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
11:00 AM -
City Heights Day of the Dead Festival
11:00 AM -
Old Town Día de los Muertos
1:00 PM -
Spooky Shakespeare
... and 3 event(s) more.
* Upcoming Events *
Friday, October 9
| NOON | Brazilian Children's Day Celebrate Brazilian Children’s Day with Do Re Tree! Join us for a joyful celebration filled with Brazilian music, movement, Capoeira, storytelling, and Portuguese! Bring the whole family and experience the joy of Brazilian culture together! Free community program — everyone is welcome! Let's play and have fun!
Mira Mesa Library |
| 2:00 PM | Filipino American History Month Festival October is Filipino American History Month, a celebration and recognition of the achievements, contributions, history, culture, and resilience of the Filipino community. This free event will feature Philippine folk dancers, singers, food, and fun for the whole family!
La Jolla/Riford Library |
| 4:00 PM | UCSD Korean Day: Hangeul in Color An interactive celebration of Korean language and culture featuring K-pop, Korean fashion and beauty, food, Hangeul activities, traditional knot art, and other hands-on cultural activities. Presented by UC San Diego's Institute of Arts and Humanities, Translational Korean Studies, and the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles.
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| 6:00 PM | Fundraiser: La Convivencia Join us for CPMCC's inaugural annual fundraiser and 4 year anniversary celebration! Guests will enjoy a curated artisanal culinary experience, live music, cultural performances, exciting opportunity drawings—including free rental packages by some of San Diego’s most sought-after favorite local DJs. This year, we are celebrating our 4th anniversary with an inaugural annual fundraiser—The Convening: of the Four Directions. Across many traditions, the four directions remind us that all is connected—people, land, history, and future generations. Inspired by Mexihcah teachings, this year's theme reflects the energies of the four sacred directions: the (black) North symbolizing reflection & our ancestors; the (white) West embodying transformation & growth; the (blue) South representing community, creativity & action; and the (red) East fostering new beginnings & understandings. Together, they complete a circle, to remind us that no single path exists in isolation and that our strength comes from gathering in relationship with one another. CPMCC will also host an exhibition and silent auction featuring diverse creations generously donated by our artist community and inspired by this year’s theme of the Four Directions. Artworks will be available for purchase via an online auction.
Barrio Station |
| 6:30 PM | Film: Kuessipan The Alliance Française screens Kuessipan, a French-language Canadian film with English subtitles about two Innu girls growing up in Québec's Côte-Nord and negotiating friendship, identity, tradition and personal aspirations.
French American School Auditorium |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
| Italian Film Festival: La Grazia As his tenure as President of Italy nears its end, Mariano De Santis faces wrenching decisions-both political and deeply personal. Amid these moral quandaries, he must confront his own conscience and seek guidance from those closest to him, including his confidante and daughter, Dorotea.
In Italian with English subtitles.
A special post-screening Q&A with Beth Accomando of KPBS and Film Geeks San Diego.
Museum of Photographic Arts |
| Film: Persona Ingmar Bergman's 1966 Swedish film follows a stage actor who has stopped speaking and the nurse caring for her at an isolated seaside cottage, where the boundaries between their identities begin to blur.
Digital Gym Cinema |
| 8:00 PM | Comedy: Fil-Am Month of Laughs Come enjoy some amazing laughs with some amazing Filipino Comics for Fil-Am Month! With headliner Rex Navarrete and more !
The Search Bar |
Saturday, October 10
| 9:00 AM | Día de los Muertos Celebration A family-oriented celebration of the Mexican Día de los Muertos tradition featuring ofrendas, Catrinas, a community remembrance altar, lowriders, and other activities exploring traditions of remembrance, family, and community.
Balboa Park |
| 11:00 AM | Día de los Muertos Marigolds Help the History Center prepare for Día de los Muertos by contributing to our community ofrenda. Families are invited to create vibrant paper marigolds that will become part of the altar later in the month while learning about the traditions, symbolism, and meaning of this important celebration. Through hands-on art and historical exploration, visitors of all ages can connect with local history and the people who have helped shape our region.
San Diego History Center |
| House of Spain Lawn Program Join us for paella, dancing, and more!
International Cottages |
| Music: Zimbabwe and Bali The Del Mar Library is celebrating 30 years and has invited the Center for World Music to bring music to the festivities. Enjoy a free concert of music from Zimbabwe and Bali and, try your hand at playing instruments from around the world with our Musical Instrument Petting Zoo. 11:00 – 11:45: Mbira performance with Garit Imhoff. Following the presentation, audience members will be invited to learn a song on mbira, which is played by plucking metal tines with the fingers. 12:00 – 12:45: “Wayang Kulit” performance with the Jangkrik Punyah ensemble featuring Geoff Dent. Wayang Kulit features beautiful interlocking melodies played on Balinese gamelan instruments with bronze keys over bamboo resonators. 11:00 – 1:00: Musical Instrument Petting Zoo – a hands-on experience for musicians of all ages.
Del Mar Library |
| Pinstriping Workshop Join us for a hands-on Introduction to Pinstriping Workshop facilitated by Manuel Cisneros. This engaging workshop will introduce participants to the fundamentals of traditional pinstriping, including proper tool and brush use, paint application, brush control, linework techniques, and time-tested tricks of the trade. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the foundational skills behind creating clean, expressive lines and decorative designs while gaining insight into the patience, practice, and creativity that the art form requires. Through hands-on instruction and practice, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the pin striping process, a greater appreciation for the artistry behind the craft, and increased confidence to continue exploring and creating their own expressive pinstripe artwork.
CPMCC Community Room |
| Merkado Kultura A curated Filipino makers market featuring 28 Filipino and Filipino American artists and creative businesses. The two-day event celebrates Philippine culture and contemporary Filipino American creativity.
Mingei International Museum |
| NOON | Serbian Festival A Cultural Celebration 53 Years Strong Marking over half a century of tradition, the festival celebrates Serbian culture through live music, authentic cuisine, folk dancing, and educational tours. Serbian heritage—rooted in Orthodox Christian faith, warm hospitality, and centuries-old traditions—is showcased in every aspect of the festival. “The San Diego Serbian Festival is more than a celebration—it's an invitation to experience our culture, faith, and food,” said V. Rev. Bratso Krsic, parish priest at St. George. “We welcome everyone to discover the richness of Orthodox Christianity and Serbian heritage.”
