Festivals
Cherry Blossom Festival
This year's celebration of springtime at the Japanese Friendship Garden includes a wall of lanterns, new community art, food, vendors and, of course, the tradition of hanami, or "flower viewing." Currently on view at the museum are Shizuko Greenblatt's calligraphy, Ikebana-inspired sculpture and photography exhibit, "Uplift the Human Spirit," and a Sakura community art exhibit.
The garden publishes a daily current bloom percentage on its website. Currently, it's at 40% and climbing.
10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, March 12-15 | Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum, 2215 Pan American Road E, Balboa Park | $20-$25 | MORE INFO
Visual arts
Bread & Salt: Tatiana Ortiz-Rubio, INSITE and more
Visual artist and muralist Tatiana Ortiz-Rubio will open "Noncompliant," a solo exhibition in Bread & Salt's main gallery. She explores the human social construct of time and the way time is often measured in an able-bodied framework. I recently spoke to Ortiz-Rubio about her work and about being one of the recipients of the 2026 San Diego Art Prize. The opening reception for "Noncompliant" is 5-8 p.m. Saturday.
Also opening at Bread & Salt is "Erratic Fields," a multi-installation exhibit throughout the building by INSITE, an art journal and curatorial project launched in 1992. Mark Dion has reconstructed his iconic 2000 Tijuana River Estuary birding hut, "Blind/Hide," in the Bread & Salt courtyard. Also in the exhibit is work by Lael Corbin, Anya Gallaccio, Leslie Garcia, Johnnie Chatman, Archivo Familiar del Rio Colorado and more. Artist talks and a reception are 2-8 p.m. Saturday.
March 14 through June 27 | Bread & Salt, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights | Free | MORE INFO
Annie Alarcón: 'Forms of Devotion'
Tijuana-based sculptor Annie Alarcón's solo exhibition of ceramic sculptures and vessels opens at the Athenaeum Art Center in the Bread & Salt complex, coinciding with extended hours for the Barrio Art Crawl and other gallery events. Alarcón's work is informed by ancient perfume bottles and the complexities of grief and caretaking.
5-8 p.m. Saturday, March 14. Through May 7. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday | Athenaeum Art Center, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights | Free | MORE INFO
Bridget Rountree: 'Standoff, standstill, Stand-Down'
In addition to "The Medium Is the Message" currently on view in the main gallery, Art Produce will open a solo show by Bridget Rountree, "standoff, standstill, Stand-Down," in the Cooler Room space connected to the back garden. In this body of work, Rountree uses contrasts, collaging scenes relating to climate concerns and social justice. A reception is 5-8 p.m. Friday, March 13.
1-7 p.m. Fridays and noon-6 p.m. Saturdays, March 13 through April 3 | Art Produce Gallery, 3139 University Ave., North Park | Free | MORE INFO
Maryam Bayat: 'Unrolling Paradise'
"Unrolling Paradise" by artist Maryam Bayat is inspired by a childhood spent in the fertile forests of Iran and her father's rug shop in Tehran — and the women who traditionally wove rugs by hand. It's a magical forest installation, featuring dozens of sculptures of trees and woodland creatures created from old Persian rugs. "All of the rugs had a story," Bayat said. An opening reception and Nowruz celebration is noon-3 p.m. Saturday.
March 14 through Aug. 16 | CCAE, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido | Free-$12 (admission includes a full year membership) | MORE INFO
Art and poetry
'The Way Roots Grow'
Poet and curator Byttney-Mischele Salvant will headline a collaborative poetry and art event in conjunction with a group exhibition at Bonita Museum & Cultural Center. Poets performing in Saturday's reading include Salvant, Claire Hsu Accomando, Diane Gustafson, Soul-Tree and So Wrote Nicholas. Following the reading is an artist panel with exhibiting artists Daniela Loizart, Isabel Garcia, Brandon Flowers, Ashley Hawkins, Ami Young and Monét Nyre.
