Looking for ways to get outside and enjoy the last days of summer this holiday weekend? Let our articles be your guide. Start off with pool days around the county—these eight hotels are offering day passes open to the public. Then, refuel alfresco at these local restaurants with cool outdoor patios. But on Monday, why not pack a picnic and take advantage of our low-crowd public beaches instead—the labor movement fought hard for that day off!
Local business owners in Barrio Logan launched this new weekly outdoor experience in an effort to support the neighborhood’s independently owned shops and eateries. At Walk the Block, Logan Avenue businesses will line the block with outdoor retail, music, and dining. Masks are a must and social distancing guidelines will be enforced.
Catch drive-thru art exhibitions, virtual demos, self-guided tours, and much more at this annual celebration of San Diego’s design community, presented by Mingei International Museum. Throughout the course of five days, the event will showcase over 100 events that highlight the many artists and media that make up both the San Diego and Baja design communities.
Join the Craft Collective for a woodworking class for the kids. Using STEAM, the class teaches students about wood as a material, walking them through exercises that practice problem solving, craftsmanship, and more. Woodworking not your thing? The SD Craft Collective offers a wide range of classes all month long. Check their site to find the craft project that fits you.
Tap into your inner Van Gogh at Pinot’s Palette’s outdoor painting classes. These sip-and-paint classes take you step-by-step to create a colorful canvas you can take home. Not ready to meet in person? They also offer virtual classes with kits packed with everything you need!
San Diego Repertory Theatre presents a virtual performance by Hershey Felder, live from Florence, Italy, in George Gershwin Alone. The one-man show tells the famed composer’s life story, taking audiences through beloved songs from An American in Paris and Someone to Watch Over Me to the masterpiece “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Help the North County museum celebrate 20 years from the comfort of your own home. The anniversary gala will hold a silent auction, speeches from the museum’s core members, and a sneak peek at what’s to come for the future.
Watch classic films and blockbusters like Groundhog Day, Black Panther and Back to the Future while sailing around the bay. This new open-air and socially-distanced cinema is aboard the top deck of the Inspiration, the largest yacht in Hornblower’s fleet. Ticket prices include dinner, and you can upgrade the package to include Veuve Clicquot Champagne and premium seating.
Practice your tree pose and sip mimosas at Brunch & Bend at The Lot. Join YogaSix on the lawn for a one-hour yoga flow session, followed by refreshments and all your brunch favorites.
‘In Every Generation’ Traces Four Millennia of Family History in One Dinner
Local Ali Viterbi’s world premiere play is a highlight of the Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival
Rich Soublet
By Dan Letchworth
Judith Scarpone, Rebecca Futterman, Ron Orbach, Sabrina Liu, and Lisa Robins in San Diego Repertory Theatre’s In Every Generation
Rich Soublet
French poet Paul Valéry said that art “is never truly completed…but abandoned.” That seems especially true of theater, since no two audiences ever see the exact same play.
San Diegan playwright Ali Viterbi believes the audience is an essential part of her work. “Plays are never really finished, because they demand the audience back-and-forth,” she says. “That part is always changing and evolving.”
Her latest,In Every Generation, follows the Levi-Katz family across four time periods—1416 BCE, 1954, 2019, and 2050—by way of their Passover seders. The idea came when she observed how theatrical the holiday is. “It asks us to imagine ourselves into the story of Exodus from Egypt,” she says. “We retell this story every year. It’s tradition, but it’s also time travel. It connects you, kind of magically, to both the past and the future.”
She began writing in 2017, in the wake of the white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia. “I had all these questions about what the future of American Jewish identity would look like, and about what happened to the Israelites after they escaped, when they were no longer enslaved but weren’t quite free, either.”
Tragically, we’re living in a time when speculative fiction writers are often quickly overtaken by reality. The next two years saw back-to-back mass shootings targeting the Jewish community, at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and closer to home, at the Chabad of Poway. “The future that I’d imagined speculatively started to feel more real,” Viterbi says.