St. George Serbian Orthodox Church |
| 1:00 PM | BlacktoberFest Mark it in ink — Blacktoberfest is back Saturday, October 10 at S&S Friendly Ranch, San Diego's oldest Black-owned farm. Live DJ sets, spades, dominoes, line dancing, and a straight-up Black-owned vendor market — your people, all in one field. From the creators of Kinfolk Fest: black like we never left.
S&S Friendly Ranch |
| An Outlander Experience A program exploring Scottish culture through music, Highland dance, language, and cultural history, with performers from the San Diego Highland Dance Academy and representatives from Balboa Park's House of Scotland.
San Diego Central Library |
| 2:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
| 2:30 PM | Gyotaku Workshop Dive into the world of creativity by learning the basics of Japanese fish printing, a rich art form that involves inked fish pressed against paper. This Japanese tradition is typically printed on rice paper. as accurately as possible, Fisherman exhibited their prized catches. Practice is put into the art of gyotaku as some prints come out sleeker than others. Whether you are fishing or not, participate in the art of gyotaku and print your own fish with simple ink and paper.
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum |
| 5:30 PM | Italian Film Festival: 2026 feSta Join us at our feSta for an exquisite night at the Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art and celebrate as we gather to announce the 2026 Ristretto Award winners!
The evening will begin with the screenings and awards, followed by a lively celebration featuring music from the S.T. Cats, food by Zafferano Catering, and a silent auction.
Museum of Photographic Arts |
| Fundraiser: NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner Freedom Fund Dinner! We are excited to announce our National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) San Diego Branch will host its annual Freedom Fund Dinner on Saturday, October 10, 2026, 5:30 PM at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Diego – Mission Valley, located at 7450 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92108. Our theme is “Celebrating 107 Years of Excellence: Honoring the Past & Shaping the Future.” We would greatly appreciate your support of this important event to help us carry out the mission of the NAACP to “ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.” Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most effective civil rights organization. Don't miss out on this special event - mark your calendars now!
DoubleTree Mission Valley |
| 6:00 PM | Hafez Day Persian Cultural Center and San Diego Central Library Present: Join us for an unforgettable Celebration of Hafez, the poet of Love, Peacemaking, and Reconciliation.
Iranian American Center |
| 7:00 PM | Music: Nathan Aweau Nathan was born into a musical family, his grandparents could play various instruments as well as performing with a band, his mom a piano player and his father for many years taught music and was a choir director as well as a Polynesian music teacher at various high schools. Nathan’s early years consisted of piano lessons, learning the guitar and ukulele and having the natural ability to sing. From grades seven through twelve his main instrument was the saxophone. In college he performed in the jazz ensemble as a bass player and the wind symphony as a percussionist. By this time his passion for the electric bass made him decide that this would be his main instrument. In 1983, during his college years, he started his professional career accompanying performers such as Gabe Baltazar, Henry Kapono, Loyal Garner and Nohelani Cypriano to name a few. He was a member of the Hoku award winning group, Ka’eo, as well as with the award winning group The Ali’i’s. He also did a 16 year stint with the legendary Don Ho. He’s done various high school and college level seminars, covering subjects from writing, arranging and sequencing to computer music. For a few short years, Nathan was a music teacher at various schools in Hawai’i. He’s even done a project with students from Campbell High School. The students had a chance to see the workings of what goes on in producing a song and recording it. Other than being a stage musician, Nathan has performed on commercials for Windward Mall, Meadow Gold, JCB credit card co., etc. He’s done background music for various T.V. shows for the Travel Channel, and has done music beds and liners for various radio stations.
California Center for the Arts |
| Music: Maná Maná is a Mexican pop rock band formed in 1981. Originally called Sombrero Verde, the current lineup of members is vocalist-guitarist Fher Olvera, drummer Alex González, guitarist Sergio Vallín and bassist Juan Calleros.
North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre |
| 8:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
| Music: Edgardo Nuñez and Kane Rodriguez Edgardo Nuñez is a leading figure in Regional Mexican music, known for blending traditional sounds with urban styles. Kane Rodriguez brings a fresh voice from Houston, mixing cumbia, banda, and norteño with modern influences. Together, they offer a dynamic concert experience that highlights the evolving landscape of Mexican regional music.
Civic Theatre |
Sunday, October 11
| 8:00 AM | Honoring the Legends of FMA Tournament A Filipino Martial Arts tournament bringing together practitioners of Eskrima, Arnis, and related traditions to compete and honor influential masters who helped preserve and develop Filipino martial arts. Events include single-stick, double-stick, knife, and forms divisions.
Otay Recreation Center |
| 10:00 AM | Hello Japan! Class: Japanese Autumn Tradition A perfect starting point for new learners who want both language skills and cultural understanding. Students will learn simple grammar, paired with cultural lessons about food, festivals, manners, and modern life in Japan. By the end of the course, students will feel confident using basic Japanese and more connected to the heart of Japanese culture. October 11th Theme: Japanese Autumn Tradition & “There is / There are” Expressions In this lesson, students will explore Otsukimi (Moon Viewing Festival), a traditional Japanese autumn celebration that honors the beauty of the full moon. Students will read a short story about Otsukimi and learn about cultural traditions such as tsukimi dango (moon-viewing rice dumplings), seasonal decorations, and festival customs. A perfect starting point for new learners who want both language skills and cultural understanding. Students will learn simple grammar, paired with cultural lessons about food, festivals, manners, and modern life in Japan. By the end of the course, students will feel confident using basic Japanese and more connected to the heart of Japanese culture.
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum |
| 11:00 AM | Día de Muertos Vista Día de Muertos Vista is the inaugural city-scale cultural street festival honoring one of Mexico’s most meaningful traditions through remembrance, art, heritage, and community connection. Set to take place on Sunday, October 11, 2026, this landmark event will transform South Santa Fe Avenue in Vista into a vibrant cultural corridor spanning from The Commons Venue and Ascend Coffee Roasters through approximately two city blocks of small businesses, creating the first official Día de Muertos street closure and celebration of its kind in the city.
