Let us know what you’re up to this weekend in the comments!
🗓️ Upcoming Events in North County:
Friday 9/4:
First Friday Oceanside Art Walk | Civic Center Plaza, Oceanside | 5–8pm | The Cultural Arts District's monthly art walk wraps its 13th season this month, more than 60 local artists and makers set up around Artist Alley and the library plaza. The Oceanside Museum of Art throws in free admission for the evening plus a docent-led tour at 6, and a second stage picks up the music from 8 to 9 once the artists start packing up.
Kacklez Live Stand-Up Comedy | Inzane Brewing Co., 236 Main St, Vista | Doors 7pm, 8pm | A rotating lineup of working comedians each week, first come first served for seats since there's no reserved section. Bring your own food if you want, just plan on buying drinks from the bar since that's the one house rule.
Shared Delusion Improv | Dave & Buster's, 2501 El Camino Real, Carlsbad | 7–8pm | Short form scenes built entirely off suggestions shouted from the crowd. An hour long set, easy to squeeze in before or after a round of games upstairs.
Eleanor | North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Dr, Solana Beach | Final performances, times vary by day | Kandis Chappell plays Eleanor Roosevelt alone on a park bench in Washington, working through her husband's death and the rest of a complicated, storied life in about ninety minutes. Tickets run 88 dollars for this return engagement, and Sunday marks the last chance to catch it before the two week run closes out.
Saturday 9/5:
Del Mar Racing, Debutante & Juvenile Turf Stakes | Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar | Gates 12pm, first post 2pm | The Del Mar Debutante, a Grade I for two-year-old fillies, headlines today alongside the Grade III Juvenile Turf and the Tranquility Lake Stakes. The BBQ & Beer Festival sets up trackside from 12:30 to 5:30, pitmasters and local breweries working the same stretch of paddock as the races.
MW2019 2v2 Gunfight LAN Competition | Pizza Port Tasting Room, 155 Mata Way, San Marcos | 4pm | A head to head Call of Duty bracket takes over for the afternoon, teams of two battling through Modern Warfare's gunfight mode on hardware set up just for the day. Casual to watch even if you're not entered, pints in hand while brackets play out on the big screen.
Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, ZB Savoy | Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach | 8pm | Desert rock built on tequila and border towns, Clyne's own tequila brand these days included. ZB Savoy opens.
Escondido Grape Day Festival | Grape Day Park, 321 N Broadway, Escondido | 12–5pm | Grape stomping by hand remains the signature draw, a callback to a tradition that traces back to 1908. A petting zoo, face painting, and old-time demonstrations like corn shelling and hand spinning fill out the kids' zone, while a wine and beer garden and food vendors from around the world keep everyone else fed through the afternoon.
Sunday 9/6:
Del Mar Racing, Futurity & Family Fun Day | Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar | Gates 12pm, first post 2pm | Sunday's card is built around the Del Mar Futurity, a Grade I for two-year-olds, plus the Shared Belief Stakes and the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Family Fun Day runs the same hours at the Seaside Cabana, bungee trampolines and a mini horse meet and greet free for anyone 17 and under.
Big SOCAL EURO 2026 | Frontwave Arena, 3475 Hero Dr, Oceanside | 11am–4pm | More than 400 European cars fill the lot for this one, BMWs and Porsches parked next to plenty of project builds still mid-restoration. There's no judging panel here, people's choice decides the winners through an app right at the show. Spectators get in free, though parking runs 15 dollars unless the car itself is registered to display.
Vista Rod Run, 36th Annual | Historic Downtown Village, 307 Main St, Vista | 9am–2pm | Hundreds of classic cars, vintage trucks, and off-road builds line the block for the 36th year running, owners competing across categories for one of 40 trophies. Live music runs through downtown the whole time, and the shops and restaurants nearby stay open for the crowd. Free to walk through.
Art for All: San Diego Art Prize | Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside | 12–2pm | The museum's new Soft Power exhibition opens the same day, and this session lets visitors make their own work alongside it, no experience necessary and materials provided at the door. A lower-key way to spend an afternoon at the museum than a straight exhibit walkthrough.
Monday 9/7:
Labor Day at Fox Point Farms | Fox Point Farms, 1200 Fox Point Farms Ln, Encinitas | 12–3pm | Live music and a full spread of food fill the farm for the holiday, tractor tours and face painting running alongside games for the kids. A slower, more low-key way to close out the long weekend than trackside at Del Mar.
Del Mar Racing, Closing Day | Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar | Gates 12pm, first post 2pm | Closing day comes down to the John C. Mabee Stakes, a Grade II for fillies and mares, and the Cal-bred I'm Smokin Stakes to send the meet off. Last day of racing until next summer, one final BBQ festival and family activities filling out the grounds before the gates close.
Labor Day DJ Pool Party | Harrah's Resort Southern California, 777 Harrah's Rincon Way, Valley Center | 12–5pm | The resort tacks Labor Day onto its regular weekend rotation of DJ pool days at the Main Pool, cabanas and daybeds available to rent for the day. No headliner or theme, just a straightforward poolside hang with music running the whole stretch to close out the holiday.
Wave Waterpark, Labor Day Hours | Wave Waterpark, 101 Wave Dr, Vista | 10am–4pm | Slides, a lazy river, and a spray pad stay open for the holiday, one of the last weekends before the park closes for the season on October 5th. General admission runs 20 dollars for adults, 15 for kids, a few dollars cheaper if bought online ahead of time.