Still, she completed the play’s first draft and staged readings of it, with San Diego Repertory Theatre and other venues, revising as she went. For over ten years she has served as associate artistic director of the Rep’sLipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival. She describes this work as a celebration of diverse new Jewish voices in the community, with a goal of developing works that go on to have a life in theaters across America.
Alongside those new voices, this year’s festival will hostIn Every Generationas a “rolling world premiere.” The National New Play Network adopted the play to debut three times in close succession, first at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theater, then here, finally in Washington, DC. This format allows each production to take notes and build from the previous, and for the playwright to continue revising based on the feedback it receives.
Its director in San Diego, Todd Salovey, says this method has paid off—that at first, Viterbi was reluctant to write about what Jewish life would be like 40 years from now. “But things have changed in our world,” he says. “She’s now exploring ‘How do you take a stand for your own ethnic identity at a time it might be dangerous to do so?”
Ali Viterbi, playwright of In Every Generation
What most impresses him aboutIn Every Generation, though, is Viterbi’s ability to present different perspectives on an idea, spoken from multiple characters who disagree with each other, and have each side of the argument sound equally compelling. “In this case, you’re getting to see a family whose love language is disagreeing with each other.”
Viterbi acknowledges that, even once her revisions are complete, if her play continues to be performed over the years, its reception will keep evolving as well. And that’s by design. She likens it to the Jewish study practice of havruta, which begins with one person reading a line from the Torah and asking a question, then someone else answers it and poses another question, and so on. “There is no answer,” she says. “It’s only in the asking of questions that you find some kind of resolution. It’s often very easy to tie a bow around our own narrative, but then we keep living.”
She hopes that San Diego audiences will feel invited to the Levi-Katz family’s seder, “celebrating this triumph of community in a time when that’s been hard to find”—not just to passively watch a finished product, but to be an active part of an ongoing conversation.
The Talmud itself precipitated Valéry’s sentiment by a few dozen generations, with a caveat. (It was speaking on the work of living, rather than making art—though for many there’s no difference.) “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
In Every Generation is now playing at the Lyceum Theatre through June 19. Tickets are available at sdrep.org.
Social distancing and a ban on large gatherings hit San Diego’s thriving theater industry hard. Every single one of the county’s 25 active professional or preprofessional companies either canceled their traditional shows through the summer or postponed them to next year. But a ton of our local talent is adapting and finding creative new ways to put their art out into the world—some through individual songs, monologues, or interviews, and others with complete plays! So if you want to re-create a bit of that theater experience at home, just put on your fancy clothes, dim the lights, silence your cell phone, and check out these upcoming live or time-limited streaming productions.
Available to stream any time June 26–28 (this Friday through Sunday) | Tickets $20 per householdThe Dazzle is a quixotic, “almost true” story of two brothers (Francis Gercke and Tom Zohar) living in 1920s Harlem whose lives are suddenly turned upside down by an eccentric socialite (Jessica John). It was part of Backyard Renaissance’s regular season schedule, and the cast, crew, and director Rosina Reynolds soldiered on with it despite the lockdown, conducting production meetings and rehearsals over Zoom, and set design in solo shifts. They used a multi-camera setup to film a socially distanced performance reading, then edited it together into a cohesive production available to stream this weekend only.Plus, make it a double feature with a filmed production of their 2017 San Diego Critics Circle Best New Musical winner, Tarrytown. This modern interpretation of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow stars Bryan Banville, Kay Marian McNellen, and Tom Zohar, directed by Francis Gercke and Anthony Methvin. Gerke says, “We had very limited seating, so very few people got to see it. But those who did come, ended up coming back multiple times. We’ve had a lot of people tell us that they wish they had been able to see it. We couldn’t think of a more perfect show to remind people what artists can do, in the midst of some pretty incredible challenges.”