Ascend Coffee Roasters |
| House of Norway Lawn Program Leif Erikson Day (second weekend in October) Viking music, food, crafts and activities at the lawn by the House of Norway.
International Cottages |
| Merkado Kultura A curated Filipino makers market featuring 28 Filipino and Filipino American artists and creative businesses. The two-day event celebrates Philippine culture and contemporary Filipino American creativity.
Mingei International Museum |
| 11:15 AM | Hello Japan! Class: Moon Viewing Festival Building on the basics, this course takes students deeper into Japanese grammar and sentence structure while developing real conversational fluency. Through dialogue, role-play, and cultural context, learners will move beyond textbook phrases to express ideas and navigate everyday situations with confidence. By the end, students will hold conversations more naturally and connect with Japanese culture on a more meaningful level. October 11 — Otsukimi (Moon Viewing Festival) Theme: Japanese Autumn Traditions Learn about Otsukimi (Moon Viewing Festival) through a short reading and cultural discussion. Students will explore the history and customs of moon viewing, seasonal foods such as tsukimi dango, and the importance of autumn in Japanese culture.
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum |
| 1:00 PM | Exhibit: The Gathering Punjabi-American artist Rupinder Kaloti leads a walkthrough of The Gathering, her exhibition exploring the Punjabi-American immigrant experience, ancestry, family traditions, and connections between Punjab and California.
Oceanside Museum of Art |
| 2:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
| 3:00 PM | Masu Workshop Join us for a special evening exploring masu, the traditional Japanese wooden measuring box with a history spanning more than 1,300 years. Masashige Kodama, President & CEO of Kodama Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and founder of Masu Kukan, will join us live via Zoom from Japan to share the story behind this iconic craft — from its ancient origins to his own journey reviving and modernizing the tradition, including his innovative Harinuri glass-coating technique that made masu dishwasher-safe for the first time in the industry's history. After Kodama-san's presentation, participants will roll up their sleeves and make their own hinoki (Japanese cypress) masu cup to take home — a hands-on way to connect with a piece of Japanese heritage and craftsmanship. Whether you're drawn to Japanese culture, woodworking, or simply want to try something new, this program offers a rare chance to learn directly from a master craftsman carrying forward centuries of tradition while shaping its future.
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
| Film: 964 Pinocchio Shozin Fukui's 1991 Japanese cyberpunk film follows a discarded cybernetic android and an amnesiac homeless woman as they attempt to recover their pasts while fleeing the android's creators.
Digital Gym Cinema |
| 9:15 PM | Film: House Nobuhiko Obayashi's 1977 Japanese cult film House follows a schoolgirl and six classmates whose visit to an aunt's country home becomes a surreal encounter with supernatural forces.
Digital Gym Cinema |
Monday, October 12
| 2:30 PM | Zapateado 101 with Mesa's Ballet Folklorico Club A participatory introduction to traditional Mexican folk dance and music. Participants will learn about regional dance styles from across Mexico and practice basic zapateado footwork.
San Diego Mesa College |
Tuesday, October 13
| 4:00 PM | DIY Dia de los Muertos Come celebrate Dia de los Muertos with us in the Pauline Foster Teen Center with a new craft every week. October 6: Marigolds. October 13: Clay food offerings. October 20: Nicho boxes. October 27: Sugar skull planter. Add what you've made to the Teen Center ofrenda!
Central Library |
| 5:30 PM | San Diego International Film Festival Night of the Stars Tribute The San Diego International Film Festival opens its 25th anniversary celebration with the Night of the Stars Tribute, featuring a red carpet reception, awards honoring actors and filmmakers, the FOCUS on Impact Student Art Exhibition, and an after-party.
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center |
| 6:00 PM | Book Talk: The Serviceberry This three-week community book club discusses Robin Wall Kimmerer's The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, exploring relationships with the natural world, extraction, reciprocity, and Indigenous perspectives on giving and receiving.
WorldBeat Cultural Center |
| 6:30 PM | Book Talk: 50 Years of Even the Rat Was White Fisk University professor Ricardo Guthrie and Mesa College professor and clinical psychologist Judy Sundayo discuss the continuing relevance of Robert Guthrie's 1976 book Even the Rat Was White, which examined racism in American psychology and documented the contributions of Black psychologists.
San Diego Central Library |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
| Film: Gandahar An entire civilization must confront its destiny in alternative-animation pioneer René Laloux’s final feature, a cult classic of mind-bending science fiction. In a distant world, a merciless army of automata attacks Gandahar, turning its peace-loving people to stone. Hoping to discover the source of these Men of Metal, a council of matriarchs enlists the brave yet inexperienced warrior Sylvain (Pierre-Marie Escourro), who, while journeying through his planet’s outer regions, teams up with the Deformed, a race cast out from Gandahar after failed science experiments rendered them mutants. Soon, Sylvain learns that a gargantuan brain called Metamorphis (Georges Wilson) is responsible for his utopian society’s strife and—together with the beautiful Airelle (Catherine Chevallier)—travels through time to defeat him, in the process risking their lives and Gandahar’s very existence. Featuring stunningly surreal creatures and wondrously bizarre environments designed by renowned comic-book artist Caza, Gandahar is a visceral, visionary head-trip in which animation opens a gateway to the furthest reaches of the imagination.
Digital Gym Cinema |
Wednesday, October 14
| 11:00 AM | Stay and Play Date: Filipino American History Month Celebrate Filipino American History Month. Discover the foods in the restaurant and market setting. Enjoy an indoor playdate at the library. Bring your imagination. Dramatic play is a fun method for young children to develop socialization and verbal skills.
Mira Mesa Library |
| 2:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
| 4:00 PM | Sugar Skulls Craft This all-ages workshop celebrates Día de los Muertos with a hands-on sugar skull craft activity.
