Culture Lust Weekend: San Diego Restaurant Week, Kidfunk and Belle Baranceanu

EVENTS

The San Diego Foodie Fest (also known as San Diego Restaurant Week) is here. Loosen up those belt buckles because it’s feasting time. Epicureans of all kind are encouraged to venture out into Prix Fixe paradise ($20, $30, or $40 for a three course meal) and sample some of San Diego’s best in dining.

Bundle up some old burlap or strap on a spare tire because eco is the new chic at the Recycled Runway show. This Saturday at the Escondido Municipal Gallery, designers, fashionistas and environmentalists are all invited to bring their recycled material to get ready for the October exhibition and runway show.

Helping to kick off this year’s Fleet Week is the Big Bay Family Festival! Celebrate our city’s men and women in service this Saturday and Sunday with LL Cool and Chris O’Donnel (from "NCIS: Los Angeles"). Get your sea legs on (they’re offering FREE tours of the ships) and meet up at B Street.

Surprisingly, we have two LL Cool J events this weekend - a Culture Lust first. The rapper will be at Warwicks this Sunday signing his book (LL Cool J’s Platinum 360 Diet and Lifestyle: A Full-Circle Guide to Developing Your Mind, Body, and Soul).

MUSIC

This weekend, pack the Purell (and an extra PB&J) because it’s Kidfunk Family Music Festival at The New Children’s Museum Performers include percussionist Norman Jones of Rhythm Child, folk band The Hollow Trees, family jam band Lucky Diaz, Aaron Nigel Smith (who we know from the PBS Kids show “Between the Lions”) and some kid-friendly karaoke.

This Friday UCSD’s Che Café is hosting a night of psychedelic/experimental rock. Palm Desert's Dreamcatcher will be on stage along with Shade (and Incan Abraham) from Silverlake.

You heard him this morning on These Days, and now you can see bagpiper Matthew Welch for yourself tomorrow at Sushi Art! Championing contemporary bagpipe compositions is no easy feat, so get out and support this innovative composer.

ART

Loyal Culture Lusters will remember us featuring Looking Back/Moving Forward a couple of weekends ago, so we’re super excited to announce that the always fascinating artists Einar & Jamex de la Torre (winners of the SD Art Prize 2010!) along with Raul Guerrero will be back at OMA for a meet & greet/discussion this Saturday.

This Saturday and Sunday, stroll through our beautiful bay on another one of San Diego’s famous ArtWalks. Artists will be selling, musicians will be singing, and food will be on had at this year's ArtWalk by the Bay.

Say Happy 75th Birthday to the La Jolla Post Office building tonight with renowned retired UCSD professor Bram Dijkstra (Idols of Perversity, Evil Sisters) as he lectures on the San Diego artist responsible for the Post Office’s mural - Belle Baranceanu.

Last night marked the opening of the Gatthelf Gallery’s newest exhibition “Desert to Desert: Southern California Artists from Israel.” This collection features work from Moshe Elimelech, Sharon Ben-Tal, Rhea Carmi, Malka Nedivi, Gali Rostein, Lidia Shaddow and Guri Stark, and will examine everything from memory and identity to culture and heritage.

THEATER

If you thought learning to swim was hard, try blind dating. Presented by ion theatre company, Jack Goes Boating is the story of four New Yorkers each struggling to stay afloat in their own tumultuous lives. Be sure to get to the BLKBOX sometime this month (opening night is Saturday!) for the romantic dramedy that’ll make you glad your parents made you wear floaties.

FILM

For some free mid-week fun (with a side of social commentary) watch the Academy Award nominated film District 9 outside with ArtPower! This sci-fi film is part of the Fresh Air Film Series at UCSD.

This Saturday and Sunday the Human Rights Watch Film Festival is coming to San Diego. MoPA is hosting the festival; discussion and debate will follow many of the films. Some of the filmmakers were on These Days this morning, listen to the interview here.