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On September 26, the Harvest Moon will rise over San Diego County, providing a fitting backdrop for the Ilan-Lael Foundation's annual Harvest Moon Fundraiser from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Guests will enjoy rare access to the Ilan-Lael property, the home and creative sanctuary of renowned artist and architect James Hubbell, whose organically designed buildings and landscapes have become a treasured cultural landmark. The event offers visitors the opportunity to explore the grounds at their own pace while enjoying a thoughtfully curated meal prepared by local chefs using seasonal ingredients from the region. This year's featured guest is Ada Limón, who served as the nation's 24th U.S. Poet Laureate. Celebrated for poetry that explores the natural world and humanity's relationship with it, Limón is an especially fitting guest for an evening devoted to art and nature. She will deliver a special reading and reflect on her family’s roots in Julian and Santa Ysabel, where her father has spent years growing apples and pears. The event sells out each year, so early reservations are encouraged. Tickets are $175 per person or $350 per couple. Sponsorship opportunities range from $2,500 to $7,500. To purchase tickets, call the Ilan-Lael Foundation at (760) 765-3427. “Harvest Moon is one of our favorite events of the year as we bring together art enthusiasts, philanthropists and the community,” shares Marianne Gerdes, Executive Director of the Ilan-Lael Foundation. “Throughout the years, the event has continued to grow, but at its core, it celebrates art, nature and the way they intersect.”

Learn to Carve a Gourd! September 13, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. November 1, 9 a.m.-1p.m. In this workshop, you will learn to craft a gourd lantern while learning the lore of our ancestors’ first storage container, provided by Mother Nature herself. From the dawn of civilization, humans have found endless uses for gourds– beautiful and functional members of the squash family. True gourds are extremely strong and lightweight. Over the centuries, humans have selected varieties for specific shape and size to create an astonishing number of useful items: musical instruments, water bottles, yogurt and cheese-making vessels, honey storage, alcohol fermentation and storage, bowls, cups, bird houses, floatation devices, grain storage and even cooking vessels. In this class, you will start with a natural, cured gourd and learn the steps of carefully cutting it open, removing seeds, cleaning it, drawing patterns that, in turn, will be carved out to allow the glow of the lantern to light up an outdoor area or indoor space. In this class, you we will learn to use rotary tools, scrapers, rechargeable drills, and handheld jigsaws. Each student will install a low-wattage LED light on the interior of the gourd, along with a lamp cord complete with a plug end. All materials and tools will be provided. This class is designed for the beginner as well as more experienced carvers. There is no prerequisite for this class. All of the necessary tools and materials will be available to students for this class.

Who were the women who built San Diego, and why don’t we hear more about them? Join Elsa Sevilla, an Emmy-nominated and award-winning journalist, filmmaker, and creator and host of "Historic Places with Elsa Sevilla," at KPBS on Wednesday, December 16. Elsa has dreamed of bringing this Lunch & Learn series to life for three years. Its first event begins at KPBS, where she produces the series. Watch a selection from "Women Who Built San Diego," featuring Juana Machado, Vicenta Carrillo, Margaret Robinson and Belle Benchley, four women whose contributions helped shape our city. Hear stories behind the production and join the conversation. In 18 years, "Historic Places" has produced more than 80 documentaries and aired them up to 2,000 times. Wednesday, December 16, 2026 | 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. KPBS Community Engagement Center, Conrad Prebys Media Complex at Copley Center, San Diego State University Tickets go on sale October 7: General Admission: $45 — Lunch and the program VIP: $60 — Lunch, preferred seating, a signed copy of Camera Ready and a special bookmark VIP table for eight: $440 — VIP seating, a signed Camera Ready book and special bookmark for each guest. Save $40 compared with eight individual VIP tickets. Seating and tables are limited. To reserve a table or ask about sponsoring this event to support "Historic Places," contact Elsa at elsa@sevillaproductions.com The new episode, “Women Who Built San Diego” Premieres Monday Oct. 12 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream with KPBS+

Founder Jamie Broadnax said the meetup celebrates Black women in fandom while welcoming anyone who loves geek culture.

