately brought her back to North County.
Courtesy of Omni La Costa
Today, the classically French-trained chef, who’s fresh off a victory on NBC’s Yes, Chef!, judged by Martha Stewart and José Andrés, oversees Omni La Costa Resort & Spa’s seven distinct dining concepts. Her goal is to elevate the resort’s culinary program with her creative, hyperlocal ingredient-driven approach while maintaining the Spanish- inspired flavors and fresh California coastal cuisine that are the bedrock of its culinary identity.
“The San Diego food scene is really growing, and in North County alone, it’s really exploded in the last five years,” Brubaker says. “There are Michelin stars, beautiful tasting menus, craft bakers, and all this food—when I was growing up in La Costa, it was fish tacos. Now there are really cool things popping up, and I’m so happy to be here to see where it’s going to go.”
Brubaker gives chefs de cuisine at each individual restaurant autonomy, however, her influence is evident across the resort.
For example, lobby restaurant Bar Traza serves as Omni La Costa’s culinary centerpiece and features bold Spanish flavors in a lively, social atmosphere. Brubaker overhauled the menu to be more consistent and centered on casual bites with that signature vibe. Think smoky paprika, vibrant citrus, and Spanish meats and cheeses.
At VUE, the focus is on seasonal offerings, California coastal cuisine, and Baja-inspired dishes. She and Chef de Cuisine Cameron Dixon change the menu biannually, which heading into summer, will highlight farm-fresh produce and hyperlocal ingredients—the resort even has its own herb garden and honeybee hives.
Courtesy of Omni La Costa
Poolside dining options are leaning into the country’s 250th this summer with a selection of classic American dishes with an Omni La Costa twist. And Bob’s Steak & Chop House (Brubaker is a trained butcher) offers a classic steakhouse experience with elevated service.
The chef and company also plan menus for special events at the resort where her creativity can really shine. For an upcoming National Ski Association dinner, the banquet hall will be transformed into an Alpine-themed winter wonderland complete with a snow machine, savory sausages, and melty, decadent raclette. A recent dinner was built around the Carlsbad Flower Fields and each course was matched to a color of ranunculus (Did you know pink dragonfruit are grown in North County? You do now.).
“It’s my zen to be in the kitchen playing with food,” Brubaker says.
Omni La Costa’s culinary program is a key part of the resort experience. And with Brubaker’s leadership, it’s becoming a draw for visitors and locals alike.
“These aren’t just hotel restaurants, these are restaurants that you should go to. They’re destinations, and I’m really hoping for the future that’s where we’re going,” Brubaker says.
Courtesy of Omni La Costa
Brubaker is also channeling her experience on Yes, Chef! into the culture at Omni La Costa—more emphasis on teamwork and collaboration, empowering her staff to share constructive critiques, and embracing different perspectives. Alongside her leadership role, Brubaker has become an advocate for mental health in the hospitality industry, serving as chief ambassador for the Burnt Chef Project and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Apex Culinary Program, where she mentors and develops future talent.
A coalition of California-based businesses have united with one goal: create San Diego’s first estate beer. Estate beers are brews created with purely hyper-local ingredients to showcase the specific terroir of a region. They remain extraordinarily raredue to challenges like varying growing conditions, climate change, and crop availability. But for those who manage to grow, process, and brew beer in one place, the results can wholly encapsulate the concept of “local.”
Tom Kiely, general manager at Thorn Brewing Companyand Slow Beer chair of Slow Food Urban San Diego, first came up with the idea of a San Diego estate beer in 2017 while working on a campaign promoting California-grown grain. As he met with local farmers, he realized there was a disconnect between what’s being grown here and what’s being purchased elsewhere by breweries.
“San Diego has the most farms and farmersof any county in America, yet we import most of our grain from the Mountain West [and] Canada, hops from Washington and fruit from Oregon,” says Kiely. “The goal of a San Diego estate beer is to create new styles of beer based on ingredients native to San Diego.”
Admiral Maltingsco-founder Ron Silberstein joined the project early on, saying estate beers have a unique ability to encourage innovation and create symbiotic relationships between brewers and farmers in ways regional or national beers simply can’t. “The large maltsters blend barley from multiple varieties, regions, countries with the aim of uniformity [and] consistency,” he says. “That’s great for a national brewer, but annihilates any regional quality.”
San Diego’s First Estate Beer Collaboration
Courtesy of Admiral Maltings
By connecting local breweries with local farmers, developing more sustainable (as well as less costly) shipping practices, and potentially investing in infrastructure that could expand services like a local malting facility, the San Diego estate beer project hopes to join a very, very small fraternity of truly local craft beers, including ones from Sierra Nevadain Chico, California, Jester Kingin Austin, Texas and Allagash Brewing Companyin Portland, Maine. Of course, there would be some bragging rights as well.