North Park Library |
| 5:30 PM | Talk: Neon Chicha Presentation by Alfredo Villar on Peruvian Contemporary Pop Art and Its Relation to Migrant Movements, with an Emphasis on Chicha Art and joined in moderated conversation with the artist, MONKY. Followed by a DJ set of Peruvian Chicha. In his discussion, Alfredo will explore how chicha graphics emerged as the first great visual conquest of a mass that overflowed, invading cities and transforming their peripheries into new centers of creativity. He will address the movement's roots in internal migration, its popular aesthetic, and its significance as a form of cultural resistance and identity formation.
The Loft at UCSD |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
Thursday, October 15
| 5:00 PM | Talk: PARA/normal Borders Conversation II Filmmaker Sky Hopinka and writer Maggie Nelson discuss how film, writing, memory, language, Indigenous knowledge, and artistic practice shape understandings of place and borders. The program is part of the MexiCali Biennial's PARA/normal Borders project.
UCSD |
| Food: Friuli-Venezia Giulia Join Chefs Tim Kolanko, Wesley Remington, and Tony Coito for a multi-course meal inspired by the flavors of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, for our October ARTIFACT at Night. Not seeing a reservation time? Email ARTIFACT at Mingei at .
Mingei International Museum |
| 6:00 PM | Paint and Sip Alebrijes Workshop Artist Maira Meza leads a painting workshop on alebrijes, colorful creatures rooted in Mexican folk art, with discussion of their cultural significance and association with Día de los Muertos.
Mujeres Brew House |
| 6:30 PM | Noche de Mole Fundraiser Sherman Heights Community Center opens its annual Día de los Muertos season with regional mole tastings, drinks, live entertainment, and a preview of more than 25 community altars.
Sherman Heights Community Center |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
Friday, October 16
| 11:00 AM | Music: Bereza/Beryoze Zozulka Trio performs a new song cycle drawing on Ukrainian and Yiddish folk traditions from the territory of present-day Ukraine, using songs about plants, birds, and the natural world to explore shared ecological knowledge and cultural history.
UCSD |
| 6:00 PM | Dance: Sacred Movement, Painted Prayers Japanese classical dancer Ichinosuke Umekawa performs Nihon Buyo, followed by curator Meher McArthur's preview of an exhibition on ema, traditional Japanese painted wooden prayer plaques.
Mingei International Museum |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
| Music: Blacktronika Blacktronika: Afrofuturism in Electronic Music (MUS 19R) honors the innovators of color who have been instrumental in the advancement of electronic music. Since the course is synchronous but remote across all UC campuses, we present two dance events each quarter as a physical extension of the classroom. These events build community through movement and, most importantly, allow the music discussed in class to be experienced as it should be: in context, collectively, and on a proper sound system in UCSD Music’s Experimental Theater. Music is presented by world-renowned producer/DJ Professor King Britt alongside special guests.
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center |
| 7:30 PM | Dance: Roots of Loving Us CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater presents the world premiere of Roots of Loving Us, a contemporary dance and storytelling work exploring adoptees, foster families, chosen families, belonging, and the ways people create family and home.
Epstein Family Amphitheater |
Saturday, October 17
| 10:00 AM | Tohoku Day The Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum's Journeying Japan series explores Tohoku, the northeastern region encompassing Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, and Fukushima, with crafts, workshops, lectures, and a regional stamp rally.
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum |
| Talk: A Chinese American Woman’s Journey at NASA Join us for this month's The Chinese American Experience & Beyond lecture titled "A Chinese American Woman’s Journey at NASA" The lecture is free and held on Zoom!
Online |
| 11:00 AM | Galbani Bella Vita Fest This Italian Heritage Month festival features Italian-themed chalk art created live in the streets, Italian food and wine, cooking demonstrations, Italian merchants, and live music.
Little Italy |
| House of Czech and Slovak Republics Lawn Program The House of Czech and Slovak Republics presents two days of Czech and Slovak cultural entertainment, including music and dance, along with traditional pastries, drinks, and heritage items.
International Cottages |
| 2:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
| Food: Taste of City Heights This culinary walking tour features dishes from locally owned restaurants representing the Asian, Mexican, African, and other culinary traditions found in City Heights.
City Heights University Avenue |
| 5:00 PM | Film: Poetic Justice African American Writers & Artists San Diego celebrates National Black Poetry Day with an open mic and an outdoor screening of Poetic Justice, a film in which poetry plays a central role. Community members can sign up onsite to participate in the open mic.
Marie Widman Memorial Park |
| 8:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
Sunday, October 18
| 10:00 AM | 2026 Guelaguetza Festival San Diego's Guelaguetza celebration presents Oaxacan dance, music, traditional foods and products made in Oaxaca.
Palomar College |
| 11:00 AM | Galbani Bella Vita Fest This Italian Heritage Month festival features Italian-themed chalk art created live in the streets, Italian food and wine, cooking demonstrations, Italian merchants, and live music.
Little Italy |
| House of Czech and Slovak Republics Lawn Program The House of Czech and Slovak Republics presents two days of Czech and Slovak cultural entertainment, including music and dance, along with traditional pastries, drinks, and heritage items.
International Cottages |
| NOON | Tianguis de la Raza Market Centro Cultural de la Raza's monthly community artisan market features local artists and makers, arts and crafts, self-care products, jewelry, live music, children's art workshops, and a community healing clinic.
Centro Cultural de la Raza |
| 2:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
| Tropical Star's 40th Anniversary Celebration Tropical Star Restaurant and Market marks 40 years in San Diego with live music, dancing, food and activities celebrating the cultures of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Tropical Star Restaurant & Specialty Market |
| 7:00 PM | Stage: Topdog/Underdog Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III returns to the Globe after last season’s thrilling Appropriate to direct an intimate new staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize–winning modern classic, which The New York Times hailed as the greatest American play of the past 25 years. Brothers Lincoln and Booth hustle for survival through the street con game of three-card monte. Their bond is tested by rivalry, resentment, and the elusive promise of the American Dream. By turns funny, provocative, and charged, Topdog/Underdog charts the razor-thin line between ambition and self-destruction.
The Old Globe |
Monday, October 19
| 6:00 PM | Calavera Mask Workshop This Día de los Muertos workshop provides materials for participants to make a calavera mask that can be carried in the Sherman Heights candlelight procession.
