3rd San Diego Hong Kong Film Festival Returns!
Admission/Cost:
Location:
Digital Gym Cinema
1100 Market St
San Diego, CA
Saturday, October 25 - 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Local Cross-Cultural Events
October 2026
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10:00 AM -
Exhibit: My Bed
10:00 AM -
Leo Carrillo Ranch Día de los Muertos
10:00 AM -
Film: WDI Film Showcase
11:00 AM -
Old Town Día de los Muertos
11:00 AM -
City Heights Day of the Dead Festival
... and 6 event(s) more.
* Upcoming Events *
Friday, October 30
| 2:00 PM | Visiting Las Ofrendas More than 25 Día de los Muertos community altars fill the Sherman Heights Community Center while additional front-yard altars appear throughout the surrounding neighborhood for self-guided viewing.
Sherman Heights Community Center |
| Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| 3:00 PM | Diwali Celebration at University Community Library A celebration of Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, featuring music, dancing, food, and crafts. The event introduces visitors to traditions associated with the festival, celebrated in India and by South Asian communities worldwide.
University Community Library |
| 3:30 PM | Mira Mesa Diwali Diwali is known as the Festival of Lights. It is one of the biggest festivals in India. The festival lasts for five days. Diwali (or Deepawali) means the “Row of Lights”. This celebration symbolizes, the victory of good over evil and it also represents the New Year in the Hindu calendar.
Mira Mesa Library |
| 5:00 PM | Film: Coco Free admission with food or drink purchase Outdoor movie screening under the stars All ages welcome – ideal for families, couples, and groups Guests are encouraged to bring low chairs or blankets
Carnitas’ Snack Shack |
| Día de Muertos and Undas Festival Join us on Friday, October 30, from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. for our fusion of Día de Muertos and Undas festival at the ARTS Center. You'll have a chance to participate in hands-on art activities, check out our colorful altar and live performances, engage with community partners, and immerse yourself in a beautiful cultural celebration!
ARTS Center |
| 6:00 PM | Tallk with Artist Betsabeé Romero Mexican artist Betsabeé Romero discusses her work with San Diego Museum of Art director Roxana Velázquez, including themes of memory, migration, identity, cultural heritage, and Romero's Día de los Muertos installation for the museum.
MOPA |
| 7:00 PM | Film: Pina A tribute to the late German choreographer Pina Bausch, as her dancers perform her most famous creations. German w/ English Subtitles. A bold, thought-provoking slate of independent, international and documentary films that examine identity, power and belonging—revealing how culture, institutions and perception shape our stories and asking, month after month, what endures, what fractures and what we rebuild when life applies pressure.
Carlsbad City Library |
| 8:00 PM | Music: Yandel Llandel Veguilla Malavé, best known by his stage name Yandel, is a Puerto Rican singer who is a member of the reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel. He released his first solo album, Quien Contra Mí, in 2003. His second solo studio album, De Líder a Leyenda, was released in 2013 and was certified Gold by the RIAA in 2014.
Viejas Arena |
| Music: Caifanes Caifanes is a Mexican rock band formed in Mexico City in 1986. The group achieved commercial success during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The original lineup of members consisted of Saúl Hernández, Sabo Romo, Alfonso André and Diego Herrera. Alejandro Marcovich later joined as lead guitarist
Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre |
| Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
Saturday, October 31
| 10:00 AM | Exhibit: My Bed Presenting the original artwork featured in the beloved children’s book, My Bed: Enchanting Ways to Fall Asleep Around the World, illustrated by artist Salley Mavor, this exhibition consists of eighteen hand-embroidered, three-dimensional tableaus. Each intricately rendered scene captures the spirit of a different place and way of life, while illuminating the universal theme of children falling asleep. Scenes range from children falling asleep on a houseboat in the Netherlands, in hammocks in Brazil, on a rooftop in Morocco, on futons in Japan, and on an intricate carpet in Afghanistan, to name a few. Mavor lives and works on Cape Cod, in Falmouth, Massachusetts. She was studying illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design in the 1970’s when an insightful teacher encouraged her to tap into her playful side. She discovered that working with stitching and soft sculpture allowed her ideas to come alive in new and unexpected ways. For most of her career, she has followed this path, creating stitched scenes in bas-relief, much like miniature, shallow stage sets, with figures imposed on embellished fabric backgrounds.
Mingei International Museum |
| Leo Carrillo Ranch Día de los Muertos Celebrate the vibrant Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos at Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park. The event honors tradition, community, and remembrance with music, storytelling, arts and crafts, and a traditional ofrenda. The park will be decorated for the holiday the week before and after, inviting guests to explore and enjoy the festivities on October 31.
Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park |
| Film: WDI Film Showcase This is a series of student produced videos about the different communities in San Diego. From vertical short form content for social media, to powerful documentary style testimonials, these videos portray the importance of our small businesses, our artists, activists, students, and the individuals who keep the world turning. These videos were produced throughout a six week training, as part of the Workforce Development Initiative. The Workforce Development Initiative is a program for young creatives and filmmakers to embark in the professional field in filmmaking and content creation. The program includes a paid internship with the City of San Diego at the San Diego Public Libraries and a paid training facilitated by the Media Arts Center San Diego.
Digital Gym Cinema |
| 11:00 AM | Old Town Día de los Muertos Old Town San Diego transforms into a vibrant tribute to Día de los Muertos, with fanciful and visually striking décor filling the Fiesta de Reyes courtyard from September through early November. The main fiesta weekend brings free music, food, and cultural celebrations across two days at the end of October. Families can wander through this immersive experience together, taking in the playful and artful displays that honor the tradition.
