How the ranking is determined

Breaking down San Diego’s score

• LGBTQ Film Festival | Thursday, Sept. 7-Sunday, Sept. 10 | Times vary | San Diego Natural History Museum, 1788 El Prado, Balboa Park | $15 | Film Out San Diego hosts its 23rd annual event highlighting dozens of films with screenings at TheNat and the Museum of Photographic Arts.
• “The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical” | Through Sunday, Oct. 1 | Times vary | Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre, 2910 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla | $25-$85 | This musical covers the life and works of the counterculture journalist.
• Tessa Violet | Thursday, Sept. 7 | 8 p.m. | The Music Box, 1337 India St., San Diego | $27-$32 | The singer, songwriter, and social media personality performs with Frances Forever.

• Craft Beer Festival | Through Sunday, Sept. 10 | 10 a.m.-7 p.m. | SeaWorld, 500 SeaWorld Dr., San Diego | Included with admission | It’s the final weekend of the theme park’s celebration highlighting 100+ craft brews and specialty food items.
• Cage Warriors 159 San Diego | Friday, Sept. 8 | 5-10 p.m. | Sycuan Casino Resort, 5469 Casino Way, El Cajon | $95-$160 | Wilson Reis vs. Trevin Jones headline this UFC fight.
• Francisco Ramos | Friday, Sept. 8 + Saturday, Sept. 9 | 6:30 + 8:30 p.m. | Grand Comedy Club, 340 E. Grand Ave., Escondido | $17 | The comedian seen on HBO, Showtime, and Netflix takes the stage with Abby Roberge and Jared Kassebaum.

• ArtWalk Carlsbad | Saturday, Sept. 9 + Sunday, Sept. 10 | Times vary | 5790 Armada Dr., Carlsbad | Free | Browse masterpieces created by artists from Southern California and Mexico while enjoying music, food, and the cool ocean breezes in North County.
• Boots In The Park | Saturday, Sept. 9 | 1-11 p.m. | Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego | $129-$349 | Slip on those boots, y’all — big name country acts like Kane Brown and Tyler Hubbard perform along the Embarcadero.
• SDSU Aztec Football vs. UCLA Bruins Football | Saturday, Sept. 9 | 4:30 p.m. | Snapdragon Stadium, 2101 Stadium Way, San Diego | $66+ | Let’s do the darn thing, SD.

• Sourdough Mamas: Level II Sourdough Workshop | Sunday, Sept. 10 | 12:50-1:50 p.m. | The Lullabar, 7750 El Camino Real, Ste. 5145-5150, Carlsbad | $45 | Dig deeper into the art of making sourdough.

• Caltrans will close part of southbound Interstate 5 in downtown San Diego from 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8, to 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 11, to repair the bridge over State Route 163. The closure includes the Fifth Avenue on-ramp and motorists will be detoured to Interstate 8; take Interstate 805 instead. (KPBS)

• After “gnarly bumps in the road,” Chick & Hawk — skateboarding legend Tony Hawk’s highly-anticipated Encinitas restaurant — has gotten permits to begin construction, grinding towards a Spring 2024 debut. To celebrate, the brand will host a pop-up on Saturday, Sept. 15, 5 p.m., at Duck Foot Brewing in Leucadia.

• Rady Children’s Hospital recently broke ground on its ambitious project to add a new, seven-story ICU and Emergency Services Pavilion to its Serra Mesa campus. The expansion is the largest in the hospital’s history, and is slated to be completed in 2027 — here’s what we know so far.

• We’re stoked for this: USA Today’s 10Best has named the California Surf Museum in Oceanside the No. 2 best attraction for sports fans in the US. The top-notch local museum shines the spotlight on surf culture through its exhibits, film screenings, and other special events. (USA Today)

• Chief Holiday Officer — that has a jolly ring to it. Hotel del Coronado wants to hire a content creator to live at the iconic resort Monday, Nov. 20- Monday, Dec. 11, and showcase The Del’s holiday experiences. The gig boasts many perks; apply through 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26.

• Harrah’s Resort SoCal in Valley Center will host a free “MasterChef” watch party in its courtyard on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 p.m. The screening will feature Season 13’s newest episode — “Restaurant Takeover” — which celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay filmed earlier this year at the local resort’s Hell’s Kitchen restaurant.

• Chula Vista’s Otay Ranch Town Center will host its free Hispanic Heritage Celebration this Saturday, Sept. 9, 12-3 p.m., emceed by local radio personality Xavier “The X-Man.” The community event will feature live music, performances, food, family-friendly activities, and the Las Jefas Market — a marketplace boasting 40+ vendors.

• The San Diego Automotive Museum is seeking volunteers to help with its sold-out Party in the Park: Full Throttle fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 30, 5-10 p.m. Volunteers must be 16 or older and will receive a free family membership to the museum; email the museum if you’re interested.

• This leading credit card touts 0% intro APR on balance transfers for guess how many months… with no annual fee. (Hint: The 0% intro APR period lasts until 2025.) Details revealed here.*

• 117 West
• Copper Collar Distillery
• Cutwater
• Henebery Spirits
• Liberty Call Distilling
• Malahat Spirits Co.
• MC Distillery
• Oceanside Distillers
• Old Harbor Distilling
• Pacific Coast Spirits
• San Diego Distillery
• San Diego Sunshine
• Seven Caves Spirits
• You & Yours Distilling Co.