Sherman Heights Community Center |
Tuesday, October 20
| 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 |
| 4:00 PM | DIY Dia de los Muertos Come celebrate Dia de los Muertos with us in the Pauline Foster Teen Center with a new craft every week. October 6: Marigolds. October 13: Clay food offerings. October 20: Nicho boxes. October 27: Sugar skull planter. Add what you've made to the Teen Center ofrenda!
Central Library |
| 5:00 PM | Talk: Between Political Liberalism and Dictatorship This talk examines the crisis of political liberalism in interwar Greece by analyzing the recurrent intervention of the military in politics as a structural consequence of the failure to establish a durable bourgeois hegemony after 1916, with particular emphasis on the Second Hellenic Republic (1924–1935). It argues that the frequent military interventions in the political scene of the period were not an episodic disruption of an otherwise functioning parliamentary order, but rather conceptualizes the army as a structural political actor within a fragile liberal regime.
UCSD |
| 5:30 PM | Film: Sun Ra Sun Ra: Do The Impossible dives into the groundbreaking work of the visionary jazz musician and Godfather of Afrofuturism From swing to bebop to free jazz, Sun Ra bridged myriad musical styles to form his own avant-garde sound. With his ever-evolving collective, the Arkestra, he stretched the boundaries of jazz and self-produced more than 200 records, in addition to being one of the first Black artists to have his own record label. Remembered today as the “Godfather of Afrofuturism,” Sun Ra weaved ancient Egyptian and interstellar metaphors into a definitive musical and spiritual vision that resonates across generations. Discover the extraordinary life of this poet, philosopher, and musical visionary.
Central Library |
| 6:00 PM | Calavera Mask Workshop This Día de los Muertos workshop provides materials for participants to make a calavera mask that can be carried in the Sherman Heights candlelight procession.
Sherman Heights Community Center |
| 6:30 PM | Film: Panther Veterans in Tanzania Join us at WorldBeat Cultural Center for a special evening with Mama C, Charlotte Hill O’Neal, as she returns to San Diego for a screening of her latest documentary, “Panther Veterans in Tanzania: The Legacy Continues. The film highlights the accomplishments and ongoing work of the United African American Community Center (UAACC) in Tanzania, founded by Charlotte Hill O’Neal and Pete O’Neal, former members of the Black Panther Party, and the community they have helped build through decades of cultural, educational, and grassroots work. The documentary offers a look at their continuing legacy and commitment to Pan-Africanism and community empowerment.
WorldBeat Center |
| 7:30 PM | Book Talk: The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford Rich Milford is dead. At last. We find ourselves in 1920's Oklahoma, just far enough out of Tulsa, just long enough after the Race Massacre of 1921. For as long as anyone can remember, the Milfords have led plentiful lives on the backs of the townspeople of Newville. Now, on the ominous brink of the Great Depression and at the height of Prohibition, Richard Milford was an infamous moonshiner and womanizer who, it seems, finally crossed the wrong person at the wrong time. He's dead and buried with only his women to mourn him, but a question remains: Who killed him, and why? Top suspects are his four "wives," Lally, Sophronia, Georgette, and Vivianne. But as their stories burst to light, the very idea of a true story comes apart before our eyes. In an electric follow-up to her acclaimed debut collection, Nafissa Thompson-Spires once again serves up a brilliant distillation of front-of-mind happenings—think, cults of personality, capitalism run amok in politics, and rampant societal distrust—structured like a stupefying line dance. In her uniquely powerful, humorous manner, Thompson-Spires takes on the interdependent clash of the traditional and the newfangled in this gobsmackingly excellent novel.
Warwick's |
Wednesday, October 21
| 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 |
| 4:00 PM | Carmel Valley Diwali Celebrate Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights with us. Activities include Bollywood dance performances and arts & crafts.
Carmel Valley Library |
Thursday, October 22
| 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 |
| 4:00 PM | Rancho Bernardo Filipino American Heritage Celebration October is Filipino American History Month! Celebrate Filipino heritage by making a macaque (monkey) craft and a torn paper flag. Enjoy music by Filipino American artists while you work!
Rancho Bernardo Library |
| 5:00 PM | Talk: Anne Frank Ruth Franklin, author of “The Many Lives of Anne Frank” (2025), will discuss some lesser-known aspects of the diary’s creation and reception as well as the urgency of Anne Frank’s story in our current moment. Last January, as videos of violence by ICE agents made international headlines, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz noted the similarities between the raids on immigrants and “that story of Anne Frank.” Meanwhile, antisemitism is on the rise around the world, including in Amsterdam, Anne’s adopted home. Can Anne’s story still speak to the experience of persecuted Jews even as it becomes a metaphor for racism and xenophobia of all kinds?
Online |
| 6:00 PM | Pan de Muerto Workshop An artisan baker leads a bilingual Spanish-English workshop on the history and cultural meaning of pan de muerto on Día de los Muertos altars, with participants shaping their own bread from scratch.
Sherman Heights Community Center |
Friday, October 23
| 10:30 AM | Talk: Japanese Ema Votive Plaques Ema (literally, "picture horse") are wooden votive plaques on which visitors to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples have for centuries written their prayers and wishes for the _kami _or Buddhist deities to read. Though these plaques originally featured horses, they evolved to feature many different images associated with various wishes, from good fortune to health to love and relationships. In conjunction with the exhibition Painted Prayers: The Japanese Folk Art Tradition of Ema, exhibition curator and Japanese art historian, Meher McArthur will explore the history of these votive plaques, the meanings behind some of the images, and their role in contemporary Japanese spiritual culture.
Mingei International Museum |
| 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 |
| 5:30 PM | A Conversation Exploring African and Diaspora Experiences A cultural salon exploring African and African-diaspora experiences through discussions of identity, belonging, storytelling, and cross-cultural connection. The evening includes a keynote address, panel discussion, cultural storytelling, and African heritage-inspired food.
