Arts & Culture

San Diego weekend arts events: Design, street food, free Shakespeare and more

By Julia Dixon Evans / Arts Reporter/Host, The Finest

Published June 12, 2025 at 12:48 PM PDT

A three-photo collage includes a shirt and tote, members of Poppy Press and its art, and visitors viewing printed zines. — EXPO Design Market returns to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego this weekend.

Visual arts

EXPO Design Market
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego's free spaces will transform into EXPO Design Market for its second annual event. The focus of the festival is design, publishing, music and art made in San Diego and the border region. Vendors include Lang Books, Future Is Color, Burn All Books, Sensitive Cassettes, Ediciones Caradura, Poppy Press and more. Each day, DJs Max Coletto, Hazy, Gunnar and Dylan Payne will fill the outdoor courtyard with tunes. Photographer and skateboarding legend Ed Templeton will sign books at 1 p.m. Saturday. "Swampy's Diaries" will screen at noon and 3 p.m. Sunday.

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 14-15 | MCASD, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla | Free | MORE INFO

Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project
La Jolla Historical Society opens a new exhibit that immerses visitors into the graphic novels "Out Past, Present, and Future" and "Beyond Gaming," by Ethan Banegas, Michael Connolly Miskwish, Lorraine Orosco and Stanley Rodriguez, with illustrations by John Swogger. The graphic novels are jam-packed with historical and cultural detail.

Opening reception: 6-8 p.m. Friday, June 13; on view through Aug. 31 | La Jolla Historical Society, 780 Prospect St., La Jolla | Free | MORE INFO

Fiber Fest
San Diego Craft Collective will host a multi-day festival dedicated to fiber and textile art, design and sustainability — starting with live sheep shearing! Noe Vega of Little Tujunga Shearing and Reciprocity Ranch Sheep will host a shearing demo at 11 a.m. Saturday. Other highlights include wool processing, spinning, weaving, needle-felting and wood-turning demos. A pre-show "Sit n' Stitch" and fiber swap event runs Friday 6-8 p.m. Paid workshops continue Sunday.

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June 13-15; main event 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 14 | San Diego Craft Collective, 2590 Truxtun Rd., Studio 106, Liberty Station | Free-$55 | MORE INFO

'Embracing the Mystery'
This student-curated exhibition features work from Palomar College's Media Arts Professional Practices program. Forty-two works explore the deep, often existential questions posed by visual mediums like photography, video and drawing. The opening reception includes DJ sets and a performance from the band No Avail.

6-9 p.m. Friday, June 13. On view through Aug.17 | California Center for the Arts Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido | Free | MORE INFO

Tanya Aguiñiga's "Somos una tela continua" (2023) is on view in "Border Craft" at UC San Diego's Mandeville Art Gallery. It's made primarily of rope and sculptural objects woven into the sculpture, hanging from the wall. — Tanya Aguiñiga's "Somos una tela continua" (2023) is on view in "Border Craft" at UC San Diego's Mandeville Art Gallery.

'Border Craft' Closing Weekend
It's the last chance to see the group exhibition "Border Craft" at UC San Diego's Mandeville Art Gallery. The show explores the use of traditional craft practices in contemporary art made in the border region, showcasing the work of seven individual and collective cross-border artists: Tanya Aguiñiga, Jackie Amézquita, Margarita Cabrera, Sofía Córdova, Isidro Pérez García, Marisa Raygoza and tercas (Mely Barragán and Irma Sofia Poeter). Work includes textiles, quilts, embroidery, sculpture, ceramics, furniture, video and performance.

12-8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Closes June 15 | Mandeville Art Gallery, 9390 Mandeville Lane , UC San Diego | Free | MORE INFO

Sculpture by Liz Stringer is shown at Bread & Salt in an undated photo. Her new solo exhibit, "The Tellings," opens May 10, 2025. — A sculpture by Liz Stringer is shown at Bread & Salt in an undated photo. Her solo exhibit, "The Tellings," opened last month.

Liz Stringer Artist Talk and Walkthrough
Long Beach-based artist Liz Stringer opened her solo exhibition "The Tellings" last month in Bread & Salt's main gallery. If you haven't had a chance to see Stringer's (literally) monumental works, on Saturday, she will lead a discussion and walkthrough. All Bread & Salt galleries will stay open until 8 p.m. for the Barrio Art Crawl.

6:30-8 p.m. Saturday, June 14 | Bread & Salt, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights | Free | MORE INFO

Music

The Lyrical Groove perform on stage with Brisa Lauren at center-left and Kendrick Dial at center-right, shown in an undated photo. — The Lyrical Groove performs on stage, with Brisa Lauren at center left and Kendrick Dial at center right, in an undated photo.