Old Town State Historic Park |
| City Heights Day of the Dead Festival City Heights Day of the Dead Festival
Our traditions bring us together. At a time when so much around us can feel uncertain, coming together as a community matters more than ever. For 26 years, City Heights has gathered to celebrate Día de los Muertos, honoring the loved ones who came before us, sharing our cultures, and reminding one another that we are stronger when we come together. This year, we invite you to bring your family, bring your friends, and celebrate the traditions that connect us.We cannot let uncertainty keep us from celebrating who we are. Our traditions, our culture, our music, our art, and our stories belong in our community — and they deserve to continue.
City Heights Performance Annex & IDEA Lab |
| 11:30 AM | Batizado 2026: African Brazilian Capoeira Initiation Join us for Batizado 2026 at the WorldBeat Cultural Arts Center—a powerful celebration of African Brazilian tradition, rhythm, and movement. The Batizado (meaning “baptism”) is a Capoeira initiation ceremony where new students are formally welcomed into the roda (circle), and returning students are honored for their growth and mastery.
WorldBeat Center |
| 1:00 PM | Spooky Shakespeare Celebrate Halloween with the San Diego Shakespeare Society as actors present spine-chilling performances that connect to works of art from across the Museum’s collection. Enjoy scenes from works such as Richard III, Hamlet, Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth. Look for the meeting point sign inside the SDMA rotunda prior to each one-hour performance.
The San Diego Museum of Art |
| 2:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Stage: Romeo and Juliet The streets of Verona are dangerous due to the ancient strife between the Capulets and the Montagues. From this enmity grows an innocent, pure love between two young people that can solve the rift between the two households. Shakespeare’s great play is a story of love, friendship, detestation, family, and what happens when we don’t listen to our youth and hold onto our differences.
The Old Globe |
| 2:30 PM | Spooky Shakespeare Celebrate Halloween with the San Diego Shakespeare Society as actors present spine-chilling performances that connect to works of art from across the Museum’s collection. Enjoy scenes from works such as Richard III, Hamlet, Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth. Look for the meeting point sign inside the SDMA rotunda prior to each one-hour performance.
The San Diego Museum of Art |
| Talk: Yokai Join us this Halloween for an afternoon of strange and scary tales from old Japan, told and discussed by Katie Clark. Through these stories we will encounter spirits, ghosts, monsters, and everything else that goes bump in the night! Tea will be served to calm your nerves and warm your bones as you meet some of the most fantastical characters from Japanese folklore that you’ve ever seen.
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum |
| 6:00 PM | Yokai Masquerade You’re invited to this year’s Halloween celebration, the Yokai Masquerade, an evening of artistic wonder, and festive programming inspired by the storied spirits of Japanese folklore. Guests are encouraged to arrive in costume and to explore all that the evening has to offer. From the intimacy of after-hours exhibit viewing to the exciting carnival games, the Yokai Masquerade offers an experience unlike any other.
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum |
| 8:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Stage: Romeo and Juliet The streets of Verona are dangerous due to the ancient strife between the Capulets and the Montagues. From this enmity grows an innocent, pure love between two young people that can solve the rift between the two households. Shakespeare’s great play is a story of love, friendship, detestation, family, and what happens when we don’t listen to our youth and hold onto our differences.
The Old Globe |
Sunday, November 1
| 9:00 AM | Shichi-Go-San Celebrate Shichi-Go-San, where children will have the opportunity to be dressed in traditional kimonos and photographed in the beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum! Traditionally in Japan, girls (ages three and seven) and boys (age five) are dressed in traditional kimonos and brought to the nearby shrines in order to pray for good health.
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum |
| 10:00 AM | Exhibit: Bonsai Reimagined Bonsai has been part of the artist’s life for many years, both in his artistic work and as a practitioner of the craft. He has studied the art of bonsai with teachers in Southern California and in Japan, learning not only how trees are shaped, but how time, patience, observation, and thoughtful intervention become part of their character. Those same ideas have increasingly found their way into his artwork. The works in this exhibition represent his exploration of bonsai over the past two years through oil painting, mixed media, woodblock printing, and monoprint. Some works begin with a particular tree and remain closely connected to its individual character. Others move further from direct representation, using color, pattern, texture, and layered processes to explore the presence and energy he experiences when looking at bonsai.
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum |
| Día de los Muertos SD Craft Collective San Diego Craft Collective, Songbirds Music, and Apt4Music present a family celebration of the Mexican Día de los Muertos tradition. Activities include decorating calavera cookies, music-making, handmade memorial shrines, art activities, and a procession through the Dorothea Laub Music & Arts Center. Participants can learn about the traditions of remembrance associated with the holiday.
San Diego Craft Collective |
| 11:00 AM | Old Town Día de los Muertos Old Town San Diego transforms into a vibrant tribute to Día de los Muertos, with fanciful and visually striking décor filling the Fiesta de Reyes courtyard from September through early November. The main fiesta weekend brings free music, food, and cultural celebrations across two days at the end of October. Families can wander through this immersive experience together, taking in the playful and artful displays that honor the tradition.
Old Town State Historic Park |
| Old Globe Día de los Muertos The Old Globe Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead Celebration) in San Diego, California, invites the community to honor loved ones through a lively blend of music, dance, and traditional altars. Hosted at the iconic Old Globe, this event features performances, art workshops, and opportunities to learn about the rich cultural significance of Día de los Muertos. Families and visitors of all ages can participate in hands-on activities and enjoy colorful displays that celebrate life and remembrance. This annual gathering fosters connection and cultural appreciation in a welcoming, festive atmosphere.
The Old Globe |
| Día de los Muertos at SDMA A community Día de los Muertos celebration featuring live performances, art activities, and an ofrenda designed by Mexican artist Betsabeé Romero in collaboration with San Diego students. The event explores remembrance and the traditions surrounding the Mexican Day of the Dead.
The San Diego Museum of Art |
| NOON | 26th Annual Fall Back Festival A living-history festival exploring San Diego's past through demonstrations and family activities. Cultural programming includes Kumeyaay bird songs and dances, a Kumeyaay drum circle, and demonstrations of Native California tools, along with blacksmithing and other historical activities.
Gaslamp Museum |
| 2:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Stage: Romeo and Juliet The streets of Verona are dangerous due to the ancient strife between the Capulets and the Montagues. From this enmity grows an innocent, pure love between two young people that can solve the rift between the two households. Shakespeare’s great play is a story of love, friendship, detestation, family, and what happens when we don’t listen to our youth and hold onto our differences.
The Old Globe |
| 3:00 PM | Chula Vista Día de los Muertos Experience the spirit of Día de los Muertos as Downtown Chula Vista, San Diego, transforms with colorful cempasúchil flowers, lively music, and community altars. This free, family-friendly celebration features an Ofrenda Competition, Catrín and Catrina Ensemble contests, live performances across multiple stages, a car show, and hands-on kids' crafts. Stroll through Mercado by Las Jefas Market to discover artisan vendors and enjoy delicious food and themed photo opportunities throughout the neighborhood. Guests are encouraged to bring a photo to contribute to the Community Ofrenda at Davidson, honoring loved ones in a meaningful, shared tribute.
Downtown Chula Vista |
| 4:00 PM | Center for the Arts Día de Muertos Festival Celebrate culture, art, and community at the 31st Annual Día de Muertos Festival! This beloved community celebration brings traditional and contemporary expressions of Día de Muertos together through art, music, dance, food, and remembrance.
California Center for the Arts |
| 6:30 PM | Día de Muertos Gala A Día de Muertos celebration bringing together Mexican culinary traditions, chefs from both sides of the border, cultural elements of the holiday, and a fundraiser benefiting Fundación Tijuana Sin Hambre.
Fairmont Grand Del Mar |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: Romeo and Juliet The streets of Verona are dangerous due to the ancient strife between the Capulets and the Montagues. From this enmity grows an innocent, pure love between two young people that can solve the rift between the two households. Shakespeare’s great play is a story of love, friendship, detestation, family, and what happens when we don’t listen to our youth and hold onto our differences.
The Old Globe |
| Music: Bulbancha YaYa For this special Día de los Muertos performance, Bulbancha YaYa (Antonio Econom) explores the musical and cultural space between New Orleans and Mexico, focusing on the two traditions deeply shaped by ancestry, ritual, celebration, and remembrance. Expect an evening that moves between the earthy and the ethereal, pairing Mexican folkloric music with the groove, soul, and mysticism of the Crescent City. From the Bayou to the Beyond: A Día de los Muertos Night is a celebration of those who came before us and the music, stories, and traditions that keep them with us. Legal Venue Login
Lou Lou’s Jungle Room |
Monday, November 2
| 4:00 PM | Calavera Face Painting Celebrate Día de los Muertos at the library! Stop by for free calavera face painting and visit our Día de los Muertos ofrenda. Face painting is available while supplies last.
Logan Heights Library |
| 5:00 PM | Talk: How Immigration Reform Reshapes Marriage and Family Well-Being What happens inside families when immigration policy changes the marriage market? This webinar examines South Korea’s 2008-10 reforms, which unexpectedly reduced foreign-bride inflows and tightened local marriage markets. Using administrative records, household surveys and divorce registries, Wookun Kim will present on the effects on marriage formation, women’s bargaining power and employment, children’s education spending, divorce, and spouses’ well-being. The discussion will highlight how immigration policy can have far-reaching consequences beyond migration and labor markets. Professor Hyelim Son of the University of Seoul will provide insightful feedback as our discussant.
Online |
| 7:30 PM | Music: Día de Muertos with Mariachi Garibaldi and Classics Philharmonic Southwestern College's Mariachi Garibaldi, directed by Jeffrey Nevin, performs with the Classics 4 Kids Philharmonic Orchestra under Dana Zimbric. The concert celebrates Mexican musical traditions and commemorates the centennials of composers Rubén Fuentes, José Alfredo Jiménez, and Tomás Méndez. The performance is presented in recognition of Día de Muertos.
Southwestern College |
Tuesday, November 3
| 6:30 PM | Book Talk: Verses from the War Join us for an intimate evening with Yaryna Chornohuz, an award-winning Ukrainian poet and senior corporal in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in conversation with Amelia Glaser, UCSD professor and English translator of Yaryna’s poetry. A combat medic and reconnaissance soldier serving with Ukraine’s 140th Marine Reconnaissance Battalion since 2019, Chornohuz writes from the front lines — literally. Her 2023 collection, "[dasein: defence of presence]," won Ukraine’s highest literary honor, the Taras Shevchenko National Prize, in 2024. She has been profiled by the New Yorker and the New York Times, named one of Ukraine’s 100 most influential women by Focus magazine, and has testified before the US Congress on the need to support Ukraine’s defense. Amelia Glaser will moderate the discussion and speak to the process and challenges of translating Yaryna’s work. Guests will have the opportunity to purchase Yaryna’s poetry collections in English translation and have their copies signed.
Verbatim Books |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: Romeo and Juliet The streets of Verona are dangerous due to the ancient strife between the Capulets and the Montagues. From this enmity grows an innocent, pure love between two young people that can solve the rift between the two households. Shakespeare’s great play is a story of love, friendship, detestation, family, and what happens when we don’t listen to our youth and hold onto our differences.
The Old Globe |
| Film: Le notti bianche Marcello Mastroianni, as a lonely city transplant, and Maria Schell, as a sheltered girl haunted by a lover’s promise, meet by chance on a canal bridge and begin a tentative romance that quickly entangles them in a web of longing and self-delusion. Luchino Visconti’s WHITE NIGHTS is an exquisite adaptation of Dostoevsky’s legendary novella, transforming this romantic, shattering tale of two restless souls into a ravishing black-and-white dream.
Digital Gym Cinema |
| 8:00 PM | Music: Yuki Chiba Born and raised in Tokyo, Yuki Chiba is a Japanese rapper that has helped redefine the rap scene in his country and beyond. Yuki had a childhood marked by adversity, but music helped him and his brother get through many dark times. He began writing and producing at 18, and his career really took off in 2014 when he – known at the time as KOHH – his brother, Lil KOHH, released the viral hit “Young Forever.” With his debut album “MONOCHROME”, he broke out of Japan’s underground hip-hop scene and began reaching global audiences who were drawn to his raw, distinctive style.
Music Box |
Wednesday, November 4
| 1:00 PM | Music: Tzidia Enjoy a free concert of music from Bulgaria and other Balkan countries performed by the musicians of Tzidia at the Vista Library. A San Diego-based ensemble, Tzidia performs ethnic dance music from the Balkans and surrounding areas, plus Scandinavia. Expect to see traditional instruments of the region and to hear exciting and unusual rhythms! The group features Marie Hayes (vocals), Paul Johnson (violin), Mary Marshall (percussion), Mary Ann Downs Tanaka (vocals and tambura), Matt Wardynski (clarinet and bass) and Dan Ziagos (accordion).
Vista Public Library |
| 5:00 PM | Book Talk: Yaryna Chornohuz and Amelia Glaser Yaryna Chornohuz Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Yaryna Chornohuz is a writer, a poet, and a sergeant in the Ukrainian Marine Corps. She first volunteered for Ukraine's defense effort in 2019 as a combat medic. She later joined the Marines and retrained as a drone pilot. As a service member, she has been awarded the medals For Saving a Life, For Military Service to Ukraine, and the Badge of Honor of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. Chornohuz is the author of three poetry collections – How the War Circle Bends (2020), [dasein: defense of presence] (2023), and Nobody’s Saffron (2025). Her first nonfiction book, documenting six years of her experience as a female combatant in Russia's war against Ukraine, is forthcoming in Ukrainian. She was awarded Ukraine's highest literary distinction, the Taras Shevchenko National Prize (2024), for [dasein: defense of presence], as well as the UN Women in Arts Award (2024). Her poetry has been translated into English, French, German, Polish, and other languages. She is a member of PEN Ukraine.
Amelia Glaser is a Professor of Literature at UCSD, and a translator from Ukrainian, Yiddish, and Russian. She is the author of Jews and Ukrainians in Russia’s Literary Borderlands (2012) and Songs in Dark Times: Yiddish Poetry of Struggle from Scottsboro to Palestine (2020). Her translations and co-translations from Ukrainian include books by Halyna Kruk, Iya Kiva, and Yaryna Chornohuz. Her translations of Chornohuz's [dasein] and Nobody’s Saffron have appeared, respectively, with Jantar (2025) and Arrowsmith (2026).
UC San Diego |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Stage: Romeo and Juliet The streets of Verona are dangerous due to the ancient strife between the Capulets and the Montagues. From this enmity grows an innocent, pure love between two young people that can solve the rift between the two households. Shakespeare’s great play is a story of love, friendship, detestation, family, and what happens when we don’t listen to our youth and hold onto our differences.
The Old Globe |
Thursday, November 5
| 4:00 PM | Talk: China's New Emigrants to Japan and the Anti-Foreigner Backlash Japan is undergoing a little-noticed demographic shift: a growing influx of Chinese entrepreneurs, intellectuals and education-focused families relocating for stability. Drawing on years of reporting from Tokyo, GPS alumnus and journalist Takehiro Masutomo examines the rise of this "Run Ri" movement and what it means for a country long defined by its relative homogeneity. From surging property purchases and competition for elite schools to Chinese-language bookstores and exiled intellectuals, Tokyo is emerging as a new hub for the Chinese diaspora – leading some to call it the “next Hong Kong.” But this growing presence has also fueled unease and anti-foreigner rhetoric. Masutomo's reporting brought this overlooked population into public view and helped to ignite a national debate in Japan that has contributed to tighter visa policies. He explores the tension between economic necessity and cultural anxiety shaping Japan's immigration debate.
UC San Diego |
| Diwali Celebration Rancho Bernardo Celebrate Diwali with us! Mold clay into your very own diya or make a colorful torn paper rangoli.
Rancho Bernardo Library |
| 6:00 PM | Talk: Spinning Resistance University of San Diego historian Molly McClain examines the spinning wheel as a symbol of political resistance and women's labor across different historical and cultural settings. Her presentation considers women's spinning protests during the American Revolution, Gandhi's use of the charkha during India's independence movement, and the labor of enslaved women whose cotton production sustained the textile industry.
San Diego History Center |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Stage: Romeo and Juliet The streets of Verona are dangerous due to the ancient strife between the Capulets and the Montagues. From this enmity grows an innocent, pure love between two young people that can solve the rift between the two households. Shakespeare’s great play is a story of love, friendship, detestation, family, and what happens when we don’t listen to our youth and hold onto our differences.
The Old Globe |
| Music: Inaugural Mariachi Honor Band Join us for a FREE special one-night-only performance celebrating the exceptional talent of mariachi students from high schools and universities across San Diego County. This capstone performance brings together some of the region’s top young mariachi musicians for an evening of music, tradition, and community. Experience four distinct performances featuring Mariachi Juvenil de San Diego, La Jolla Music Society’s premier youth ensemble led by Serafin Paredes; the High School Mariachi Honor Band; the College Mariachi Honor Band; and Latin GRAMMY®-nominated musician Javier Rodríguez with special guests. The program features beloved favorites from the Jalisco region alongside original arrangements by Javier Rodríguez and Sergio Caratachea Álvarez, showcasing the artistry and dedication of these emerging musicians.
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center |
| Stage: Relics of A Pear Magda is a binational artist who really really wants to be a mom despite what that might mean for her mental health and her marriage to Jazmin. Jaz prefers to preserve the life they have built and pursue the career she’s always dreamt of. Together they confront family ties, competing ambitions, and the demands of their marriage. Can a marriage survive when one person desperately wants a child and the other does not?
Cygnet Theatre |
| 7:30 PM | Music: Alborosie The show goes on! WorldBeat Cultural Center is excited to announce that we have successfully renegotiated and decided to move forward with our November 5 concert, featuring Alborosie LIVE on SoundSystem! After 12 years since his last performance at WorldBeat Center, Alborosie returns to San Diego for a special night of roots reggae, conscious lyrics, and powerful vibrations. This concert is also part of WorldBeat Cultural Center’s End-of-Year Fundraising Campaign, helping us continue our mission of preserving and sharing music, arts, and culture with the community.
WorldBeat Center |
Friday, November 6
| 7:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Stage: Romeo and Juliet The streets of Verona are dangerous due to the ancient strife between the Capulets and the Montagues. From this enmity grows an innocent, pure love between two young people that can solve the rift between the two households. Shakespeare’s great play is a story of love, friendship, detestation, family, and what happens when we don’t listen to our youth and hold onto our differences.
The Old Globe |
| Dance: El Alebrije El Alebrije is a creative youth ballet performance. This is a reimagining of the traditional Nutcracker featuring 160 youth performers from ages 8 – 18 and their parents.
California Center for the Arts |
Saturday, November 7
| 10:30 AM | Rangoli Suncatchers All ages are invited to get crafty and celebrate Diwali by learning how to make a rangoli suncatcher. This beautiful decoration is fun for kids to make and can be attached to a window to let the sun shine through the festive colors!
Pacific Highlands Ranch Library |
| 11:00 AM | Native American Heritage Month: Acorn Necklace Craft Diana Duro, president of the Kupa Song and Dance Group, leads a hands-on workshop in making acorn necklaces in recognition of Native American Heritage Month. The activity introduces participants to a traditional material associated with Indigenous communities of Southern California.
Oak Park Library |
| 2:00 PM | De La Torre Brothers: Melee a la Mode Artist Reception Artists Einar and Jamex de la Torre present work informed by their immigrant experiences, bicultural identities, and lives on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Their mixed-media work combines blown glass and installation with influences ranging from Mexican vernacular and pre-Columbian art to religious iconography and German Expressionism.
Palomar College |
| Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Stage: Romeo and Juliet The streets of Verona are dangerous due to the ancient strife between the Capulets and the Montagues. From this enmity grows an innocent, pure love between two young people that can solve the rift between the two households. Shakespeare’s great play is a story of love, friendship, detestation, family, and what happens when we don’t listen to our youth and hold onto our differences.
The Old Globe |
| 4:00 PM | Sankofa Choral Festival Join us for two uplifting concerts celebrating racial justice! The weekend starts with a breathtaking performance by Tonality, a two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning choral ensemble based in Los Angeles. Their performance is followed by our Sankofa Celebration Concert, featuring FUMCSD’s Masterwork Chorale and Chancel Choir and conducted by Dr. Alexander Lloyd Blake. All proceeds from the concert support FUMCSD’s Racial Justice Ministry, as we pursue repentance, justice, and reconciliation and commit to a new way of being. Proceeds will help commission a special piece of sacred art for our Sanctuary celebrating the Imago Dei—the image of God—in the beautiful diversity of humanity.
FUMCSD Sanctuary |
| 4:30 PM | Noche de Gala Corazon de Vida Foundation returns with the annual Noche de Gala, presented by title sponsors TCWGlobal and Boujiemana. An unforgettable evening celebrating Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) while raising critical funds for children in alternative care in Baja, Mexico. With presenting sponsor Global Partners. Themed attire is encouraged. Join us for a magical night of giving, where generosity paves the road to a bright future.
Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa |
| 5:00 PM | Music: Cauces Sónicos Led by faculty from UC Irvine and UC San Diego, Cauces Sónicos explores collaborative artmaking and education across the U.S.–México border.
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center |
| 6:00 PM | Dance: El Alebrije El Alebrije is a creative youth ballet performance. This is a reimagining of the traditional Nutcracker featuring 160 youth performers from ages 8 – 18 and their parents.
California Center for the Arts |
| Music: Thanthri Sangamam Indian Fine Arts Academy of San Diego presents “Thanthri Sangamam” In partnership with SaMaa Arts LLC Featuring: Sangita Kalanidhi R.K. Shriramkumar and V.V.S. Murari (Violin Duet) N. Manoj Siva (Mridangam) V. Anirudh Athreya (Kanjira) Spotlight Series at 4:30 PM: Bharathanatyam by Esha Anand Disciple of Guru Smt. Aler Krishnan Abhinaya Arts Academy
Seaside Center for Spiritual Living |
| 7:00 PM | Desi Comedy Fest San Diego, this one's for you. Desi Comedy Fest, the biggest South Asian comedy festival in America, brings its SoCal Tour to the Gaslamp for one night only. Our mission is simple: showcase the funniest comedians of South Asian heritage from around the globe and create a live comedy experience unlike anything else. Six to eight comedians share one stage, back to back, for two hours of nonstop laughs. The lineup celebrates the full diversity of the diaspora: Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepali and beyond. From Bollywood to brown parents to growing up between two cultures, this is comedy that hits different when the whole room gets the joke. And everybody's invited, no translation needed. Featured on NBC, CBS, Just For Laughs and SF Sketchfest, the Fest has sold out rooms across America for over a decade, with comedians who have been part of Netflix Is A Joke, launched specials on Amazon and HBO, and appeared on late night from Letterman to Conan.
National Lampoon: The Yellow Door |
| 8:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Stage: Romeo and Juliet The streets of Verona are dangerous due to the ancient strife between the Capulets and the Montagues. From this enmity grows an innocent, pure love between two young people that can solve the rift between the two households. Shakespeare’s great play is a story of love, friendship, detestation, family, and what happens when we don’t listen to our youth and hold onto our differences.
The Old Globe |
Sunday, November 8
| 11:00 AM | House of USA Lawn Program Join us for our Veterans Day Celebration at the House of USA
International Cottages |
| NOON | Grand Fiesta The closing celebration of the San Diego Food + Wine Festival focuses on the culinary and cultural connections linking San Diego, Mexico, and Latin America. The event features chefs from San Diego and Baja California, Mexican wines and spirits, Taco TKO, live Latin music, art, cultural discussions, and demonstrations of traditional foods and spirits.
Embarcadero Marina Park North |
| 2:00 PM | Paint It Mariachi Concert: A Salute to the Americas The Classics Philharmonic Orchestra performs with Southwestern College's Mariachi Garibaldi and folklórico dancers in a family concert combining mariachi, orchestral music, dance, and selections inspired by the San Diego Museum of Art's Art of the Americas collection.
The San Diego Museum of Art |
| Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Stage: Romeo and Juliet The streets of Verona are dangerous due to the ancient strife between the Capulets and the Montagues. From this enmity grows an innocent, pure love between two young people that can solve the rift between the two households. Shakespeare’s great play is a story of love, friendship, detestation, family, and what happens when we don’t listen to our youth and hold onto our differences.
The Old Globe |
| 4:00 PM | Sankofa Choral Festival Join us for two uplifting concerts celebrating racial justice! The weekend starts with a breathtaking performance by Tonality, a two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning choral ensemble based in Los Angeles. Their performance is followed by our Sankofa Celebration Concert, featuring FUMCSD’s Masterwork Chorale and Chancel Choir and conducted by Dr. Alexander Lloyd Blake. All proceeds from the concert support FUMCSD’s Racial Justice Ministry, as we pursue repentance, justice, and reconciliation and commit to a new way of being. Proceeds will help commission a special piece of sacred art for our Sanctuary celebrating the Imago Dei—the image of God—in the beautiful diversity of humanity.
FUMCSD Sanctuary |
| 6:00 PM | Music: Deepa Jyothi Indian Fine Arts Academy of San Diego presents “Deepa Jyothi” In partnership with KMR School of Mridangam Featuring: Vignesh Ishwar (Vocal) H.N. Bhaskar (Violin) Praveen Sparsh (Mridangam) Chandrasekara Sharma (Ghatam)
Seaside Center for Spiritual Living |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Stage: Romeo and Juliet The streets of Verona are dangerous due to the ancient strife between the Capulets and the Montagues. From this enmity grows an innocent, pure love between two young people that can solve the rift between the two households. Shakespeare’s great play is a story of love, friendship, detestation, family, and what happens when we don’t listen to our youth and hold onto our differences.
The Old Globe |
Monday, November 9
| 5:00 PM | Book Talk: Judith Peraino, Tom Enaney, and Anna Joy Springer Judith A. Peraino is Professor of Music and Sound Studies at Cornell University. Her publications include articles on medieval music, Blondie, David Bowie, PJ Harvey, Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, and Pussy Riot; and the books Listening to the Sirens: Musical Technologies of Queer Identity from Homer to Hedwig, and Giving Voice to Love: Song and Self-Expression from the Troubadours to Guillaume de Machaut. She is co-author (with Tom McEnaney) of We’re Having Much More Fun: Punk Archives for the Present from CBGB to Gilman and Beyond.
Tom Enaney (Associate Professor of Comparative Literature and Spanish & Portuguese, UC Berkeley) writes about sonic media, music, and literature from the Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States. He is the author of Acoustic Properties: Radio, Narrative, and the New Neighborhood of the Americas (2017), and many articles in venues like diacritics, the Journal of Musicology, PMLA, Representations, and Revista de estudios hispánicos. He is an Associate Professor in the departments of Comparative Literature and Spanish & Portuguese, and craiglist Distinguished Chair in New Media at UC Berkeley, as well as co-director of the UC-Cuba Academic Initiative.
Anna Joy Springer (she, they) is a lifelong Californian whose artistic work uses fantastical, speculative, and other figurative modes to explore the nature of interbeing and to register lesser cultural currents through writing and pictures. She is author of The Birdwisher, The Vicious Red Relic, Love, and The Forests of the Vicious Red Relic, Love: A Companion to the Memoir, along with other publications across genres. Frontwoman of former punk bands Blatz, The Gr’ups, and Cypher in the Snow, Anna Joy’s hardcore full-throated feminism inflects a wildly responsive performance style that’s saturated in femme camp, intellectual reflexivity, and political outrage.
UC San Diego |
Tuesday, November 10
| 11:00 AM | Book Talk: The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse Adventures by the Book presents international bestselling author Heather Morris discusses her historical novel The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, inspired by real people and events during the Holocaust. The discussion explores the historical background of the novel, the role of music, and experiences of courage and survival. A live piano performance precedes the author's presentation.
Coronado Public Library |
| 6:00 PM | Talk: Daryl Davis Join the Kroc School of Peace Studies for an evening with musician and peacebuilder Daryl Davis. For over 40 years, Davis has pursued one of the most unusual paths to reconciliation in modern memory, engaging leaders of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups in sustained, patient conversation. His work has always emphasized the belief that dialogue, not division, is what ultimately breaks the cycle of fear, hatred, and violence.
University of San Diego |
| Aboriginal Dot Paintings Join us and instructor Miss Claudia for drawing and painting Aboriginal Dot Paintings with Art Smarts using different mediums as we celebrate Native American Heritage Month! A fun, exciting one hour art class for ages 5 - 17. *Seats are limited to 20 and registration is required for each participant:
San Ysidro Library |
| 6:30 PM | Book Talk: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter with Stephen Graham Jones Author Stephen Graham Jones discusses his historical horror novel The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, the 2026 One Book, One San Diego adult selection. The novel explores Blackfeet history, colonial violence, and the 1870 Marias Massacre through a supernatural story of revenge. The program includes a moderated conversation, audience questions, and a book signing.
The Worldview Project is a proud community supporter for One Book - One San San Diego! The Grand | Ritz Theater |
| 7:30 PM | Music: Rodrigo y Gabriela Rodrigo y Gabriela is a Mexican acoustic guitar combo influenced by a variety of genres such as nuevo flamenco, rock, and heavy metal. Instrumental flamenco guitar duets make up the majority of the duo’s recordings. They have five studio albums, three live albums, and one EP to their credit.
Humphreys Concerts By the Bay |
Wednesday, November 11
| 7:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
Thursday, November 12
| 5:00 PM | Food: Trip Down the Danube Join Chefs Tim Kolanko, Wesley Remington, and Tony Coito for a multi-course meal inspired by a Trip Down the Danube for our November ARTIFACT at Night.
Mingei International Museum |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Music: VALÉ VALÉ is a coming-of-age in motion. Hailing from Barranquilla, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter is pulling her Colombian roots forward and pushing her sound sideways — anchored by her knockout vocals, earworm melodies, and pummeling dance rhythms. Writing largely on her own and moving freely between languages, VALÉ’s songs navigate the expectations and pressures of love and family — evolving into something more left-of-center, more fearless, and more Spanish.
Soda Bar |
Friday, November 13
| 7:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| 7:30 PM | Music: Las Migas Following a sold-out ArtPower appearance, Latin Grammy-winning ensemble Las Migas returns with the expressive vocals and distinctive style that have made them one of Spain’s most celebrated groups. For more than two decades, the all-women ensemble has captivated audiences around the world while expanding the possibilities of flamenco. Featuring music from their latest album, Flamencas, Las Migas pays tribute to the essence of flamenco through rich harmonies and expressive guitar work. Their return promises an evening of passionate vocals, expressive musicianship, and songs that speak to the heart of flamenco.
UCSD Epstein Family Amphitheater |
Saturday, November 14
| 10:00 AM | Talk: Story of WANGO WENG Join us for this month's The Chinese American Experience & Beyond lecture titled "Story of WANGO WENG" The lecture is free and held on Zoom!
Online |
| Talk: FDR, the Native New Deal, WWII Native Contributions and Code Talkers Explore the often-overlooked contributions of Native Americans during the New Deal and World War II. Explore the often-overlooked contributions of Native Americans during the New Deal and World War II. This special presentation highlights Native experiences, wartime service, and the important role of Native Code Talkers, offering a deeper look at their lasting contributions to American history.
Heritage of the Americas Museum |
| 11:00 AM | Oak Park Native American Heritage Month Bring the whole family for an event filled with history, language, and education. Together let’s keep our heritage and community libraries open for all!
Oak Park Library |
| 1:00 PM | Native American Heritage Festival Enjoy a day dedicated to honoring Indigenous creativity and culture. Local Indigenous artists will host pop‑up art tables where you can learn traditional crafts and connect with their artistic traditions. Relax and take in live music and performances that highlight the rich heritage and storytelling of our Indigenous communities.
Carlsbad City Library Learning Center |
| 2:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Talk: Sessue and Tsuru Sessue Hayakawa (1886–1973) is perhaps best-known today for his Oscar-nominated turn as a Japanese military officer in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). But during the period of silent cinema, he was an internationally renowned movie star, as recognizable as Charlie Chaplin or Douglas Fairbanks. Tsuru Aoki (1892-1961), his wife, was in fact a Hollywood star preceding Sessue. In this lecture, Professor Daisuke Miyao revives the Japanese actors' remarkable careers, from Tsuru's pioneering work and Sessue's meteoric rise to fame as the star of Cecil B. DeMille’s The Cheat (1915).
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum |
| Performance: Sining Samahan We are excited to invite you to our upcoming concert featuring traditional Filipino folk dances and rituals that bring together people from all walks of life across various villages and regions of the Philippines. This two-hour program showcases SAMAHAN’s vibrant collection of popular folk dances and tribal rituals, brought to life by our talented, youthful, and energetic dancers. Enjoy the colorful, authentic Filipino traditional and ethnic attire, paired with choreography created especially for the stage. From ancient rituals and courtship to festive celebrations, the dances and songs truly capture the heart, richness, and diversity of the Philippines. The production reflects a deep, complex history woven from Indian, Chinese, Indochinese, Indonesian, and Malay roots, alongside prominent Spanish and American influences. Accompanied by the live percussion of the Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble, three suites will highlight indigenous traditions, sharing the cultural dances and rituals of the Maranao of Mindanao, the Sama and Tausug of the Sulu Archipelago, and the Kalingas of the Cordilleras in Northern Luzon. Audience members will also be treated to European- and Western-influenced traditions, like the elegant Maria Clara dances and lively rural countryside numbers brought to life by the SAMAHAN Rondalla String Ensemble.
Joan B. Kroc Theatre |
| 6:30 PM | Music: Sina Bathaie Sina Bathaie is an Iranian–Canadian musician and film scorer, noted for his style of blending Persian traditional music and electronic music, especially by mixing santur and electronica.
Quartyard |
| 7:00 PM | Music: A Night of Persian Jazz with ZHENIIA Persian Cultural Center Presents A Night of Persian Jazz with ZHENIIA
Iranian American Center |
| 8:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
| Music: Los Tigres del Norte Los Tigres Del Norte, formed in 1968 in San Jose, California, are widely recognized as the world’s most influential norteño band. With a career spanning more than 50 years, the group has sold over 32 million albums worldwide and earned countless accolades, including multiple GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY Awards. Known for their socially conscious corridos and powerful storytelling, Los Tigres Del Norte have become cultural ambassadors, addressing themes of immigration, love, and social justice through their music.