Downtown |
| 6:30 PM | Food: Sicilian Seafood Class Hands-on Sicilian seafood cooking class where guests prepare two seasonal dishes and dine together. Join us for a hands-on Sicilian seafood cooking experience where guests prepare two fresh, seasonal dishes together while exploring the flavors, traditions, and cultural influences that shape Sicily’s coastal cuisine. Along the way, you’ll learn how to recognize fresh fish, hear about San Diego’s local seafood system and fishermen, and enjoy a relaxed evening cooking and dining together. All cooking equipment and ingredients are provided, and the experience includes an appetizer, dessert, a welcome wine, and non-alcoholic beverages. Guests are also welcome to bring their own beverage of choice, and dietary restrictions can be accommodated if specified at the time of booking.
Cucina Migrante |
| 7:30 PM | Music: La Santa Cecilia Celebrate Día de los Muertos with La Santa Cecilia, the Grammy Award-winning band returning to the ArtPower for the fourth time. With songs from its latest album, Los Años, the group looks back on nearly two decades of friendship, shared experiences, and the memories that have shaped its journey. Known for performances filled with joy, heart, and irresistible energy, La Santa Cecilia invites audiences to dance, sing, and feel it all. Join us for an evening that honors memory, celebrates life, and pays tribute to the people and experiences that stay with us through the years.
UCSD Epstein Ampitheater |
| Stage: Rigoletto Making jokes is what Rigoletto does for a living, serving as court jester to the predatory Duke of Mantua. But the joke may be on him when one of his jests enrages Count Monterone, the father of the Duke’s latest victim, unleashing a curse with dangerous consequences for Rigoletto and his beautiful daughter Gilda. Packed with spectacular arias like “La donna è mobile,” “Caro nome,” and the stunning quartet “Bella figlia dell’amore,” Verdi’s sublime tale of betrayal, sacrifice, and revenge will hold you spellbound from start to finish.
San Diego Civic Theatre |
Saturday, October 24
| 9:00 AM | Larry Itliong Community Breakfast A Filipino American History Month gathering celebrating the life and legacy of Filipino American labor leader Larry Itliong. The program also recognizes participants in the Virgil Yalong-Larry Itliong Filipino American History Month Essay Contest and addresses educational issues in the Filipino American community.
Kusina: A Taste of the Pacific |
| 11:00 AM | House of Scotland Lawn Program Listen to relaxing and joyful Scottish harp music! Come view traditional Scottish spinning and fiber arts! Take a bite of delicious our delicious sausage rolls and Scottish meat pies
International Cottages |
| 2:00 PM | Latine Pride As San Diego’s official Queer Latine Pride event, this is a space for folx to embrace the vibrancy of our community and celebrate the pure joy of our Queer Latinidad. Join us for music, food, community resources, vendors, performances, opportunities to connect, and more! Don’t forget to add Latine Pride to your calendar!
Liberty Station Central Promenade |
| 4:00 PM | Music: Buddhist Temple of San Diego Taiko Join us for an afternoon of Taiko: a traditional Japanese practice involving drumming, chanting, and choreography. Members of the Buddhist Temple of San Diego will lead a Q&A after the program.
First United Methodist Church of San Diego |
| 5:00 PM | Music: Frank Lazzaro and the Middle-Earth Ensemble The Middle-Earth Ensemble performs world music drawing on Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Mediterranean traditions, accompanied by percussion and belly dance.
Carlsbad City Library |
| 6:00 PM | Buy Filipino Heritage Night Three years of community, culture, and connection — and we’re celebrating in style. Join us on October 24, 2026 for Heritage Night, a benefit dinner marking the Third Anniversary of the Buy Filipino Network. This year’s celebration features a stunning fashion show collaboration with Herrera Filipiniana and Barong Warehouse, showcasing the beauty, pride, and creativity of Filipino design. Come gather with friends, support our mission, and enjoy an unforgettable evening honoring the spirit of the Filipino American community.
Kusina San Diego |
| 7:00 PM | Music: Let Her Sing For the first time in San Diego, Diaspora Arts Connection in collaboration with the Persian Cultural Center of San Diego presents Let Her Sing: A Celebration of Female Voices. Every year we gather in celebration and support of the female voice, suppressed and censored in parts of the world. Let Her Sing: A Celebration of Female Voices is an event that aims to promotes female artists from all over the globe to come to stage in celebrating their ability to perform freely. The show’s lineup will be provided when it becomes available.
California Center for the Arts |
| Music: Allan Phillips Composer and multi-instrumentalist Allan Phillips presents a program exploring Afro-Indigenous Caribbean traditions and the intersections of jazz, Latin American music, African diasporic rhythms, Brazilian music, reggae, and other musical traditions. UC San Diego professor Kamau Kenyatta moderates a discussion providing historical and cultural context for the music.
UC San Diego Park & Market |
| 7:30 PM | Stage: Rigoletto Making jokes is what Rigoletto does for a living, serving as court jester to the predatory Duke of Mantua. But the joke may be on him when one of his jests enrages Count Monterone, the father of the Duke’s latest victim, unleashing a curse with dangerous consequences for Rigoletto and his beautiful daughter Gilda. Packed with spectacular arias like “La donna è mobile,” “Caro nome,” and the stunning quartet “Bella figlia dell’amore,” Verdi’s sublime tale of betrayal, sacrifice, and revenge will hold you spellbound from start to finish.
San Diego Civic Theatre |
| Music: Confluence Featuring Amjad Ali Khan The La Jolla Symphony presents a cross-cultural program culminating in Samaagam, which brings Indian classical music together with the Western symphonic tradition. Sarod master Amjad Ali Khan performs with Ayaan Ali Bangash and Amaan Ali Bangash; the program also includes music by Dukas, Juhi Bansal, and Enescu.
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| 8:00 PM | Music: WAR WAR’s signature fusion of funk, soul, jazz, Latin, rock and street music is what first propelled them to prominence over 5 decades ago, but it was their ability to craft songs of social consciousness that further cemented their place in the modern American songbook. The immediate global impact of “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” was so profound that NASA transmitted the title track into space during the historic Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975. Since then, WAR have continued to sing out against racism, hunger, crime and conflict, while their music has been sampled by Janet Jackson, Tupac, Beastie Boys, Method Man, Sublime, Redman, Cypress Hill, Shaggy, A$AP Mob, Scarface, The Geto Boys, De La Soul, Flo Rida, Liam Payne, Thomas Rhett and more, and covered by everyone from Willie Nelson to The Muppets, George Clinton, Phish, ZZ Top and The Isley Brothers.