Streaming live on June 27 (this Saturday), 7 p.m. | Tickets free (donations welcome)Trinity artists are holding live play readings via Zoom every other Saturday, and this week it’s Blackademics by Idris Goodwin, directed by Kandace Crystal. It’s a satire about two friends meeting for dinner at a trendy new restaurant to commiserate on their experiences as black women in academia, all while their meal service becomes increasingly surreal. Starring Emily Candia, Jaeonnie Davis-Crawford, and Ashley Graham.
Available to stream anytime through June 29 (this Monday) | Tickets $10This West Coast premiere by Eric Pfeffinger was originally planned to be fully staged in the regular season; instead, North Coast Rep has undertaken their first digital production using advanced Zoom editing technology. It’s a comedy about a liberal couple and a conservative couple who have to strike an unlikely friendship after a medical mixup forces them together. Artistic director David Ellenstein says that “audiences will be experiencing a professionally produced piece, and not simply a staged reading.” Directed by Jane Page, starring Allison Spratt Pearce, Terrell Donnell Sledge, Max Macke, Jacque Wilke, and Martin Kildare.
Streaming live every Wednesday through July 29 at 7 p.m. (next show July 1) | Tickets freeThe fictional Southern California community of Beachtown is facing a pandemic, and you, a resident, are invited to attend a live Zoom meeting of the city’s Road to the Future Task Force as they debate when and how to begin opening back up for business. The “meetings” are free to join, and participation is welcome (but not mandatory). This immersive, interactive, one-of-a-kind experience has been running for a few weeks now, and every week is different, so citizens are encouraged to attend more than once. The project is the brainchild of SD Rep’s very funny playwright-in-residence, Herbert Siguenza, who plays a senator. Sandra Ruiz, Salomon Maya, Mondis Vakili, and Marci Anne Wuebben also star, as various chairpeople, medical experts, and lobbyists who all have their own agendas at work.
Some programs available now, with more to come in July and August | Tickets range from free to $25The playhouse’s annual celebration of nontraditional and site-specific performance art is a natural fit for going digital, and they’re rolling out groundbreaking new work to experience in a variety of ways all summer long.Closing July 12 is Binge, by far the most intimate of all the play-enjoying methods on this list: a one-on-one performance “tailor-made to fit the life of each individual audience member,” where your very own artist companion prescribes which television shows to watch. For something a little less personal, check out Ancient, a video installation meditating on the beauty of the routine. If you need to stretch your legs, take a walk around your neighborhood while listening to Blindspot Collective’s Walks of Life, each episode of which imagines what drama might be unfolding inside the houses you pass by. Or, if you can’t get enough Herbert Siguenza, join him, Richard Montoya, and Ricardo Salinas (aka the nation’s premier Latino performance trio) for The Totally Fake Latino News with Culture Clash, ten-minute snippets of social satire; the first of six episodes is available now.
Available to stream any time July 6–19 | Tickets $15–35 per householdDiversionary was in the middle of rehearsals for their regular-season production of Plot Points in Our Sexual Development when California’s stay-at-home order hit back in March, but rather than call the whole thing off, they filmed their last rehearsal and released it for home viewing for a limited time. It went over so well that for two weeks in July, they’re bringing back an archived recording of their 2016 Craig Noel Award–winning, world premiere musical The Boy Who Danced on Air. It tells the story of two young men caught up in the illicit Afghan trade of Bacha Bazi, in which poor boys are purchased by wealthy older men and forced to dress as women and dance at parties. The Union-Tribune hailed it as “solid, subtle, sad, and often inspiring work that’s smartly staged by director Tony Speciale with a first-rate cast.” Tickets are available on a sliding scale, with discounts for families who’ve been financially affected by the pandemic.
Troy Iwata and Sittichai Chaiyahat in The Boy Who Danced on Air, streaming soon from Diversionary Theatre
Dan Letchworth is the copy chief of San Diego Magazine. His print column Dansplaining explores San Diego trivia, and his theater review blog Everyone’s a Critic was a finalist for best online column in the 2019 National City & Regional Magazine Awards.
Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art
Now through Jan. 10, 2027
Sift through over 200 photographs, sketches, letters, and costumes from “The King of Vogue,” who photographed World War II, modernized royal portraits, and created the aesthetic for 1920s socialites in London.
Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea
Natural History Museum
Now through Feb. 28, 2027
Walk through an 18-foot whale ribcage (and a couple dozen other marine-creature sculptures) made entirely of plastic bottles, flip-flops, lighters, rope, and other plastic detritus found on the beach in the Nat’s 3,000-square-foot second-floor gallery.
Forging a Legacy: 15 Years of Landmark Acquisitions
San Diego Museum of Art
Now through May 31, 2027
Part of SDMA’s centennial, “Forging a Legacy,” highlights artists from the past (Picasso, Monet) and modern day (Hugo Crosthwaite) who contributed to the museum’s collection.
ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Fleet Science Center
Now through 2027
See the stars (without the smog) at their best from the winners of the world’s largest astrophotography competition—all in the Fleet Science Center’s new basement gallery, specifically dimmed to let the cosmos shine.
Begin Again
The Old Globe
Sept. 6–Oct. 11
From the 2013 silver screen to this year’s The Old Globe stage, you can “Begin Again” (again) with a world-premiere musical adaptation featuring new songs—courtesy of Train—and a story overflowing with hope.
Dear Evan Hansen
Cygnet Theatre
Sept. 9–Oct. 4
“On the outside, always looking in…” marks the emotional crux of the Tony-, Grammy-, and Emmy-award winning musical coming to the Cygnet Theatre.
Kumeyaay Comics by the Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project
Museum of Us
Opening Sept. 12
Learn the history of the Kumeyaay Nation from the perspective of the members themselves in an immersive exhibit inspired by graphic novels “Our Past, Present, and Future,” and “Beyond Gaming.”
Good Night, Oscar
North Coast Repertory Theatre
Sept. 16–Oct. 11
During Oscar Levant’s appearances on “The Jack Paar Show,” he explained his reality with mental illness—the institutionalizations, electroshock therapies, nothing was too taboo for him. “Good Night, Oscar” takes us backstage in the raw moments before his 1958 television appearance.
Visiones Nocturnas: Queer Nightlife in Contemporary Art
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Sept. 19–Jan. 10, 2027
A disco ball isn’t just a disco ball. It’s a symbol of where queer communities can finally exhale and be their fullest selves. “Visiones Nocturnas” uses paintings, sculptures, textiles, performances, photos, and videos from Latin American artists to explore what’s at stake when nightclub lights shut off.
Silent Movie Mondays
Balboa Theatre
Sept. 21, Oct. 26, Dec. 7
Guest organists from across the country will come to the Balboa Theatre to accompany a new silent film for each performance. This year closes out with The Headless Horseman (1922), Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1920), and a holiday triple feature of Laurel and Hardy films.
Oh, Mary!
Civic Theatre
Sept. 29–Oct. 4
“What if Abe’s assassination wasn’t such a bad thing for Mary Todd Lincoln?” was the question that inspired Cole Escola’s play “Oh, Mary!” In the production, Mary Todd desperately tries to return to the cabaret stage, but her husband (President Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War) keeps getting in the way.
Photo Credit: Anja Koehler
October
Payare Leads Strauss’ A Hero’s Life
Jacobs Music Center
Oct. 3–4
Conductor Rafael Payare opens the San Diego Symphony’s 2026-2027 season with a three-part concert featuring composers Sofia Gubaidulina, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Richard Strauss.
Emily–No Prisoner Be
Baker-Baum Concert Hall
Oct. 8
Two dozen of Emily Dickinson’s poems are turned into songs—composed by Pulitzer Prize winner Kevin Puts and performed by Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato—for a one-night-only exploration of love, loss, loneliness, and mortality.
Ripcord
The Roustabouts Theatre Co.
Oct. 8–Nov. 1
Roommate beef has no age limit. The latest play from Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire turns that experience into a comedy through retirement home roommates Marilyn and Abby and the bet between them to see who will break first and move out.