2-5 p.m. Saturday, March 14. On view March 13-22 | Bonita Museum & Cultural Center, 4355 Bonita Road, Bonita | Free | MORE INFO
Dance
'Resilient Skies II: Bridging Waters'
San Diego Dance Theater's (SDDT) Terry Wilson and Matthew Armstrong co-choreographed a new full-length work of contemporary dance exploring the importance and fragility of water as sustenance and the complexities surrounding environmental damage. It's a follow up to SDDT's 2025 "Resilient Skies I," showcasing the company's talent, athleticism and approachable, engaging and expressive brand of contemporary dance.
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 13-14 | Light Box Theater, 2590 Truxtun Road, Liberty Station | $25-$35 | MORE INFO
Music
Twin Ritual, Gabi Bravo and The Microblades
Local acts Twin Ritual and The Microblades perform with Gabi Bravo at the Casbah Friday night. Indie synth-pop group Twin Ritual features vocalist Laura Levenhagen of Le Château and bassist Anthony Ramirez of Glass Spells, who recently announced they're on hiatus.
8:30 p.m. Friday, March 13 | Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Little Italy | $19.59 | MORE INFO
CRSSD Fest Spring 2026
CRSSD takes over Waterfront Park this weekend with electronic artists performing Saturday and Sunday beginning at noon and continuing into the night. Tickets are selling out quickly, but some passes are available for the full weekend or just Saturday. Performers include Amzel, Polo & Pan, Vintage Culture, Ben Sterling, The Magician, Dom Dolla and more.
Doors open at noon, Saturday and Sunday, March 14-15 | Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Highway, downtown | $195+ | MORE INFO
'Motown: The Groove That Changed America'
The celebration of Motown music returns to the California Center for the Arts, Escondido stage this weekend, featuring the D. Ben-Jamin' Orchestra accompanied by soloists performing hits from Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, The Temptations and more.
Saturday and Sunday, March 14-15 | CCAE, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido | $28-$88 | MORE INFO
Books
Elizabeth DeLozier with Books & Brews
The author of the wildly popular novel "Eleanore of Avignon," Elizbaeth DeLozier will join book influencer Jason Perkins of Books & Brews SD to discuss her book about a 1300s-era plague herbalist.
6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12 | Library Shop, 925 W. Washington St., Mission Hills | Free | MORE INFO
Small Press Nite, Vol. 14
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Small presses are the heartbeat of the literary ecosystem, taking risks that actively shape literature and art. This semi-regular reading series at The Book Catapult celebrates those writers. Mac Crane returns to the series after their recent novel, "A Sharp Endless Need," and will read alongside Jessamyn Violet, author of "Venice Peach," Becca Rae Rose and Josiah Roberts.
Saturday, March 14 | The Book Catapult, 3010-B Juniper St., South Park | Free | MORE INFO
Adolfo Guzman Lopez: 'California Southern' poetry reading and workshop
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, poet, journalist and cofounder of the Taco Shop Poets, returns to San Diego for a reading from his recent collection, "California Southern: writing from the road, 1992-2025." The book centers on his experience growing up in San Diego with his mother, a house cleaner. Alongside the reading, he will lead a workshop.
2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 15 | Art Produce, 3139 University Ave., North Park | Free with RSVP | MORE INFO
Theater
'An Act of God'
Roustabouts Theatre Company presents David Javerbaum's play "An Act of God," with the amazingly hilarious and endearing Sam Ginn in the role of God — originally performed by Jim Parsons when the play debuted on Broadway.
March 12-29 | Scripps Ranch Theatre, 9783 Avenue of Nations, Scripps Ranch | $10-$45 | MORE INFO
'The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity'
Written by Kristoffer Díaz and directed for Oceanside Theatre Company by Kevin "Blax" Burroughs and Durwood Murray Jr., this play explores the wild world of pro wrestling, following a "jobber," an actor paid to lose matches.
March 13-29 | The Brooks Theater, 217 North Coast Highway, Oceanside | $28-$43 | MORE INFO