“San Diego used to be known for having the best breweries,” says Kiely. “Now the rest of the country has caught up. What makes us different or special? How many counties or cities are developing new styles of beer to support farms that already exist? I don’t know of any.”
A commercially available San Diego estate beer is months, if not years away. But partners such as the San Diego Brewers Guild, Slow Food Urban San Diego, White Labs, Admiral Maltings, local homebrew and beer education club QUAFF, Seed Consulting Group, and more are hoping to increase awareness and participation through the first San Diego estate beer homebrew competition. Brewers are invited to use all locally sourced ingredients to capture the true essence of San Diego beer.
White Labs, testing
Unlike other competitions, parameters won’t be limited to strict Beer Judge Certification Program styles (though it is BJCP sanctioned). Instead, they’ll be judged using criteria such as “best use of local ingredients” and “best definition of local,” allowing homebrewers to creatively flex under guidelines that prioritize terroir rather than historical terminology.
“Through our first step with the homebrew competition, we hope the creativity of homebrewers shows us what local means,” explains Erik Fowler, head of education and craft hospitality at White Labs.
Registration for the homebrew competition closed July 30. The winners will be announced in August during the club’s general meeting, and the winning brews will be featured in November as part of the first San Diego Estate Beer Project Pro-Am Competition at Guild Fest during San Diego Beer Week. Follow the hashtags #SDEBP and #SDBeer for more information.
A version of this story was also published in our August 2022 issue which can be purchased here.
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Downtown's gluten-averse beer lovers get a gluten-free restaurant and brewery
By Troy Johnson | Photography by Paul Body
For years, America was humming along just fine, eating its baguettes, slurping its pastas, and chugging its beers with glee. And then a few years ago, gluten kicked down our door and started looting our pleasure. Overnight it seemed half of my friends were gluten intolerant, casting off gluten food as the reason they’ve been feeling sluggish or forgot to file their taxes.
I’m not making light of those with real sensitivity to gluten. Eighteen million Americans are sensitive to the protein, and three million have the much more serious Celiac disease. I am making light of my friends who glom onto diet fads thinking it’ll make their exes come groveling back.
The heightened awareness of gluten dealt a pretty good blow to San Diego’s craft beer scene. But all is not lost, thanks to craft beer chemists, especially the industry leaders over at White Labs in Miramar. They discovered enzymes (called Clarity Ferm) that reduced the gluten level in beers below 20 parts per million. According to international and U.S. standards, foods or drinks with that level should be able to label themselves “gluten free.” But they can’t. Not yet, at least. Because labeling laws are overseen by the TTB and FDA, which are government agencies. Government agencies are not known for their exquisite speed, nor logic. So, for now, beers using this enzyme have to call themselves “gluten-reduced,” instead of “gluten free.” Celiac disease sufferers have drank Clarity Ferm beers and reported no adverse effects.
Best part is Clarity Ferm doesn’t significantly alter the taste of craft beer. So it’s a pretty genius product during these times of gluten terror. And Duck Foot Brewing in Miramar was the first San Diego brewery to treat all of their craft beers with it back in 2015. Why? Because their co-owner Matt DelVecchio was diagnosed with Celiac, which put a damper on his love of craft beer. So he and partners Brett Goldstock and Suzy Pessutti created Duck Foot to make craft beers he (and other Celiac sufferers) could drink. They’re now in over 500 bars, restaurants, and other outlets—and this week they’re opening a brewery restaurant, whose menu will be entirely gluten-free and “moderately health conscious.”
There will be 16 taps at the location, including some of their most popular beers (double white IPA, blonde ale, coconut IPA, pilsner, honey ale), seasonal batches (Irish stout, red ale, imperial stout, Belgian saison), and limited-edition releases that won’t be available anywhere else. The food menu is overseen by local chef Stevan Novoa. There are beer-friendly apps l(crispy garbanzo beans with house togarashi, elote, charcuterie board), plus main dishes like beets in a mole sauce; Japanese sweet potato with shimeji mushrooms, beer ponzu, and mint-pomegranate pesto; meatballs with dried fruit, pine nuts, kefir yogurt, opal pesto; and sticky short ribs with blood orange glaze, chermoula, and brocollini. Bar snacks/apps
The 1,500 square-foot Duck Foot East Village is going into 550 Park Blvd, former home of Parlour, between Market and Island. It’s designed by Jessica Kovarsky of Studio Aya, the same creatives who did their minimal, vaguely comic-loving original location. Grand opening is Labor Day weekend. duckfootbeer.com
The iconic 1,200-acre preserve’s history dates back more than 150 years, evolving from a scrub-filled plot atop a mesa overlooking what’s now Downtown to an urban oasis—the largest of its kind in the country—filled with an array of museums, attractions, gardens, trails, restaurants, and more. Balboa Park is an epic playground where San Diegans and visitors alike can experience the great outdoors just as easily as they can enjoy a world-class performance or explore groundbreaking discoveries.
