Our main server is down, this is our backup server.
The San Diego Participant Observer        CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY EMAIL NEWSLETTER!

Toggle Navigation
  • Home
  • About
  • Donate
  • Food
  • Film
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Theater
  • Arts & Museums
  • Streaming
  • Books
  • The WVP
  • MCBooks
  • WOC
  • Social Justice
  • Featured
  • Local Orgs

Local Cross-Cultural Events

October 2026
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31

* Upcoming Events *



Thursday, October 8

5:00 PMMusic: Shabaka
Shabaka brings his groundbreaking new album, Of The Earth, to San Diego for one unforgettable night. On October 8, FUTURE IS COLOR® Studio Sessions welcomes Shabaka for a special live performance centered on his latest album, Of The Earth. Shabaka is a multi-instrumentalist and composer who came to prominence within the London scene playing bands Sons of Kemet, the Comet is Coming and Shabaka and the Ancestors. At the start of 2024, he announced a hiatus from the saxophone, and since then has been composing material for the various flutes he is engaged in studying. Collaboration and the idea of developmental change being central to artistic practice is the driving force behind Shabaka’s live sets, which are constantly evolving and striving to reflect an up-to-date account of a creative mind in flow. Join us for an evening of with one of the most vital and ever-evolving artists of our time.

Quartyard
6:00 PMLatin Author Book Fair
Join Southwestern College for an inspiring evening celebrating the transformative power of storytelling, education, and cultural representation. Featuring nationally recognized author and mentor Erica Alfaro as moderator, this special event will bring together Latina/o authors from the Rising Latino Authors Mentorship Group for a dynamic conversation on resilience, leadership, higher education, entrepreneurship, and the journey to publication. The evening will also include a vibrant Book Fair featuring more than 25 Latina/o authors, local writers, and Southwestern College alumni. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet authors, purchase signed books, learn from their personal journeys, and connect with mentors and community leaders who are shaping the future through the power of stories.

Southwestern College
7:00 PMStage: 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: Fuori
Fuori is a moving drama about friendship in adversity, female solidarity, and anti-conformism, inspired by the life of one of Italy’s most iconic authors, Goliarda Sapienza. Rome, 1980. After the magnum opus The Art of Joy she has been working on for a decade is rejected by the Italian publishing world, writer Goliarda Sapienza ends up in prison for stealing jewelry, but the encounter with some young inmates turns out to be a life-changing experience. After their release and over the course of a scorching summer, the women continue to meet, and Goliarda forms a deep bond with Roberta, a repeat offender and political activist. A connection no one on the outside can truly understand, but through which Goliarda rediscovers the joy of living and the drive to write again. In Italian with English subtitles. A special introduction and post-screening Q&A with Professor Clarissa Clò (San Diego State University).

Museum of Photographic Arts

Friday, October 9

NOONBrazilian 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 PMFilipino 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
6:00 PMFundraiser: 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 PMFilm: 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 PMStage: 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 PMComedy: 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

11:00 AMDía 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
1:00 PMBlacktoberFest
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
2:00 PMStage: 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 PMGyotaku 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 PMItalian 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
7:00 PMMusic: 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 PMStage: 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

10:00 AMHello 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 AMDía 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
11:15 AMHello 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 PMExhibit: 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 PMStage: 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 PMMasu 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 PMStage: 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 PMFilm: 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

Tuesday, October 13

5:30 PMSan 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 PMBook 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 PMBook 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 PMStage: 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 PMSugar Skulls Craft
This all-ages workshop celebrates Día de los Muertos with a hands-on sugar skull craft activity.

North Park Library
7:00 PMStage: 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 PMTalk: 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 PMPaint 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 PMNoche 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 PMStage: 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 AMMusic: 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 PMDance: 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 PMStage: 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
7:30 PMDance: 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 AMTohoku 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
11:00 AMGalbani 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 PMStage: 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
8:00 PMStage: 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 AM2026 Guelaguetza Festival
San Diego's Guelaguetza celebration presents Oaxacan dance, music, traditional foods and products made in Oaxaca.

Palomar College
11:00 AMGalbani 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
NOONTianguis 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 PMStage: 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 PMStage: 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 PMCalavera 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 PMVisiting 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
5:00 PMTalk: 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 PMFilm: 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 PMCalavera 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 PMFilm: 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 PMBook 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 PMVisiting 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 PMCarmel 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 PMVisiting 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
6:00 PMPan 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 AMTalk: 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 PMVisiting 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
7:30 PMMusic: 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

11:00 AMHouse 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
5:00 PMMusic: 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 PMBuy 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 PMMusic: 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
7:30 PMStage: 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
8:00 PMMusic: 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 AM2026 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
2:00 PMStage: 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
3:00 PMMusic: 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 PMTalk: 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 PMFood: 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

