CityFest dance party
LIVING FOR THE CITY
San Diego certainly has plenty of outdoor festivals this time of year (just see the two events below for further proof), but CityFest remains one of our favorites. In fact, over the 33 years it’s been happening, the annual neighborhood party has grown into the largest single-day street festival in the city with over 150,000 attendees every year. What’s the appeal? Variety, variety, variety.
“Every year, we celebrate the community as well the history of the neighborhood,” says Eddie Reynoso, the Marketing and Member Services Contractor for the Hillcrest Business Association who puts on the festival every year. “It’s always been an event where everyone is welcome and there’s something for everyone.”
Those things include hundreds of street vendors selling everything from art to clothing. The dozens of Hillcrest boutiques and shops along the Fest route (5th Ave. between University and Robinson Avenues) will also be open, with many offering special promotions. There will also be carnival rides, a beer garden, 50 different food vendors, and two stages of live music from headliner Leon Else and DJ Taj, as well as local bands such as Imagery Machine, The Tighten-Ups, The Strawberry Moons and more. It all ends with an all-ages dance party under the Hillcrest sign, which is suitable considering the history of the event.
“The festival originally started off as a way of celebrating and also repairing the Hillcrest sign back in 1984, because it had fallen into disrepair” says Reynoso, who points out that a portion of CityFest’s beer and liquor proceeds go right back into beautifying the neighborhood. “This includes everything from trash removal and lighting projects to flower baskets and public art.”
CityFest happens from noon to 11 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13. See hillcrestcityfest.com for full info, maps and times.
ArtWalk
WALKIN' ON SUNSHINE
Summer is supposedly all about being out in the sunshine, which is a bummer for many art enthusiasts since most of their favorite exhibits happen inside frigid museums (not to mention a general aversion to the sun). Thankfully, some geniuses came up with the idea for art lovers to observe paintings and sculptures while absorbing some vitamin D. ArtWalk @ Liberty Station is a fine arts festival where over 200 international, national and local artists will display their works of glass sculptures, fine jewelry, photography and basically all other creative mediums imaginable. There will also be live music, interactive art for families and a wine and beer pavilion. The free festival will go from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13 at Liberty Station’s Art District (2825 Dewey Rd). artwalksandiego.org/libertystation
Tiki Oasis
TIKI TIME
Long before The Grass Skirt and False Idol made tiki culture the go-to bar trend, there was Tiki Oasis, the annual celebration of all things kitschy and Polynesian. It’s now the largest and longest-running Tiki fest in the world. The main four-day fest is sold out but there are still plenty of cool (and free!) activities for enthusiasts. There will be an art show curated by Baby Doe Stroheim all weekend long, as well as a car show that includes live music from The Colony Boys and Maureen & the Mercury 5. The Tiki merch market on Saturday and Sunday includes vendors selling handmade, hand-carved goods and vintage aloha wear. All these events take place at various times, Friday, Aug. 11, Saturday, Aug. 12, and Sunday, Aug. 13 at the Crowne Plaza (2270 Hotel Circle North). Check tikioasis.com for full schedule.