Today’s Forecast

🎶 Earth, wind, and free music

10 free summer concert series in San Diego

Spreckels organ pavilion with an organ player on the stage

This landmark is a visual and musical wonder. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday

Summer is on the way, and from the sounds of it, we’ll be jamming out to live performances. Parks in San Diego County offer a variety of free, live, outdoor concerts during late spring and summer.

Some jam sessions have already started, but there will be a lot more to listen to as the summer heats up.

Balboa Park Twilight Concerts

Spreckels Organ Pavilion’s 40-year tradition brings music to the landmark, outdoor organ on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the summer. This year, the tunes start on Wednesday, June 21, at 6:30 p.m.

Dinner and a Concert

El Cajon will rock out all summer with this ongoing series at its downtown Prescott Promenade. Shows are Fridays, 6-8 p.m., except for this week when the local act PHT /Patrick Howard Trampus Band takes the stage on Thursday, May 18. Pack food, or visit a nearby restaurant or vendor, and enjoy a picnic with a side of live music.

Coronado Promenade Concerts

For 50 years, this series has filled Coronado’s air with music. This year, the performances start on Sunday, May 28, and a new act will perform each Sunday evening until Labor Day.

Friday Nights Live

This 4-week series kicks off at Santee Trolley Square this Friday, May 19, with local rock band It’s Never 2 L8. The shows run weekly through June 9, then the city’s beat continues with Santee Summer Concerts just down the street.

The San Diego Concert Band playing at Harry Griffen Park — The San Diego Concert Band puts on a great show.
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Photo via @suzanne_may_92019

Sundays at Six Summer Concerts

This Sunday series brings bands to Harry Griffen Park in La Mesa for six weeks. The shows start on June 25 with the San Diego Concert Band and conclude on July 30.

5 more concert series

Events

Tuesday, May 16

Drawing is Seeing | Tuesday, May 16 | 10-11:30 a.m. | Birdwing Open Air Classroom, 2801 Via De La Valle, Del Mar | Free | This seminar aims to recreate images by drawing them — no experience required.
Marketing The Beautiful Game | Tuesday, May 16 | 4:30-6:30 p.m. | Park and Market, 1100 Market St., San Diego | $15 | An expert panel — including reps from San Diego Wave FC and San Diego Loyal — discusses how soccer is advertised locally and globally.
San Diego Padres vs. Kansas City Royals | Tuesday, May 16 | 6:40 p.m. | Petco Park, 100 Park Blvd., San Diego | $23-$94 | It’s an SD vs. KC showdown and it’s “Bark in the Park” night.
Art of Elan: Divided Landscapes | Tuesday, May 16 | 7-8 p.m. | The San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, San Diego | $40-$50 | A colorful, musical program exploring our responsibility to care for each other and our planet.

Wednesday, May 17

Andrew McCarthy Discussing “Walking With Sam” | Wednesday, May 17 | 7 p.m. | University of San Diego, 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego | $28-$38 | The Brat Pack actor-turned-bestselling author discusses his new book at this seminar by Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice.
SHRiNKRAY | Wednesday, May 17 | 8 p.m. | The Music Box, 1337 India St., San Diego | $12 | This local, 3-piece fusion band breaks genre norms when they take the stage.

Thursday, May 18

Artisan Wine Series Dinner Featuring Palazzo Wines | Thursday, May 18 | 6-8:30 p.m. | A.R. Valentien, 11480 N. Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla | $325 | The Napa vibes are strong — sip on standout wines expertly paired with a multi-course dinner.
Out Pro Mixer for Meaningful LGBTQ Networking | Thursday, May 18 | 6-9 p.m. | Gossip Grill, 1220 University Ave., San Diego | $15-$85 | Make and build connections to advance your career in an environment that welcomes diversity.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Civic

Yesterday, Nathan Fletcher officially resigned from the County Board of Supervisors amid allegations of sexual assault and penned an apology letter to San Diego. The board will hold a special election on Tuesday, Aug. 15, to fill the District 4 Supervisor vacancy. (CBS 8)
Oceanside residents can expect to see their waste collection bills increase. Waste Management, the city’s hauler, was approved to increase rates by 8% starting Saturday, July 1, through the end of the year. Residential customers with basic service can expect to pay an additional $1.90 monthly. (The Coast News Group)

Transit

The San Diego Association of Governments’ 2024 Fiscal Year budget has been approved, which will extend the Youth Opportunity Pass program through June 2024. County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas says she’s “committed to expanding this program to those age 24 and under.” (Times of San Diego)

Development

A 950-unit housing complex in western La Mesa has been rejected by City Council, citing concerns over the building’s lack of affordable housing options. The eight story structure would’ve been on Alvarado Road close to mass transit; the developers have the option to reapply with a revised plan. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Concert

The “Rumours” are true — Stevie Nicks is coming to San Diego. The legendary singer will bring her “Live In Concert” tour to Viejas Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 29. If you’ve got tickets in your dreams, they’ll go on sale this Friday, May 19, at 10 a.m.

Outdoors

Two earthquakes shook east San Diego County on Sunday at 5:13 p.m. — a 3.4-magnitude tremblor in Jamul immediately followed by a 3.6-magnitude quake in Campo. Experts call this extraordinarily rare because the two incidents occurred in different fault systems, and there’s no indication one impacted the other. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Number

449 sqft. That’s the size of the average apartment costing $1,500 in rent in San Diego, based on RentCafe.com’s study. When looking at 100 large US cities, America’s Finest City ranked No. 90 in terms of how much living space you get for that price tag. (RentCafe.com)

The Buy

Turn misplaced keys into a thing of the past with the Apple AirTag. The button-sized tracking device can give you step-by-step directions to your lost keys (or phone…or wallet…) and has a battery life of one year. Pro tip: Put one in your checked luggage and never worry about lost baggage again.*

San Diegan

🚀 From one stellar student to the next

Ellen Ochoa honored in La Mesa and at San Diego State University

The mural of Ellen Ochoa at Parkway Sports and Health Science Academy

This Ellen Ochoa is out of this world. | Photo via @brie_cheezie

Astronaut Ellen Ochoa has ventured out of this world, but she considers La Mesa her home. Recently, she was honored with a mural at Parkway Sports & Health Science Academy, where she spoke to ~40 students about her career journey.

Ochoa graduated from the school in 1971, when it was Parkway Middle School. This served as a launching pad for her education and career — she received her doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1985 and joined NASA in 1988. But, she blasted into the history books when she became the first Latina woman to travel into space in 1993.

The veteran astronaut also received local recognition from her alma mater San Diego State University — where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in 1980. The university named the Ellen Ochoa Pavilion (formerly West Commons) in her honor for her out-of-this-world accomplishments in STEM education.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Michael

From the editor

Good morning, San Diego. Recently, I visited Salt & Straw in Little Italy, which is always a delicious trip. Currently, you can order from the Eat Your Flowers Series and I tried the Pistachio with Saffron and Rose Water. I’m totally nuts for this ice cream, but that’s par for the course. I always find an unexpected, delicious flavor combo when I visit.

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