Belly Up |
Sunday, October 25
| 11:00 AM | 2026 Kiku Matsuri Get ready for a festive celebration of Japanese culture at the 2026 Kiku Matsuri event - it's going to be a blast! 2026 Kiku Matsuri Join us at the Hangar 858 Venue for the 2026 Kiku Matsuri – a vibrant celebration of Japanese culture, cuisine, and entertainment! Enjoy a full day filled with traditional music, dance, and art. Savor authentic Japanese dishes, browse unique merchandise, and let the kids have fun with family-friendly games and activities. From captivating performances to hands-on cultural experiences, there’s something for everyone. Food, Beer and sake will be available for purchase.
Hangar 858 |
| House of Türkiye Lawn Program House of Turkiye’s mission is to promote universal awareness of the diversity and richness of the Turkish culture, country, traditions, and its people. Along with a consortium of ‘houses’ representing 32 cultures, House of Turkiye participates in special events and cultural activities including educational and social events, music, arts & crafts, traditional dances and food. These activities help educate visitors, promote multicultural goodwill, and unite people of all cultures in friendship.
International Cottages |
| xxKiku Matsuri A Japanese cultural festival featuring traditional music, dance, art, Japanese food, merchandise, family activities, and hands-on cultural experiences. The event is modeled on the tradition of Japanese autumn festivals.
Hangar 858 |
| 2:00 PM | Stage: Rigoletto Making jokes is what Rigoletto does for a living, serving as court jester to the predatory Duke of Mantua. But the joke may be on him when one of his jests enrages Count Monterone, the father of the Duke’s latest victim, unleashing a curse with dangerous consequences for Rigoletto and his beautiful daughter Gilda. Packed with spectacular arias like “La donna è mobile,” “Caro nome,” and the stunning quartet “Bella figlia dell’amore,” Verdi’s sublime tale of betrayal, sacrifice, and revenge will hold you spellbound from start to finish.
San Diego Civic Theatre |
| Film: The Yellow Magic Orchestra Mixtape Formed in Tokyo in 1978, Yellow Magic Orchestra seized upon rapidly evolving electronic technology to open up new possibilities for popular music. Synthesizers, sequencers, drum machines, samplers, and computers met pop melody, funk, disco, exotica, and irreverent humor to create a sound—and a world—entirely their own. The reverberations were enormous. YMO’s music would prove foundational to synth-pop, electro, hip-hop, techno, house, video game music, and countless strains of electronic music that followed, while Hosono, Sakamoto, and Takahashi each pursued remarkably diverse creative lives far beyond the group itself. Nearly half a century later, YMO’s music still feels startlingly alive: playful and sophisticated, futuristic and human.
Digital Gym Cinema |
| Music: Confluence Featuring Amjad Ali Khan The La Jolla Symphony presents a cross-cultural program culminating in Samaagam, which brings Indian classical music together with the Western symphonic tradition. Sarod master Amjad Ali Khan performs with Ayaan Ali Bangash and Amaan Ali Bangash; the program also includes music by Dukas, Juhi Bansal, and Enescu.
UC San Diego |
| 3:00 PM | Music: An Evening with Celtic Thunder 2026 Irish music ensemble Celtic Thunder presents a concert drawing on traditional Irish music and contemporary arrangements while reuniting past and present members of the group.
California Center for the Arts |
| 4:30 PM | Talk: The Moods of Early Russian Art Art historian Justin Willson examines fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Russian icon painting, tracing changes in style, patronage and religious culture through works in the Timken collection.
Timken Museum of Art |
| 6:00 PM | Food: Kamayan Dinner Join award-winning Chef Spencer Hunter of Lia’s Lumpia on October 25, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 PM at the San Diego History Center for a Kamayan feast celebrating Filipino American History Month. A San Diego native and finalist on Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race, Chef Spencer honors his Filipino grandmother’s culinary legacy while blending it with his African American roots. He has taken first place for his Sisig Lumpia, cheffed for distinguished clientele ranging from corporate leaders to members of the British Royal Family, and continues to redefine what modern fusion cuisine can be.
San Diego History Center |
| 6:30 PM | Afro-Cuban Dance Workshop Join us at the WorldBeat Cultural Center for a special Afro-Cuban Dance Workshop with Indira “Laroye” Leneman, also known as Laroye Aña, Cuban choreographer, professional dancer and instructor born and raised in Havana and now based in Los Angeles. Through movement and rhythm, Laroye will share the richness of Afro-Cuban dance and its deep connections to African cultural traditions. Her extensive career as a performer and educator has taken her across the U.S. and internationally, with performances at the Hollywood Bowl, Ford Theatre, Disney California Adventure and Grand Performances, as well as appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Late Late Show with James Corden. She has taught at UCLA, USC, CSU Fullerton, UC Riverside and numerous national and international dance festivals. Come ready to move, learn and experience Afro-Cuban dance with an instructor who brings both cultural knowledge and extensive professional experience to her teaching.
WorldBeat Center |
Monday, October 26
| 5:00 PM | Talk: Securing the Future Securing the Future: U.S.-Korea Cooperation in Defense, AI and Trade examines how the United States and the Republic of Korea are navigating critical shifts in economic and national security. As geopolitical competition accelerates, aligning strategic industrial policies and defense capabilities is essential to building enduring alliance resilience. This public roundtable brings together top policy, industry and defense leaders to unpack three interconnected fronts: the strategic landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), the impact of maritime trade policy and the Jones Act on shipbuilding and logistics, and evolving security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific.