Please join KPBS and our partners for an in-person event at The Grand Ritz Theater in Escondido with Stephen Graham Jones, author of our 2026 One Book, One San Diego adult selection, “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.” This historical horror novel is a perfect pick for spooky season, and once you’ve finished it, you’ll want to talk all about it. Who better to discuss it with than the author himself? Enjoy a moderated discussion with Jones, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. THIS EVENT IS FREE - RSVP NOW to save your seat. Register: https://onebookadulteventnorthcounty2026.eventbrite.com

Sunday, December 13,2026 at 3p.m. Peñasquitos Lutheran Church 14484 Penasquitos Dr, San Diego, CA 92129 Greater San Diego Chamber Orchestra and Chorus Dr. Angela Yeung, Director Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, popular Christmas tunes and Carols sing-along. For the grand finale of Hallelujah Chorus sing-along, bring your own Messiah score or rent one at the door for $5. Admission is free with free-will donation accepted via Venmo, Zelle, or by check and cash. Visit https://gsdmusicoterie.org/events/ for full details and further inquiry. Greater San Diego Music Coterie on Facebook / Instagram

Something strange is taking over Downtown San Diego! Step into Halloween Town as Werewolf transforms into a world inspired by "The Nightmare Before Christmas"! Experience spooky holiday décor, larger-than-life characters, and plenty of surprises throughout. Get into the spooky spirit with festive, seasonal cocktails and delicious food while surrounded by the magic of Halloween Town. Don't miss your chance to experience this hauntingly festive pop-up before it disappears on November 2! Werewolf is open daily from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Brunch | Daily 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit: https://thewerewolf.net/ View Werewolf's Nightmare Before Christmas Pop-Up on Instagram

The premier San Diego art exhibition celebrating the work of Black visual artists and creatives. Part of Kinfolk Fest Juneteenth Week. "ONYX: A Black Artist Exhibition" is a celebration of Black creative expression rooted in San Diego. Curated by Imani Camara, the exhibition brings together Black artists who are from or currently based in the city — painters, musicians, visual artists, and storytellers whose work deserves to be seen, documented, and celebrated on its own terms. The exhibition moves beyond singular narratives. Each work on view reflects a distinct voice, medium, and perspective, while contributing to a larger collective portrait of what Black creativity looks like in San Diego today. "ONYX" creates space for ambiguity, experimentation, and personal storytelling — honoring the full depth of each artist's identity rather than flattening it. The title is intentional. Like the stone, "ONYX" speaks to layered identities and the depth formed through connection. It also references discovery — many of the artists featured were found simply through conversation and community, which raises a question the exhibition sits with: how had they not been seen before? This special exhibition date for "ONYX" is part of Kinfolk Fest Week, San Diego's Juneteenth celebration. The San Diego Black art scene is actively taking shape, and this exhibition is both a reflection of that and an investment in it. By bringing these artists together under one roof, "ONYX" affirms that this creative ecosystem exists. Curated by Imani Camara and curatorial assistant Faith Richardson. Part of Kinfolk Fest Week, June 17–20, 2026. Visit: https://www.sdmelanin.com/events/onyx-x-kinfolk SD Melanin on Instagram and Facebook

The San Diego Fixit Clinic is hosting a SD Fixit Clinic at the Ramona Branach Library on September 5. Bring your broken, non-functioning things: electronics, appliances, computers, toys, bicycles, clothes, etc. for assessment, disassembly, and possible repair. We’ll provide work-space, specialty tools, and guidance to help you disassemble and troubleshoot your item and it’s all free, though we welcome donations to keep the movement growing! Whether we fix it or not, you’ll learn more about how it was manufactured and how it worked while trusting it won’t end up in a landfill. Please Note: We do not operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre-registered guests receive priority, and repairs are matched to the appropriate fixer. Wait times may vary. Thank you for your patience. Interested in volunteering with SD Fix-it? Click on this link to fill out an application: https://bit.ly/SDFC-volunteer San Diego FixIt Clinic on Facebook / Instagram

In an age of division and anxiety, where do we gather for generative civic conversations? Democracy is more than who we vote for every few years—it’s about how we show up for each other, connect, and build trust. Join us for the relaunch of Civic Saturday San Diego as we explore what it means to build COMMON GROUND. Civic Saturday is a gathering of friends and strangers to connect around the values and practices of being an active citizen, reckon with our shared values, and create new rituals that are joyful and communal. At Civic Saturday we sing, hear poetry, readings and a “civic sermon,” and reflect on how to rehumanize our politics in conversation with each other. Civic Saturday is sponsored through the OneSD Initiative and the Nonprofit Institute at USD, with support by individual civic leaders and host venues. Grounded in the practices at Citizen University, we gather to help one another live like citizens, broadly defined and expressed in this equation: POWER + CHARACTER = CITIZENSHIP. Save the Date for upcoming gatherings: 11/7 - "COMMON FUTURE" in City Heights 12/5 - "COMMON STORY" in College Area Details/RSVP: bit.ly/civicsaturdaysd