It’s perfect weather for local shopping. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday
It’s easy to eat farm-to-fork in San Diego, because our farmers markets are simply un-beet-able. We’ve rounded up 31 farmers marketsin San Diego County where you can head outside to find fresh food, live music, and local vendors.
Little Italy Mercato | Wednesdays, year-round, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and Saturdays, year-round, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Parking: Street parking is limited in this buzzy neighborhood — explore nearby lots.
Space: Outdoors
Shop flowers, art, produce, food, and more at this six-block market with rotating vendors. Saturday’s market tends to feature more vendors, but also draws bigger crowds.
Parking: Metered street parking, or find a public lot.
Space: Outdoors
Explore 70+ vendors along Park Way between Third and Fourth avenues (near Memorial Park) that bring local produce, baked goods, salsas, fresh flowers, hot food like empanadas, and artisan goods to downtown Chula Vista.
Downtown Skate | Through Wednesday, July 9 | 12-8:30 p.m. | Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina | $25 | The downtown roller rink that debuted during the holidays last year continues its first-ever summertime run — roll in for skating, snacks, cocktails, and bay views.
Friday, July 4
Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Old Poway Park | Free | This “turn of the 20th century-style” shindig features patriotic entertainment, crafts for the kids, train displays, and old-timey games.
Texas Rangers vs. San Diego Padres | 3:40 p.m. | Petco Park | $52+ | Buy a theme package to this Independence Day celebration game and you’ll score a limited-edition American flag Padres hat.
Port of San Diego Big Bay Boom! | 9-10 p.m. | San Diego Bay | Free | SD’s biggest Fourth of July fireworks show returns to the waterfront; prime viewing spots include Shelter Island, Harbor Island, Embarcadero North, and Coronado Ferry Landing.
Saturday, July 5
Morning After Mess Cleanup | 9-11 a.m. | Mission Beach | Free | Join the Surfrider Foundation’s countywide cleanup after the holiday at local beaches, parks + waterways — this event will focus on Mission Beach.
TLC | 8 p.m. | Viejas Casino & Resort, Alpine | $69+ | You should absolutely go chasing waterfalls for this one — the iconic R&B singers perform under the stars.
Sunday, July 6
The Female Maker Market | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Piazza della Famiglia | Free | Shop for one-of-a-kind treasures from a mix of women-owned businesses and local artisans.
Sundays at Six | 6-7 p.m. | Harry Griffen Park Amphitheater, La Mesa | Free | This summertime concert series features a variety of genres and local musicians — bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy.
Wednesday, July 9
Pearl & The Oysters| 7 p.m. | House of Blues | $23 | This LA-based French expatriate pop duo makes catchy indie rock that makes you want to dance + smile.
In case you missed it — Lilo in Carlsbad earned one star in “The Michelin Guide California 2025,” touted for its small bites and dishes created by Chef Eric Bost. Meanwhile, Encinitas’ “hipster haven” Atelier Manna landed a 2025 California Michelin Bib Gourmand award for its delicious yet affordable eats. (Michelin Guide)
Open
Vulture — a “reimagined continental-style fine dining” concept from the team behind Kindred and Mothership — is now open in uptown, right under the University Heights sign. The dinner menu focuses on elevated vegan dishes, handcrafted cocktails, and wine. Visit nightly starting at 5 p.m.
Seasonal
The San Diego County Fair’s final stretch is this weekend — the seasonal event ends this Sunday, July 6. Don’t miss the fair’s Fourth of July fireworks show tomorrow night, plus the rides, exhibits, contests, food, and the remaining concerts on the main stage.
Civic
Looking for District 1 Special Election results? Paloma Aguirre is leading the race and John McCann conceded. The San Diego Registrar of Voters will release its latest numbers at 6 p.m. tonight — learn how the ballot-counting process works, and why official results take a while. (CBS 8)
Biz
Citing financial uncertainty, Sharp HealthCare gave layoff notices to 315 employees “across all levels of the organization” this week, which is ~1.5% of the medical provider’s total workforce. This comes on the heels of UC San Diego Health cutting 230 positions last week for similar reasons. (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Closing
After more than 20 years on the Embarcadero, Joe’s Crab Shack will shutter at the end of August due to declining sales. The restaurant will be replaced by The Rustic, a Texas-based concept known for its wood-fired meals that’s expected to debut in 2026. (CBS 8)
Try This
Balboa Park’s Comic-Con Museum unveiled its newest exhibitions this week. Japanese-inspired aesthetics are the focus of “20 Years of Kawaii & Chaos,” while the works of San Marcos-based cartoonist Greg Evans are highlighted in “Growing Up Luann: 40 Years of Comics.” Visit the museum Thursday-Tuesday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (CBS 8)
Sports
San Diego is one of six international finalists in the running to host the Invictus Games 2029, an adaptive sporting event for wounded and injured US service members. Other contenders include Aalborg, Denmark and Italy’s Veneto region. The final host city will be announced next summer.
Number
500 miles. That’s how many miles of street paving and repairs the city completed during fiscal year 2025. The work includes 340+ miles of slurry seal resurfacing and 140+ miles of asphalt overlay paving. The city says this is one of the most productive years for road resurfacing this decade.
Real Estate
San Diego’s Property Tax Assessment Appeals website is accepting appeals through Monday, Dec. 1 for San Diego homeowners who disagree with their property tax assessment for 2025-2026. Here are some tips on the appeals process.
Sports
The Padres’ offensive woes persists and the team’s playoff hopes are dimming. Can SD overcome its struggles against winning teams? Go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes of the San Diego Padreswith Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
Older Adults
Your fifties + beyond is a great time to build wealth. Beyond basics like bulk shopping and retirement accounts, here are 14 financial benefits seniors are entitled to (but often forget to claim).*
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Don’t be jelly — this cool new art installation is right here in San Diego.
“RISE” by artist Matthew Mazzotta has risen at San Diego International Airport’s New T1. The sculpture is inspired by the purple-striped jellyfish found off SD’s coast.
Phase 1A of the biggest infrastructure project in the airport’s history will debut this September with 19 new gates and fresh concessions. The final phase is slated to open in early 2028.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
Hi, San Diego. Mission Beach’s Belmont Park is celebrating its centennial and its iconic Giant Dipper roller coaster will officially turn 100 years old this Fourth of July.
Built in 1925, the beachfront amusement park was the vision of business mogul John D. Spreckels. Today, the landmark continues to offer rides, games, and fun. I attended the park’s centennial celebration this week and loved seeing this original Giant Dipper car. I remember riding this coaster as a kid — the twists and ocean views are core memories as a San Diegan. Here’s to 100 more years.
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