Get Out to a Surf Competition, Street Fair, Dog Festival and More!

Strolling around booths, trying new delicacies—or indulging in old comfort foods—and listening to a song or two. A great festival should give you the opportunity to do all that and more.

A couple of good ones take place this weekend, including the biggie on a stretch of Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas. You could say another fest has gone to the dogs, but better yet, the dogs can go and be a part of it, at Balboa Park.

There are many more choices for funny, engaging and sporty things to do in Encinitas and beyond from April 7-13.

Click the links for more details.

CLOSE TO HOME

• Where/when: Seaside Reef, 2588 So. Coast Hwy 101, Cardiff, Thursday through Saturday.

• Why Go: Watch the final stages of Ultimate Boarder, an extreme sports triathlon, which requires mastery of snowboarding, surfing and skateboarding. Surfing is on Thursday, skateboarding Saturday.

• Price: Free.

• Where/when: S. Coast Hwy. 101 between D and J streets, Encinitas, 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

• Why Go: Residents and businesses celebrate the city at the Encinitas Street Fair, with music stages and hundreds of vendors just a couple blocks from the ocean. More than 100,000 people are expected for the weekend, and organizers urge revelers to take mass transit to avoid traffic snarls.
• Bonus: Encinitas Patch will be there, too!

• Price: Free.

• Where/when: Paul Ecke Ranch, 441 Saxony Rd., Encinitas, 9 a.m. Saturday.

• Why Go: The popular Charity Garden Tour and Plant Sale allows participants to catch a glimpse of some of the area's prettiest and most well-tended gardens, including some in Carlsbad, Cardiff and Del Mar. Benefits the Community Resource Center.

• Price: $25.

• Where/when: San Diego Botanic Garden, 230 Quail Gardens Dr., Encinitas, 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

• Why Go: You've just planted a fabulous garden but are unsure of how to use the bounty. Chef Elizabeth to the rescue! Learn how to make lamb stew and blackberry cobbler with fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Price: $25-$30.

BEST BETS, A LITTLE FARTHER OUT

• Where/when: Riverwalk Golf Club, 1150 Fashion Valley Rd., San Diego, 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

• Why Go: The headline reflects Mark Twain's thoughts on golf. Golf Fest is for those who differ with him. Admission includes a free round and lessons galore in case your putting is driving you up a tree.

• Price: $10; kids under 10 free.

• Where/when: UltraStar Cinemas, Mission Road and Pala Road, Bonsall, Friday through Sunday.

• Why Go: Organizers of the Fallbrook Film Festival have carved themselves a quirky little niche in the ever-broadening annals of film fests. Frank Capra III, grandson of the legendary director for whom he is named, will put in an appearance, as will Shirley Jones, who you might know better from the Partridge Family, but guess what? She's an Oscar winner.

• Price: $10 per screening.

• Where/when: St. James By-the-Sea, 743 Prospect St., La Jolla, 8 p.m. Friday.

• Why Go: Stile Antico, a Grammy-nominated group of British vocalists, crafts a show focused on the Easter season. 

• Price: $30-$35.

• Where/when: Francis Parker School, 6501 Linda Vista Rd., San Diego, Friday through Sunday.

• Why Go: Watch talented young musicians and instructors from La Jolla, Encinitas, Coronado and Scripps Ranch perform Mozart and Beethoven with the Greater San Diego Community Orchestra and Chorus; 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday

• Price: $10 suggested donation.

• Where/when: Casa del Prado Theater, 1800 El Prado, San Diego, Friday through Sunday.

• Why Go: The San Diego Civic Youth Ballet performs Coppelia, a comic ballet about an inventor who comes up with a doll that vexes a woman trying to hold onto her fiance. 

• Price: $10-$15.

• Where/when: Balboa Park, Park Boulevard and Presidents Way, San Diego, 10 a.m. Saturday.

• Why Go: Balboa Barks includes contests for your favorite canine, a puppy playground and demonstrations from talented terriers (and other breeds too). Benefits Canine Companions for Independence.

• Price: $7, general, kids 5 and under, free. Entry for walk, $15-75.