Des Canyons aux Étoiles
La Casa del Zorro
Oct. 12
Composer Olivier Messiaen has chromesthia, so for him, sound evokes a visual connotation. His work “Des Canyons aux Étoiles” brings desert rock and the night sky to mind. See what he means from La Casa del Zorro in the Anza-Borrego Desert, in this performance immersed within nature.
San Diego International Film Festival
Locations Vary
Oct. 13–18
San Diego International Film Festival salutes the silver screen for a 25th time, now with a sixth day adding extra time for parties, screenings, and movie-star tributes.
Considered one of the masterpieces from opera great Giuseppe Verdi, San Diego Opera’s “Rigoletto” sees what happens when the prurient Duke of Mantua and his sharp-tongued court jester become entangled in a fatal curse.
Grim
La Jolla Playhouse
Oct. 27–Nov. 29
When the Grim Reaper’s job becomes too…grim…and he retires after 300,000 years, his daughter picks up the family business. But when she falls for a human and finds beauty in the souls she’s meant to reap, she questions her purpose.
Photo Credit: Ron Kerner
November
Skate Craft
Mingei International Museum
Nov. 21–May 9, 2027
San Diego is nothing without skate culture. Mingei’s “Skate Craft” portrays skateboarding as “living folk art” via its DIY roots (skateboards built in garages) and shows how that ethos shapes the future.
Emma Veidt is an editor at San Diego Magazine. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Missouri School of Journalism. She loves running, hiking, and rock climbing, but really, she mostly loves encounters with the street cats around North Park.
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
Today’s seniors are more connected than ever, with a renewed focus on retirement as a time of discovery and enriching experiences. The ultimate reward for a retirement well-earned is the wisdom to appreciate it all, and what better place to enjoy that unique perspective than Vi at La Jolla Village, in the heart of San Diego.
All-access pass to good living.
As a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), Vi provides access to a connected and fulfilling community while making it easy to plan for future care, should the need ever arise. With a care plan in place, residents enjoy greater financial predictability and long-term value, freeing them to focus on making the most out of retirement.
Resort-style amenities at the epicenter of a cultural hub like San Diego offer a retirement experience unlike any other. Paired with exceptional dining, spacious accommodations and dedicated staff, the best of maintenance-free living is all around. And with the introduction of Vista 360 Well-Being, Vi’s panoramic approach to wellness, there are more ways than ever for residents to access it all.
The harmony of mind, body and community.
Courtesy of Vi at La Jolla Village
The key to longevity is striking the right balance in maintaining an active lifestyle with an active mind in a fulfilling community. With newly renovated community spaces and restaurants, Vista brings a variety of opportunities for residents to elevate their well-being through Vi-exclusive “Signature Experiences.”
Vista Enrich takes an evidence-based approach to brain vitality, keeping residents at the forefront of cognitive health through exergaming (exercising + gaming), nutritional plans and informative workshops. It is also home to The Brain Vitality Studio, an innovative facility dedicated to cognitive fitness that has garnered national recognition.
Vista Discover invites residents into stimulating educational experiences, from chef-led cooking demos and guided wine tastings to lectures at local universities and intimate lectures following cultural outings.
While Vista Enrich focuses on brain health and Vista Discover engages residents intellectually, Vista Explore cultivates a sense of adventure through curated travel and local excursions. But broadening one’s horizons doesn’t always require a plane ticket. One recent event brought a taste of the world right to the community: an onsite “jazz cruise” featuring live music and global cuisine served at a series of themed “ports” all within the community’s own ballroom.
“Location, location, location”
Courtesy of Vi at La Jolla Village
One of the biggest perks of life at Vi at La Jolla Village is its proximity to just about everything. With easy access to transportation and local attractions just steps away, residents can explore and engage with their community at their own pace.
“There are trolley and bus stops within a 5-minute walk that will get you to the beach, UCSD Campus, medical appointments, downtown La Jolla or San Diego, et cetera. We rarely use our car,” said resident Tom Yager.
With the best of San Diego just steps away, residents don’t just live in the city, they live within reach of everything that makes it special.
