San Diego Spring Events

Find the best San Diego things to do this Summer

ONGOING Summer Shakespeare Festival

San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre takes after its London counterpart in more than name alone. Just as the Shakespearean original burned to the ground in 1613, the Balboa Park landmark also met a fiery end, destroyed by arson in 1978. A replacement stage was quickly built to accommodate that summer’s National Shakespeare Festival, only to be torched by a second arson fire in 1982. The theater soldiered on, and today the Old Globe comprises three distinct venues presenting 15 plays annually, including the popular Summer Shakespeare Festival, with three plays performed in nightly repertory on an outdoor stage. This year’s picks are Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest and one non-Bard work, Amadeus. As the tension heats up between Miles Anderson’s Salieri and Jay Whittaker’s Mozart, sparks may fly at the Globe once again.

ONGOing
CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTS

La Jolla SummerFest (Aug. 3-26) features guests like Gil Shaham and Olga Kern, while The Athenaeum’s Summer Festival celebrates Franz Liszt with pianist Gustavo Romero, Sundays in July.

ONGOING
BASEBALL

The MLB’s San Diego Padres battle the Atlanta Braves (June 24-26), Arizona Diamondbacks (July 26-28) and rival L.A. Dodgers (Aug. 1-3), among others, at their home stadium, Petco Park.

july 14-17 and 22-23
circuses

Barnum & Bailey wow fans at the Valley View Center (July 14-17) while Cirque Musica pairs Ringling-trained acrobats with classical music at S.D. Symphony’s Summer Pops (July 22-23).

JULY 16-17
SAN DIEGO PRIDE FESTIVAL

Two-day LGBT festival in Balboa Park features a parade, music, dancing, comedy, beer gardens and more.

JULY 20-SEPT. 7
horseracing

Top jockeys saddle up at the legendary Del Mar Racetrack; highlights include an opening day hat contest and Friday afternoon concerts after the races.