San Diego Weekend Guide: Aug. 8-10 – Dancing in the Dark

Feelin’ hot, hot, hot? You’re not the only one. Thankfully, the heat will ease off this San Diego weekend, but still stay nice enough for all the outdoor goodness to come, in the streets, at the parks and on the water.

Tiki Oasis had humble beginnings, but now proudly lays claim to being the largest and longest-running Tiki festival. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the fest continues through Sunday at the Town and Country Resort in Mission Valley. Dip into Polynesian culture, including art, music, cocktails and fashion. Enjoy dozens of bands too. Tickets start at $45 for individual adult events, with multi-day passes available.

It’s the last chance to see Noises Off, the comedy that was extended at the Old Globe Theatre. Take a peek backstage as a fictional theater company struggles with a cast that botches its lines and misplaces props and canoodles a bit too. Tickets start at $70 for the weekend, featuring three evening performances and two matinees. The revival closes Sunday.

It’s the middle of the season for Row in the Dark, a night-time adventure on Carlsbad Lagoon. Choose a paddleboard, kayak or aquacycle and cruise on the water after the sun goes down. You get three hours, not to mention live music and beach games around the campfire too. Tickets cost $49 for a rowing date Friday or Sept. 12.

The San Diego Soul Food Fest enters its fifth year Saturday with the goal of highlighting and celebrating “the uniquely delicious cuisines of the African Diaspora.” Tickets that include tastes are gone, but general admission costs $12.50 to enjoy vendors and entertainment from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Head to 4044 Idaho St. at North Park Community Park.

The Padres are out of town so Petco Park goes to the dogs Saturday for Bark at the Big Screen. It’s a chance not only to bring your pups to Gallagher Square behind the ballpark, but also to see The Sandlot, the childhood baseball classic, and to celebrate Petco’s 60th anniversary. Each $23 ticket admits both a human and a doggie bestie. Gates open at 6 p.m.; the movie starts 30 minutes later.

(In the interest of fair pet representation, we had planned to let you know that Digital Gym in the East Village is hosting CatVideoFest 2025 Saturday, but sadly it is sold out.)

Now that the feline constituency has been represented, we return to our regular programming. Also at Digital Gym – It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, a documentary about the late musician. He died way too soon, at 30, in 1997, yet has garnered a major following in the decades since. The movie is opening a week-long run, through Thursday, screening once a day. Admission costs $13.

The La Jolla Playhouse has partnered with Native Voices for the 31st Festival of New Plays, a showcase for Indigenous playwrights. The festival features two works, A Century of Sparrows by Sierra Rosetta, of the Lac Courte Oreilles Chippewa Nation, and Pigeon/Thunderbird by Dillon Chitto, of the Mississippi Choctaw, Laguna and Isleta Pueblo. The free shows, at the Theodore and Adele Shank Theatre, are at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday. Reserve a spot online.

CityFest, Hillcrest’s annual free celebration of community spirit, features live bands, dance music and DJs, along with arts, crafts and food booths. The free fest stretches over several blocks on 5th Avenue south of University Avenue and is good fit for families during the day, then continues well into the night. Be an early bird when it opens at noon or a night owl, swaying to the beat until 11 p.m.