The best of all worlds.
Courtesy of Vi at La Jolla Village
At Vi at La Jolla Village, retirement isn’t a chapter to slow down; it’s an invitation to discover more. Tailored community experiences created by Vista, paired with the vibrant pulse of San Diego just outside the door, mean that residents don’t have to choose between security and adventure, connection and independence. They get all of it.
This is what an all-access pass to good living looks like: the comforts of an elevated lifestyle, a community built for growth and a city made for discovery – all in one place.
To learn more about Vi at La Jolla Village or for details on available floor plans, visit ViatLaJollaVillage.com/SDM.
Summer’s penultimate weekend promises beers, zines, festivals, and many other ways to spend your free time. Those looking to eat (and drink) out can embark on the Taste of Gaslamp, explore the many eateries participating in San Diego Restaurant Week, and check out Stone Brewing’s free 30th anniversary celebration. On the festival circuit, there’s the return of both the Sessions Surf Festival and Cardiff Greek Festival to the shores of Encinitas, as well as the first-ever Alley Cat Art Fest in Downtown El Cajon. Additional experiences include Pierce the Veil’s tour finale at Petco Park, the beginning of Our Lady of the San Diego Convention Center’s citywide run, and the COMPRESSED Zine & Music Fair.
It all began in 1996 with a humble San Marcos warehouse and the soon-to-be-famous Stone Pale Ale. Now, three decades and several award-winning beers later, Stone Brewing is marking its thirtieth anniversary with a free, jam-packed celebration at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station. This Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., there will be arcade games, dog adoptions, ‘90s movies, live music, a cigar lounge, craft brews, and much more. VIP tickets ($133), which come with perks like exclusive two-ounce rare beer pours, are available online.
2816 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma
Taste of Gaslamp
September 12
Channel your inner foodie during the 30th annual Taste of Gaslamp, San Diego’s longest-running neighborhood culinary tour. This Saturday from 1-4 p.m., tasters can roam through the Gaslamp Quarter (16 blocks to be exact) for bites from over 20 participating locations, with five extra bites and sips for VIP ticketholders. Before and after the event, all attendees are invited to party with cocktails, music and even more food on the Sunbird Rooftop at AC Hotel (noon to 2 p.m.) and at the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Rooftop Bar (4-7 p.m.). Ticket options include general admission ($62) and VIP admission ($88).
Gaslamp
San Diego Restaurant Week
September 13-20
Searching for a specific cuisine? Looking for a new date night spot? Interested in a prix-fixe meal at a familiar favorite? Then consider checking out the over 120 local eateries taking part in San Diego Restaurant Week, with meals starting at $20. From Coronado’s Blanco Cocina + Cantina to Oceanside’s Piper and dozens of restaurants in between, search by price, cuisine, meal type, dietary desires, and neighborhood. Plus, patrons can enjoy seasonal ingredients by choosing dishes that feature Specialty Produce’s huitlacoche mushrooms and artisan romaine lettuce.
Citywide
Courtesy of Sessions Surf Festival
Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Weekend
Buddy Guy 90 at The Rady Shell
September 11
See two generations of blues talent, and celebrate a legendary guitarist’s 90th birthday, this Friday (7:30 p.m.) at The Rady Shell. Fresh off his acting role in Sinners, Buddy Guy is coasting through something of a late career revival, and like the name of his 2018 album, it’s clear the blues are alive and well. Buddy Guy 90 continues the Louisiana native’s nationwide tour with a little help from rising blues artist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, who is 63 years younger than Guy. Tickets range from $68-$173 for this concert.
222 Marina Park Way, Embarcadero
Kamasi Washington at Music Box
September 11
Hours upon hours can be spent dissecting a Kamasi Washington record—especially 2018’s Heaven and Earth—and each listen will still surprise. Every release from the jazz saxophonist and bandleader feels like an event, whether it’s a wondrous solo project, a supergroup team-up (ex: Dinner Party, West Coast Get Down), or a contribution to projects by the likes of Kendrick Lamar, St. Vincent, and Thundercat. This Friday at 9 p.m., Washington will take his talents to Music Box along with special guest DJ Ratty. Tickets are $68 for this 21-plus concert.