Hidden City Sounds: Lyrical Groove
Brisa Lauren and Kendrick Dial from Lyrical Groove, a hip-hop group that self-identifies their sound as "spoken soul." Check out my interview with Dial about the group here (he also performed a little solo in the studio). They perform a free set at the Center for the Arts Escondido as part of the Hidden City Sounds series. While the concert itself is free, guests can reserve bistro seating for $20.

Brisa Lauren and Kendrick Dial perform with The Lyrical Groove in an undated photo.

Arts & Culture

The poetry, community and soul of The Lyrical Groove

Julia Dixon Evans

7-9 p.m. Friday, June 13 | California Center for the Arts Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido | Free-$20 | MORE INFO

Bodhi Tree Concerts: Music En La Calle 2025
As part of City Heights Street Food Fest, Bodhi Tree Concerts presents this daytime international music festival, featuring Indigenous and world music, dance and performance. Acts include Kumeyaay Bird Singers, Culture Shock, Akayaa Atula, Naruwan Taiko, Mariachi Cali de San Diego, San Diego Ballet, Opera de Tijuana, Irving Flores and more.

11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 14 | University Ave. and 37th St., City Heights | Free | MORE INFO

Theater

'Indian Princesses'
Eliana Theologides Rodriguez's new play "Indian Princesses" holds its world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse. Based on a real program Rodriguez participated in at her childhood YMCA, the play centers on a support group for young women of color and their white fathers.

On stage through July 6 | La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, UC San Diego | $30+ | MORE INFO

Free Classics Series: 'As You Like It'
Coronado Playhouse opens a production of Shakespeare's "As You Like It," chronicling the meeting of Rosalind and Orlando. Thanks to a grant from the City of Coronado, all performances for this production are free; each guest may reserve up to five tickets.

8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 13-29 | Coronado Playhouse, 1835 Strand Way, Coronado | Free | MORE INFO

Dance

San Diego Dance Theater: 'Resilient Skies I'
Long-standing local contemporary dance company San Diego Dance Theater's annual repertory concert will feature works by its legendary founder Jean Isaacs, current artistic director Terry Wilson, plus premieres by Sol de la Rosa and Matthew Armstrong.

7 p.m. June 13-14 | Saville Theatre at City College, 1313 Park Blvd., downtown | $16.30-$36.70 | MORE INFO

Pointeworks: 'Ballet Nights'
Contemporary ballet company Pointeworks, founded by local (and native San Diegan) Sophie Williams last year, returns to the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center after a string of performances around the country. Pieces will be accompanied by live music, with choreography by DaYoung Jung, Christopher Wheeldon, local Reka Gyulai Garcia and more.

8 p.m. Saturday, June 14 | Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla | $58-$143 | MORE INFO

Festivals and more

Kinfolk Fest: Juneteenth
A week-long Juneteenth and Black culture celebration in San Diego culminates with Kinfolk Fest at Waterfront Park this weekend, with live music, DJs, games, Black-owned vendors, foods and drinks. The festival features hip-hop, R&B, Afrobeat music and more. An after-party follows Saturday at Music Box, with a Sunday afternoon finale in Barrio Logan.

12:30-9 p.m. Saturday, June 14 | Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Highway, downtown | 21+ | $49.87+ | MORE INFO

City Heights Street Food Fest
Each summer, City Heights comes together to celebrate and support the region's diverse and authentic street food vendors. Entry is free, but attendees can opt to purchase a taster ticket, which gets you a sample tasting from each participating vendor. Vendors will also sell full-size items a la carte. Throughout the day, catch live music and performances while you snack.

11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, June 14 | University Ave. and 37th St., City Heights | Free-$50 | MORE INFO

Intersections: Art and Law at the Border
California Lawyers for the Arts presents a symposium to gather and support creatives, activists, scholars and legal professionals whose work pertains to art and the border. Several panel discussions will touch on protecting creative work, the always-changing legal landscape at the border and the role of art in understanding border policies. KPBS Port of Entry hosts Natalie Gonzalez and Alan Lili will join artists Mely Barragan and Daniel Ruanova for the panel "Beyond the Wall."

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 14 | The Front Arte y Cultura, 147 W. San Ysidro Blvd., San Ysidro | $5-$25 | MORE INFO

Meet Cute Bookshop Protest Sign-Making Popup
If you're heading to a protest this weekend, stop by Meet Cute Bookshop where they've set up a community space with all the supplies you'll need to make a protest sign.

Plus, San Diego Families for Justice has coloring pages available to help foster discussions with younger children.

11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday | Meet Cute Romance Bookshop, 8235 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa | Free | MORE INFO