🦹 Inside, for badgeholders

• Browse through 550+ exhibitors spanning comics, special merch, video games, TV, and film. This is our favorite part of SDCC.
• Stop by Funko’s Funkoville display, which will include a Blockbuster Rewind store throwin’ it back to the 1990s — complete with a new line of VHS-themed collectibles.
• The Masquerade — the Con’s iconic cosplay performance competition — takes the stage Saturday, July 22, 8:30 p.m., in Ballroom 20. This is an experience.
  

💥 Outside, sans badge

• Parq Nightclub will host a “Nick at Nightclub” party Thursday, July 20, 8 p.m., themed after Nickelodeon’s 1990s heyday. Buy tickets.
• The Lanford Lunch Box — a pop-up resembling the diner from “Roseanne” — will sell its “loose meat sandwiches” Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., at an activation at Sixth Avenue and E Street.
• “Jurassic Park” will host a free activation Friday, July 21 + Saturday, July 22, at 325 15th Street that recreates moments from the film. Organizers say there will be a standby line.
• Visit Balboa Park’s Comic-Con Museum to see existing pop culture exhibits, plus new ones like “Excelsior! The Life and Legacy of Stan Lee.”

• 2023 San Diego County Fair | Through Tuesday, July 4 | 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar | It’s the final stretch of the summertime staple and its rides, games, exhibitions, and fried fare.
• Take On Me: New Wave ‘80s Party | Friday, June 30 | 9 p.m. | House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., San Diego | $17 | Rewind to the 1980s with a collection of radical hits.

• CBad Cars | Saturday, July 1 | 7-9 a.m. | Poinsettia Village, 7130 Avenida Encinas, Carlsbad | Free | Gearheads, check out this casual North County cars and coffee meet-up — all vehicles welcome.
• Beach Cleanup | Saturday, July 1 | 9-11 a.m. | Ocean Beach Pier, 1850 Ocean Front St., San Diego | Free | Join the Surfrider Foundation’s San Diego Chapter to clean up the area around OB Pier.
• Lake Poway Family Campout | Saturday, July 1 + Sunday, July 2 | 5 p.m.-10 a.m. | Lake Poway, 14644 Lake, Poway Rd. | $55-$66 | Bring your own camping gear and enjoy an overnight stay at the lake, complete with guided hikes, s’mores, and a family-friendly magic and comedy show.
• Fall Out Boy: “So Much For (Tour) Dust” | Saturday, July 1 | 6:30 p.m. | North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, 2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista | $50-$305 | “Sugar, We’re Going Down” to Chula Vista to dance like “Uma Thurman.”
• “Passengers” | Through Sunday, July 30 | Times vary | The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego | $49-$125 | It’s opening night for this show about strangers in transit featuring the Montreal-based dance troupe The 7 Fingers.

• San Diego Legion vs. Seattle Seawolves | Sunday, July 2 | 3 p.m. | Snapdragon Stadium, 2101 Stadium Way, San Diego | $20-$160 | Pro rugby, anyone? The teams face off in the Western Conference Final.
• Aretha: A Tribute | Sunday, July 2 | 7:30 p.m. | The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, 222 Marina Park Way, San Diego | $30-$95 | A night devoted to the legacy of the one-and-only Queen of Soul.
• Katie Thurston’s Birthday Bash(ing) LIVE! | Sunday, July 2 | 8 p.m. | The American Comedy Co., 818 Sixth Ave., San Diego | $50 | The star of “The Bachelorette” and “The Bachelor” celebrates her half-birthday with a variety show featuring local comics, special guests, and major roasting.

• Grab those sunglasses — it’s about to warm up. The National Weather Service says strengthening high pressure over California will bring the hottest temperatures of the year to inland areas, including parts of San Diego County. The heat will peak this weekend, with high temps 5-10° above average inland. (National Weather Service)

• San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has officially launched his campaign for re-election in 2024. He has served as the 37th mayor of San Diego since 2020 and says he wants to “finish the vision” he has for the city.

• California’s gas tax — which helps fund freeways — will increase tomorrow by 3 cents — making the tax ~58 cents per gallon. As of yesterday, AAA said the average price of a gallon of gas in San Diego County was $4.87, compared to the national average of $3.54. (ABC10)

• Tomorrow San Diego County Child Welfare Services will start its transition into its broader, new Child and Family Well-Being Department. The branch will integrate several services under one umbrella to help support local families with their social, developmental, emotional, and safety needs.

• SANDAG and Caltrans are conducting a Border Wait Time survey through Monday, July 31, in hopes of improving crossborder travel at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry. Participants start the survey once they’ve entered the line and track how long it takes to reach the primary inspection area.

• The Society — the swanky Mission Valley apartment community billed as “a luxury resort with no checkout time” — is now leasing 1-3 BD units in its newest building, “Ruby.” Community amenities include a pool and spa, fitness center, club room with outdoor lounge area, and a free coffee bar.

• The US Navy’s newest, most advanced Burke-class destroyer will operate out of Naval Base San Diego, arriving later this year. The $2.4 billion USS Jack H. Lucas features a second to none air and missile defense radar system, and will join 16 other Burke destroyers that call SD home. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

• The New Children’s Museum will debut “Seeding Futures” in 2024 — an exhibit based on science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler’s legacy. The installation will be shaped, in part, by a community workshop involving 25 applicants, prioritizing BIPOC San Diegans ages 12-25. Applications are open through Saturday, July 22, 12 a.m.

• The county will use a new $500,000 grant to get more San Diegans online via the Affordable Connectivity Program. Eligible locals could get a monthly $30-$75 discount toward their internet bill and a one-time credit up to $100 to buy a laptop, computer, or tablet from participating providers.

• The San Diego Legion will take on the Seattle Seawolves at the Western Conference Finals this Sunday, July 2, at Snapdragon Stadium. Fans should wear red in support of the home team; the lot opens at 12 p.m. for tailgating and the game starts at 3 p.m.

• North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre is hosting a job fair Thursday, July 6, 4-8 p.m. The Chula Vista concert venue says job seekers should bring their resume and two forms of ID — and RSVP via Facebook.

• San Diego County Credit Union (SDCCU) and the San Diego Blood Bank will host a Blood Drive on Thursday, July 6, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at three SDCCU locations. You can register to donate at the SDCCU Operations Center in Sorrento Valley, or the branches in Santee or Encinitas.

• Refinance rates are skyrocketing. But home equity rates remain relatively low — which means that now is a great time to borrow against your home. Calculate your payment.*