UC San Diego |
| 6:30 PM | Film: You're No Indian Come attend a screening of “You’re No Indian,” which is not just a film – it’s a call to action. At the heart of this 2025 documentary lies a battle for identity and justice, where militias storm casinos, graves are pillaged for DNA evidence and even proven lineage cannot save individuals from disenrollment. More than 10,000 people have been disenrolled from their tribes in recent years, eviscerated from their communities and families. Research confirms disenrollment’s relationship to tribal gaming and even the corruption of tribal politicians. Not only does it result in financial ruin for the disenrolled, but immeasurable psychological harm when they are now told “you’re no Indian.” This film exposes the dark intersection of power, greed and cultural erasure. It’s a powerful stand for those whose voices have been silenced, urging viewers to join a growing movement for truth and accountability.
CSU San Marcos |
| 7:00 PM | Film: The Yellow Magic Orchestra Mixtape Formed in Tokyo in 1978, Yellow Magic Orchestra seized upon rapidly evolving electronic technology to open up new possibilities for popular music. Synthesizers, sequencers, drum machines, samplers, and computers met pop melody, funk, disco, exotica, and irreverent humor to create a sound—and a world—entirely their own. The reverberations were enormous. YMO’s music would prove foundational to synth-pop, electro, hip-hop, techno, house, video game music, and countless strains of electronic music that followed, while Hosono, Sakamoto, and Takahashi each pursued remarkably diverse creative lives far beyond the group itself. Nearly half a century later, YMO’s music still feels startlingly alive: playful and sophisticated, futuristic and human.
Digital Gym Cinema |
Tuesday, October 27
| 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 |
| 4:00 PM | DIY Dia de los Muertos Come celebrate Dia de los Muertos with us in the Pauline Foster Teen Center with a new craft every week. October 6: Marigolds. October 13: Clay food offerings. October 20: Nicho boxes. October 27: Sugar skull planter. Add what you've made to the Teen Center ofrenda!
Central Library |
| 6:30 PM | Talk: Filipino Ethnic Enclave in the Gaslamp Quarter The Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation, in collaboration with the San Diego Central Library, is proud to present a special presentation by award-winning journalist-author, Marivi Soliven in conversation with UCSD professor K. Wayne Yang about the history of the community of Filipino migrant workers who lived and struggled in downtown San Diego during the 1930s. What were the living conditions faced by the community while racial discrimination and anti-miscegenation law brought intense societal pressure and physical hostility against Filipinos in San Diego? Marivi’s exciting new novel Taxi Dancer is based on a true story set in the historic downtown Stingaree District.
Central Library |
| 7:00 PM | Film: The Legend of the Stardust Brothers Taking inspiration from PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE and THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, Macoto Tezka (son of manga legend Osamu Tezuka) and friends transformed the soundtrack to a movie that didn’t exist into a real-life motion picture. And THE LEGEND OF THE STARDUST BROTHERS was born! The story follows a shady music mogul who brings together a punk and new-waver to form the Stardust Brothers—a silver-jumpsuited, synth-pop sensation. A wild cult hit in Japan, this newly-restored, unsung gem returns to the big screen for the first time in decades.
Digital Gym Cinema |
Wednesday, October 28
| 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 |
| 4:00 PM | San Ysidro Sugar Skull Workshop Sugar skull decorating is a traditional activity for Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. Learn how to make sugar skulls and decorate one as you like. A favorite! If you have done it before, is it not the time to renew your ofrenda skulls? They are easy to make, delicious, and if cared for and kept dry, they can even last years. All materials are provided by Back From Tomboctou!
San Ysidro Library |
| 6:00 PM | Madre Cumbia MADRE CUMBIA—a historic collaboration between Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto, Fruko, and Carmelo Torres. More than an album, Madre Cumbia brings together the living roots of Colombian cumbia with the artists who have carried, transformed, and preserved its legacy across generations. From the ancestral sounds of the gaitas and drums to the accordion of the sabanas and the electric bass that helped redefine tropical music, this record celebrates the full arc of cumbia's evolution. La Diabla: Born from the San Diego–Tijuana borderlands, La Diabla delivers a gritty, rebellious take on northern cumbia. Blending Colombian, Mexican, and Chicano influences with the raw energy of garage and punk, the group transforms cumbia sonidera and norteña traditions into a powerful, dance-floor-filling sound. REZA is a San Diego brass-and-percussion project bringing cumbia into the streets. Fusing Afro-Indigenous percussion, tropical brass, Colombian rhythms such as cumbia and porro, and the explosive energy of a New Orleans street band, REZA creates a communal, high-energy celebration built for dancing.
Quartyard |
Thursday, October 29
| 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 |
| 4:00 PM | Book Talk: The Stories Women Carry Join us for The Stories Women Carry, a thought-provoking ABTB Book Club Adventure celebrating two captivating memoir-in-essays by bestselling author Reyna Grande and acclaimed comedian and podcaster Courtney Kocak. Through stories that are candid, intimate, and deeply personal, these two writers explore the experiences that shape identity, belonging, resilience, and the lives we ultimately claim as our own. Our esteemed ABTB Ambassadors Debby Stone and Dorothy Minor will lead a lively conversation with the authors, taking us beyond the page and into the stories behind the stories. Come ready to listen, reflect, connect—and perhaps see your own story a little differently.
Online |
| 7:00 PM | Music: Epik High Epik High is an alternative hip-hop group from South Korea. Since their inception in 2001, they have been internationally acclaimed and became the first Korean act to perform at Coachella. "Can You Hear My Heart," "Rosario," and "Rain Song" have been their most popular tracks.
The Observatory North Park |
| 7:30 PM | Music: Lila Downs Lila Downs, one of Latin America’s most influential voices with a singular sound and magnetic stage presence, is bringing a powerful live performance that seamlessly blends the essence of her 2026 album, Cambias mi Mundo (You Change My World) with the rich traditions of Día de Muertos. Rooted in Oaxaca and celebrated on prestigious global stages like Carnegie Hall, Downs turns this show into an intimate, fearless, and deeply human gathering. Audiences will experience a voyage of emotions, movement, and sound where her most acoustic and intimate original songs from Cambias mi Mundo meet deeply personal renditions of classic rancheras. Through this unique musical fusion, the concert invites the audience to dance, feel, and honor the sacred tradition of remembering the departed on both sides of the border.
Balboa 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
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