Tucked away in the Spanish Colonial Revival-style architecture are 18 diverse museums that allow visitors to spend the day learning about, well, anything. A great place to start is the San Diego History Center. Located in the Casa del Balboa building, the museum tells the story of the city’s past, present, and future through photographs and art, clothing and textiles, and interviews with people who witnessed history-making events firsthand. The San Diego Natural History Museum takes visitors even farther back with interactive exhibitions that show what the region was like up to 75 million years ago.
Blast off on a simulated trip to space at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, then check out artifacts from aviation legends, including the Wright brothers, Amelia Earhart, and Buzz Aldrin. Discover new perspectives revolutionizing the science world, learn about an often overlooked but overutilized utility, and exercise your creativity at the Fleet Science Center.
Calling all theater-lovers, Balboa Park has something for you, too. The San Diego Junior Theatre will present their musical take on beloved children’s book A Bad Case of the Stripes from June 26 through July 12. And laugh, cry, and marvel in awe as the pros of The Old Globe perform Kim’s Convenience, the award-winning comedy that inspired the popular series, from May 15 to June 14.
There’s nowhere else in Balboa Park quite like WorldBeat Cultural Center. The institution celebrates African diaspora and indigenous cultures around the world using art, music, dance, and education. The building, a renovated water tower covered in colorful murals, houses a performing arts center, museum, gift shop, cafe, and outdoor classroom.
If you’d like a side of nature with your culture, Balboa Park has you covered there, too. Stroll through the gardens of the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum, a monument to the relationship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama, Japan. Inspired by traditional Japanese design dating back centuries, the 10-acre respite features a living exhibition that showcases plants native to both cities.
If there seems like a lot going on in Balboa Park, it’s because there is. Let theBalboa Park Cultural Partnership be your guide. The organization is the umbrella for 24 of the park’s institutions and offers an Explorer Pass that allows visitors to access multiple museums for one affordable price. The hardest part is picking where to start.
16 Museums, One Pass
Save on admission to San Diego’s top museums with the Balboa Park Explorer Pass. Explore 16 museums of art, science, history and culture across Balboa Park — all with one affordable pass. Choose the option that fits your pace: the Limited Pass (one day for up to four museums), the Parkwide Pass (seven consecutive days of access to all 16 museums) or the Annual Pass (365 days of unlimited exploring).
Looking for an experience-driven gift? Let the museum lover in your life enjoy their favorite museums all year with a Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass gift voucher.
Bigger experiments, brighter ideas, and boundless curiosity await at the newly reimagined Fleet Science Center. This summer, the Fleet debuts Element 8 Cafe, an expanded theater queuing and concessions space, two new gallery spaces, and, for the first time, a free entrance gallery exploring science in and around San Diego. The transformation marks a new chapter for the Fleet, keeping it a vital, innovative, and accessible science hub for the region. Visitors are invited to explore the experience this summer and connect with the power of science like never before.
Address: 1875 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:FleetScience.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Phone: 619-238-1233
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum
An accredited cultural gem, the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum brings traditional Japanese garden design to life with koi ponds, curving walkways and layers of greenery. Guests explore bonsai trees, streams and peaceful nooks while taking part in exhibits, educational programs and festivals that illuminate Japanese culture. Situated in the heart of Balboa Park, the garden doubles as a meditative retreat and a dynamic gathering place, welcoming visitors to slow their pace and connect more deeply.
Address: 2215 Pan American Road E, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:Niwa.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; last admission at 6 p.m. Phone: 619-232-2721
The Old Globe
A San Diego summer favorite, The Old Globe invites audiences to experience a beloved local tradition in its outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.
This summer, the 2026 Shakespeare Festival presents two thrilling tales of power, passion and romance. Measure for Measure, running June 14 through July 12, 2026, is a riveting story of justice and hypocrisy that asks who holds power, who is punished and what it truly means to be virtuous. Much Ado About Nothing, playing Aug. 2–30, 2026, is a classic rom-com packed with schemes, sparks and laughter as opposites attract. Audiences can enjoy both shows for $44.