Pechenga Arena |
Sunday, November 15
| 11:00 AM | House of Syria Lawn Program Join us for the House of Syria’s Second Liberation Lawn Program! Spend Sunday, November 15 with Syrian food, music, dabke, choir performances, and talented local vendors at Balboa Park. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
International Cottages |
| 1:30 PM | Food: Temari Zushi Cooking Demonstration Fhe San Diego Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) presents a Temari Zushi cooking demonstration by Keiko Jinno. Temari zushi are colorful, ball-shaped sushi made to resemble traditional Japanese temari balls and are traditionally served for special occasions. Space is limited to 15 participants. RSVP to .
Buddhist Temple of SD |
| 2:00 PM | Stage: The Cottage A hilarious web of revelations unravels in this wickedly funny farce where matters of the heart are never simple. Set in the English countryside in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a side-splitting romp where passion collides with propriety and scandal erupts behind closed doors. When secrets can no longer stay hidden, love, marriage, loyalty, and desire are called into question. A screwball comedy where betrayal has never been this much fun.
North Coast Repertory Theatre |
Tuesday, November 17
| 4:00 PM | Film: Slash/Back During native American Heritage Month, we are showing movies featuring indigenous filmmakers. Slash/Back (2022) : In a remote Arctic community, a group of Inuit girls fight off an alien invasion, all while trying to make it to the coolest party in town. Starring: Kristian Bruun, Shaun Benson, Tasiana Shirley, Nalajoss Ellsworth, Natar Ungalaaq
Pacific Beach/Taylor Library |
Wednesday, November 18
| 1:45 PM | Book Talk: When Rebels Win Why do victorious rebel groups govern so differently once they take power? Join us on Wednesday, November 18 from 1:45-3:00pm at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy for a conversation with Kai M. Thaler who will discuss the key insights found in his new book from Cornell University Press, When Rebels Win. Drawing on evidence from Africa, Latin America, and Asia, Thaler shows how wartime ideology can shape statebuilding, public institutions, and postwar governance.
UC San Diego |
| 5:00 PM | Book Talk: Eleni Sikelianos and Kazim Ali Born into a family of bohemians, poets, tree workers, ne’er-do-wells, visionaries, and smalltime sort-of hustlers, Eleni Sikelianos is a poet, writer, collaborator, and “master of mixing genres” (according to TimeOut). Kirkus has called her most recent book, Memory Rehearsal (City Lights, 2026; the third book in her trilogy of ancestral encounters) “a moving family memoir and a triumph of cultural archaeology.” Deeply engaged with ecopoetics, her work takes up urgent concerns of environmental precarity and ancestral lineages. Her tenth book of poetry, Your Kingdom came out in 2023. Her work has been translated into a dozen languages, and she has in turn translated works by Jacques Roubaud, Sabine Macher, and, most recently, Mohamed Leftah. She grew up in earshot of the ocean, in small coastal towns near Goleta, and has since lived in San Francisco, New York, Paris, Athens (Greece), Boulder (Colorado), and Providence. More info at: https://www.elenisikelianos.com. Insta: @elenisikelianos
Kazim Ali is the author of over twenty books in multiple genres, including poetry, fiction, memoir, and literary studies. His research and teaching interests include Creative Writing and Literary Arts, Indigenous Studies, Global Anglophone Literature, Palestine and Palestinian Diaspora Studies, as well as Translation and Translation Studies. His book Northern Light: Power, Land, and the Memory of Water won the Banff Mountain Environmental Book Award in 2021. From 2021-2024, he served as Chair of the Literature Department. He is the founder of the small press Nightboat Books.
UC San Diego |
| 8:00 PM | Music: Quitapenas Southern California ensemble Quitapenas draws inspiration from Afro-Latin rhythms and the rich musical traditions of Latin America. Formed by first-generation sons of Guatemalan and Mexican immigrants, the group blends influences from Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Angola, and beyond into a sound shaped by movement, celebration, and joy.
“QUITAPENAS, one word – all caps, four syllables – all claps,” gives you a taste of the band’s rhythmic contagion. Named for the Spanish phrase meaning “to remove worries,” QUITAPENAS invites audiences to dance, connect, and leave their worries behind.
The Loft |
Thursday, November 19
| 4:00 PM | Talk: Small Banks, Big Politics Conventional wisdom holds that banking markets flourish where property rights are secure, the rule of law is strong, and the state keeps its hands off. China has none of these. Yet over the past three decades, the number of Chinese banks grew exponentially, and competition became fierce. Why? Adam Y. Liu argues that China’s banking sector is a market of the state, by the state, and for the state, and that its banking market grew not despite authoritarian rule but because of it.
Liu is the author of “In Authoritarian Markets: The Politics of China’s Banking Explosion” (2026). Drawing on a decade of fieldwork and extensive original data, he uncovers the political logic behind the development of banking markets in China and other authoritarian states —and explores what it means for the future of China’s economy.
UC San Diego |
| 7:00 PM | Film: Elena’s War In the heart of Rome’s Jewish ghetto during WWII, one woman’s defiance became an act of heroism that history nearly forgot. This powerful historical drama tells the true story of Elena Di Porto—a fiercely independent Roman Jewish woman who defied fascism and risked everything to save lives. Branded “Elena the Crazy” for her scandalous rejection of social norms, Elena became a relentless thorn in the side of the fascist regime that threatened her community’s very existence.
La Paloma Theatre |
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Book of the Month
Ali and Nino: A Love Story
Recipe of the Month
Music of the Month
Mahagita: Harp & Vocal Music From Burma