1337 India Street, Little Italy
Alley Cat Art Fest
September 12
One year after the first-ever Artivál, the event is merging with the Alley Cat Art Walk, a longtime Downtown El Cajon favorite, to form the inaugural Alley Cat Art Fest. This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., stroll through Prescott Promenade, Main Street and Arts Alley for murals, live music, food, drinks and the works of over 50 participating artists, including photography, painting, sculptures, and more. Plus, festival proceeds will go towards supporting the area’s existing murals and future public art projects in the area.
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
People remember the first time they see Joe Dreamz.
Mine was a mile into the 2023 Carlsbad Half Marathon. He was standing on a speaker in the middle of the course, singing: “Hey you with the shoes, are you living Joe Dreamz?” Clearly not. I’m running uphill at 7 in the morning, I thought.
Months later, walking out of The Rady Shell, there he was again—parting the crowd of concertleavers Moses and the Red Sea style, singing the same song: “Hey you with the purse, are you living Joe Dreamz?”
Who’s this man at every public spectacle, singing metaphysical questions in a hand-altered, color-coordinating suit that would make James Brown proud and standing on a Soundboks speaker with a microphone and tip bucket?
A few years ago, San Carlos–born, El Cajon–based Joe Dreamz wasn’t exactly living Joe Dreamz—making $5 footlongs at Subway, dealing with croissant coworkers at Costco’s bakery, and selling life insurance. After he got let go from the life insurance gig and his car broke down in the middle of a 2020 road trip in Seattle, he used his emergency savings to buy a microphone and a speaker; a self-taught musician, he pulled from the only skillset he knew to monetize. He’d set up at Seattle’s Pier 55 and ask people what their dreams were. Then, for $5, create a freestyle rap to commemorate (and hopefully activate) those dreams.
“The goal is that someone listens to a Joe Dreamz song, and they don’t have to wait until metaphorically their car breaks down before they chase their dreams,” he says.
Photo Credit: Matt Furman
A chance encounter with an airport worker led to a free flight back to San Diego, and Joe Dreamz came home “transformed,” he says. He started busking at the Mission Beach boardwalk, Kate Sessions Park, outside Gaslamp bars; then Padres games, farmers markets, marathons. He also hit the mic outside of Coachella this year (“Joe-chella,” he says).
It’s not a get-viral-quick gimmick; people’s lives are changing. One fan finished writing her book after a dose of Joe Dreamzpiration. Another named his own daughter Joy Dreams.
Now, he’s working on the upstart “Tell Me Your Dream” podcast and DREAM Week in local schools, where each day represents a step toward achievement (D is destination day, R is reason day…). He doesn’t want inspiration to reach you only after hearing a song or watching a video: He believes in this message so much that he literally got DREAM tattooed onto his forehead.
“It’s on my face, so people have no choice [but to see it],” he says. “I’m a local celebrity here, so everywhere I go, people ask me for pictures. In every selfie, the message goes along for the ride too.”
Emma Veidt is an editor at San Diego Magazine. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Missouri School of Journalism. She loves running, hiking, and rock climbing, but really, she mostly loves encounters with the street cats around North Park.
Growing up, Laika Nur, MD, Scripps Clinic sports medicine specialist, loved watching beach volleyball when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour came to her hometown of Chicago. A talented volleyball player herself, she remembers sitting in the stands all day, and once, even got a couple autographs. Years later, Dr. Nur was attending a professional event focused on women’s sports, and the discussion turned to a new professional women’s volleyball league. The general manager and coaching staff for San Diego’s team, the Mojo, happened to be in attendance, and Dr. Nur took the opportunity to ask them if they needed a team doctor. Flash forward to the Mojo’s inaugural 2024 season, when Dr. Nur officially became the team physician. Click here to read more about Dr. Nur and how she incorporates lessons she learned on the court into her practice.
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