Address: 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:TheOldGlobe.org Hours: Box office open Tuesday–Sunday, 1 p.m. to final curtain Phone: Box office, 619-234-5623
San Diego Air & Space Museum
Aviation and space exploration come to life at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. See an airworthy replica of the Spirit of St. Louis, a Gee Bee racer and historic aircraft from World War I, World War II and the Korean and Vietnam eras. Get up close to the Apollo 9 command module — one of only 11 of its kind in the world — along with Mercury and Gemini capsules, Mission Control and space shuttle simulators, and a selfie spot beside a lunar lander on the moon. Running through 2026, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brings oddities from around the world to Balboa Park.
Address: 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:SanDiegoAirAndSpace.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 619-234-8291
San Diego History Center
History belongs to everyone. At the San Diego History Center, two experiences bring that history to life this summer: America at 250 and the Center for Women’s History. America at 250 traces San Diego’s place in 250 years of U.S. history, while summer programs invite children to learn and explore. The Center for Women’s History amplifies the voices of women whose leadership and creativity have shaped our region.
By understanding our past, we build a more vibrant and inclusive community together. These vital educational experiences are only possible through generous community support. Discover your roots, spark meaningful dialogue, and help keep San Diego’s stories alive for future generations.
Address: 1649 El Prado, Suite 3, San Diego, CA 92101 Website: SanDiegoHistory.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday–Sunday Phone: 619-232-6203
San Diego Junior Theatre
Junior Theatre is San Diego’s longest-running youth theatre program, empowering students ages 4 to 18 to explore storytelling, performance, and collaboration in a supportive environment. Through classes, camps, and productions, young artists build confidence, creativity, and lifelong skills onstage and off. Each season features a wide range of opportunities, from introductory experiences to advanced training in acting and musical theatre.
Looking for a summer adventure? Junior Theatre’s Summer Camps deliver dynamic programs for grades K–12, including musical theater intensives, acting academies and immersive JT Studio experiences. It’s a place where imagination truly takes center stage.
Address: 1650 El Prado, Suite 208, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:JuniorTheatre.com Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 619-239-1311
San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat)
This summer, The Nat is talking trash—literally. Their newest exhibition, Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea, features larger‑than‑life marine sculptures made of ocean debris collected from beaches. It invites visitors to explore the impact of plastic pollution and discover ways to take action.
But the experience doesn’t stop at the gallery doors. Friday nights, the exhibition transforms into an ocean-themed “dive bar” during Nat at Night. Select Sundays bring something brand new: a rooftop brunch with sweeping Balboa Park views. Add two new giant-screen films and five floors of nature to explore, and The Nat is shaping up to be one of the season’s must-visit destinations.
Address: 1788 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 Website: SDNat.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays in summer Phone: 619-232-3821
WorldBeat Cultural Center
The WorldBeat Cultural Center is a nonprofit multidisciplinary cultural organization dedicated to promoting, presenting and preserving Indigenous cultures worldwide through music, art, dance, education, sustainability and community programs. WorldBeat elevates multicultural artists, expands opportunities for cultural enrichment and fosters deeper understanding across traditions. WorldBeat offers a holistic cultural experience that inspires pride, unity, connection and belonging for all ages.
Address: 2100 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101 Website:WorldBeatCenter.org Hours: Classes: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 6–9 p.m. Exhibits and café: Friday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Phone: 619-230-1190
Event Calendar
Throughout 2026: Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!
Step into a world of the weird and wonderful at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park. Explore hundreds of bizarre artifacts, interactive displays and unbelievable stories that celebrate the curious and the extraordinary.
Presented in partnership with the San Diego Museum of African American Fine Arts, San Diego’s Lost Neighborhoods uses augmented reality, oral histories, and archival materials to explore communities and residents displaced by redlining, freeway construction, and other discriminatory policies.
Spend a summer night at The Old Globe. The Lowell Davies Festival Theatre stages Measure for Measure (June 14–July 12) and Much Ado About Nothing (Aug. 2–30), offering two unforgettable Shakespeare productions for just $44.
The Old Globe | 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego, CA 92101
June 8–Aug. 7: Theatre Summer Camps
Summer camps at Junior Theatre spark creativity for grades K–12 with hands-on training, musical theatre intensives, acting academies, and JT Studio experiences.
A museum visit turns into a Sunday Funday with the addition of rooftop brunch, featuring mimosas, bloody Marys, and brunch bites from Wolfish by Wolf in the Woods (June 14, August 9) and Hash House a Go Go (July 12).
Nagashi at the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum by floating a lantern to honor loved ones who have passed. Stroll merchant booths, enjoy cultural performances in the Inamori Pavilion, and sample food vendors plus a beer and sake garden in the lower garden.
Explore arts, science, history, and culture in the Balboa Park Cultural District with one convenient, affordable Pass. The Balboa Park Explorer Pass is your ticket to up to 16 museums and endless fun! Purchase your pass at BuyMyExplorer.com.
