Stay Close to Home This Weekend with Nearby Activities

As we creep closer to fall, the weekends become more packed with fun activities for you and the family. We’ve got a lot of options this weekend for events close to home, so save gas and stay nearby. We also listed some fun events happening a car trip away, if you’re up for some close-quartered family time. And don’t forget that San Diego Restaurant Week begins on Sunday—and this year they’re including lunch in the deal.

This weekend, Sept. 16-18, nearby cities like Carlsbad and Oceanside are hosting activities like a Grammy Award-winning musician’s concert, a wine tasting, a tattoo exhibit and a movie at a park. This Saturday is Coastal Cleanup Day all over San Diego County. Pick a beach and start cleaning!

Head down south for the Taste of MainStreet in Encinitas, which was postponed from last week because of our massive power outage, or visit the aquarium in La Jolla for some snapshots of the sea. There’s a huge music and boat fair at Mission Bay the whole weekend.

Click the links for more details.

BEST BETS CLOSE TO HOME

• When/where: Oceanside Civic Center Library, 330 N. Coast Hwy., Oceanside, 7:30 p.m. Friday.
• Why go: Sit in and listen to Grammy Award-winning Irish musician Moya Brennan. Make sure to RSVP to ensure a seat!
• Price: Free.

• When/where: , 1625 Ord Way, Oceanside, 3-6 p.m. Saturday.
• Why go: Taste wines from around the world and eat some of Oceanside’s finest fare at this benefit event for Canine Companions.
• Price: $35.

• When/where: , 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Why go: See body art and watercolor designs by tattoo artists at this “Inspired by Ink” tattoo exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art.
• Price: Military are free; general admission is $8.

• When/where: , intersection of Tamarack Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard, Carlsbad, 9 a.m.-noon Saturday.
• Why go: Help hundreds of others in our community clean up our coastal lines and make area beaches clean and beautiful during this countywide coastal cleanup
• Price: Free.

• When/where: , 3420 Camino de Los Coches, Carlsbad, 6 p.m. Saturday.
• Why go: Take the family to the park for a Spielberg classic. Watch E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, play some games and munch on food. The activities start at 6 p.m., the movie begins at 8 p.m.
• Price: Free; $5 wristbands for Fun Zone.

BEST BETS, A LITTLE FARTHER OUT

• When/where: 818 S. Coast Hwy., Encinitas, 6-9 p.m. Thursday.
• Why go: Get a taste of local food with this Taste of MainStreet event (that had to be postponed because of last week’s major blackout.) One ticket will get you 33 tastes from restaurants in Encinitas. Foodies cannot pass this one up.
• Price: $25.

INTERACTIVE THEATRE

• When/where: , 230 Quail Gardens Dr., Encinitas, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.
• Why go: Listen to an audio play while walking through a mapped out region of the botanic gardens during this interactive play called Susurrus, put on by the La Jolla Playhouse.
• Price: $20.

• When/where: , 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Why go: It’s SEA Days at Birch! Test out camera equipment at the aquarium, learn underwater photography tips and check out photos of science. You can also meet Scripps researchers.
• Price: Free with aquarium admission ($8-$12).

• When/where: Mission Bay, 1775 E. Mission Bay Dr., San Diego, various hours Friday through Sunday.
• Why go: See more than 25 bands perform over the weekend and watch big boats race in the water. There will be activities for kids, food booths and beer gardens.
• Price: Free for military with ID; $10-$30 for various level tickets. A three-day VIP pass, which includes parking, is $250.