Tuesday, October 27

2:00 PMVisiting 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

Cultural Tidings - September 24, 2026

  • Print
  • Email

Your Window to the World

Cultural Tidings
  • Elif Eralp: ‘Germany’s Zohran Mamdani’ Who Vows to Be a Mayor for All Berliners
  • ‘It’s Almost Impossible Not to Feel Inspired’: How the Story of Terry Fox Fired up Canada’s Patriotic Spirit Again
  • Full Moons, Mooncakes and Lanterns in Every Colour: the Mid-autumn Festival – in Pictures
  • Thirteen-year-old Swim Sensation Sets Women’s 200m Butterfly Record at Asian Games
  • ‘People Had Naive Expectations’: How MeToo Has Changed in China
  • Healthcare in Africa ‘Under Growing Strain’ After US Withdrawal From Aid Programs, Report Warns
  • Italian Pop Legend Takes the Lead in Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Fendi Collection
  • Leaders Join Push to Create UN Body to Tackle ‘Awful Reality’ of Inequality
  • Afghan Cyclist Who Disguised Herself as a Man to Evade Taliban Wins Asian Games Silver
  • ‘Addiction is Not Only Caused by Weak Will’: How a Talking Pigeon Got Czechia to Face up to Its Alcohol Problem
  • Nine Women in South Africa Have Been Murdered Since July. we Are Being Told to Be Vigilant – but Where Are the Warnings to Men?
  • ‘This is Where I Live Now, the Back of a Truck’: a Day in the Life of a Grandmother in Gaza
  • Ethics and Evil: the Villagers Reviving India’s Debating Traditions
  • The Spectre of ‘Remigration’ is Haunting Europe. Slovenia in 1992 Gives Us a Blueprint for This State Terror
  • An Ancient Wall Sheds Light on an Old Question: Where Did Paris Begin?
  • Paris Really, Really Loves Céline Dion
  • They Kept Outsiders Away for 500 Years. Their World is About to Change.
  • The Most Handsome Melon in Mexico? Yes, It’s a Real Contest.
Tidings Archive

Cultural Tidings articles copyrighted by Guardian News and The New York Times Inc
Please note: The New York Times allows non-subscribers to read five to ten articles a month for free.

Details
Last Updated: 24 September 2026
Hits: 166

Read more ...

Spotlight: Persian Classical Musician, Kourosh Taghavi

  • Print
  • Email
Kourosh Taghavi
Persian classical musician Kourosh Taghavi embraces a passionate approach to music that has impacted audiences around the world. His collaborative projects with master musicians and local cultural organizations work to fulfill his lifelong dream to promote Persian classical music. More recently, his ongoing efforts with the Center for World Music bring the setar and Iranian culture to San Diego school districts through hands-on instruction in Persian classical music.
(English • Spanish)

By Amanda Kelly
Details
Last Updated: 03 June 2026
Hits: 16507

Read more ...

A Freeway Runs Through It: Little Italy

  • Print
  • Email
 Little Italy
Today San Diego's Little Italy is a bustling commercial, dining and entertainment district. But more than a half century ago, it was a largely residential area populated by Italian families, most of which were involved in San Diego's thriving tuna industry. Over the next few decades, Little Italy became a self-contained neighborhood with its own grocery stores, bakeries, restaurants, a Catholic church, an elementary school, a drugstore, and a fire department. Then a half century ago the community was cut in half by the expansion of San Diego's freeway system, devastating a once thriving community. Read about Little Italy's rich past and about local efforts to preserve the neighborhood's unique ethnic character and identity. By Tony Rocco
(English ● Spanish)

 

Details
Last Updated: 03 June 2026
Hits: 11853

Read more ...

Spotlight: The Center for World Music

  • Print
  • Email
Center for World Music
The Center for World Music is a unique nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster awareness and understanding of the world's diverse performing arts and cultures through public performances and teaching. Its primary purpose is to draw public attention to the diversity of the world's performing arts traditions: Asian, African, European, Latin American, and American.by Dr. Peter Peterman
Details
Last Updated: 03 June 2026
Hits: 11699

Read more ...

The Worldview Project Guide to Getting a Passport

  • Print
  • Email

passports

Less than one-half of all Americans have a passport. People without passports not only can't go to far away places like Asia, Africa, Europe, or South America, without a passport you can't even travel to Mexico or Canada. An important step in becoming a global citizen is actually getting out there and experiencing other cultures firsthand. Don't limit your options! Passports don't expire for 10 years, think ahead and apply for or renew yours today! The steps to apply for a passport are not as daunting as they may seem. Whether you are looking to apply for a new passport or to renew your current passport, follow the steps in our handy guide!

Compiled by Julie Tran
Details
Last Updated: 03 June 2026
Hits: 10735

Read more ...

Spotlight: The Chicano Federation

  • Print
  • Email
Chicano Federation
The Chicano Federation was founded in 1969 and provides a wide ranges of social, economic and educational services to people of many ethnicities in San Diego. Covid-19 has had a much greater affect on Latinos here in San Diego, forcing the Chicano Federation to adapt to the new realities caused by the pandemic. The leaders of the organization believe they have a sustaining strategy to continue to meet the needs of the people it serves during the pandemic as well as addressing some of its long-term effects.By Ian A. Lutz ()
Details
Last Updated: 03 June 2026
Hits: 12010

Read more ...

Spotlight on Tecate!

  • Print
  • Email
tecate

Photo: John Gibbons
Less than an hour's drive from central San Diego lies the wonderful little town Tecate, Mexico. Just scoot east on scenic 94 and in no time you will find yourself at the border. Park your car on the US side and after a very short hassle free walk you will find yourself primed to spend a lovely relaxing day in this uncrowded "Pueblo Magico". The tacos alone are worth the trip.

by Ian Lutz
Photos by Megumi Choi unless otherwise noted 
Details
Last Updated: 09 January 2025
Hits: 16192

Read more ...

  • You are here:  
  • Home
  • Featured

Follow Us!

Instagram Facebook YouTube Linked IN Pinterest Worldview Project

Book of the Month

The Summer My Mother Had Green Eyes
The Summer My Mother Had Green Eyes
by Tatiana Țîbuleac

Recipe of the Month


West Sumatran Dendeng Kariang

Music of the Month

Nacarile
Nacarile
by iLe

Organizations We Like

Border Angels

Back to Top

© 2026 The San Diego Participant Observer

Font size:
Container width: