I love attending every year and parking at the Ski Beach Shuttle area lot was just so easy and the…read moreshuttles have A.C!!! My favorite stand this year was Dellsubi! I just love how they dressed up their spam musubi and the line was not as long compared to the other vendors. I highly recommend all of the little shops with the li hing candies, Hawaiian snacks and outfits! It's just fun to explore and watch all of the amazing dancers!

The Pacific Island Festival Association (PIFA) event has been going on for 31 years in Mission Bay…read morein SD in September. They celebrate all of the Pacific Island Cultures. Persons from Guam and Samoa were well represented here! The main stage features entertainment every thirty minutes. I came here to see my six year old niece do some hula; however, they had cultural exhibitions for the entire weekend! Also cool are the cultural merch and food that you can get here. I was able to get a really solid 3 meat sampling of Chamorro (Guamanian) food for $25, which came with a red rice, 3 meats, and creamy greens. Lines could be pretty long for food and it can get pretty hot at the park; however, we had a good time as we were here in the morning before the sun brought down its wrath on the crowds. We parked for free at the Sun Runner Parking lot off Sea World Parkway, and they had shuttles that took you to the event from the lot for $2 per person. If you are coming to this event, then I think this is a great way to get to the event. The event is running through the end of this weekend. I primarily come to support family that participates; however, we did find some good food and Pacific Islander vendors, so it was a good time overall!

I had the most amazing time at the Grand Fiesta event of the SDBWFF. Thank you so much to Yelp SD…read moreand Hannah for the complimentary tickets! I got to Liberty station shortly after the event began, and parking was still plentiful. While the line looked intimidating, it moved pretty quickly after they began organizing multiple lanes. Lines for food inside the event also moved pretty quickly, and I was able to eat my taco while waiting for my next bite. There were a ton of wine and spirits options but some nonalcoholic beverage options as well. The restaurants that showed up showed OUT. While they did start running out towards the end of the event, there were a lot of quality ingredients on display. There was a live band that really set the mood, and lots of cute decor. There were definitely more booths than I had time or stomach space to hit. I think I literally ate 10 tacos and several beverages, and was so stuffed that I had to drink pu'er tea for digestion when I got home. I sampled fantastic shrimp tacos, ceviche, steak, street tacos, and more creative offerings including a Korean inspired taco and a bbq inspired taco. I did not stay for the taco competition at the very end, in order to beat traffic leaving Liberty station. However, I had an amazing time at this event and cannot wait for this festival to roll back around next year! I hope to make it to the Grand Tasting next year.

This review is for a portion of the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival called The Grand Fiesta…read more The festival itself has several events over the course of a few days. I have been to the Grand Tasting a few times in the past and really enjoyed it. This time, the Grand Tasting didn't fit into my schedule, but the Grand Fiesta did, and I was very fortunate to score some free tickets from Yelp, and was able to invite a friend to join me. The Grand Fiesta takes place in Liberty Station. Though a busy area, there was plenty of parking. We arrived to wait in line about 15 minutes before the gates opened. Once opened, it took about 5 minutes to get inside. The event lasted three hours for general admission. The Grand fiesta was mostly Mexican-themed with a lot of wines from Baja, as well as a taco competition. I was not able to taste all of the tacos, so I opted not to vote. I loved that there was so much seafood. One of my favorites was Guantanos II Seafood (located in Spring Valley) that served a ton of fresh seafood. Another favorite was a very well balanced middle-eastern taco, though I cannot remember the name of the restaurant that served it. There were even a couple of delicious desserts. I liked that there were wines from various different nearby regions, as well as tequilas and varieties of mezcal. I enjoyed the Day of the Dead figures that were present throughout, as well as the roaming mariachi band. I think the big downfall of the Grand Fiesta, is that there were absolutely zero tables or belly bars. With a wine glass in one hand and a taco in the other, it was really hard to eat and to stay relatively neat without being able to ever stop and set anything down. Luckily, a friend gave me a tray that helped a bit with that situation. They also could have used a few hand washing stations. A few of the food vendors had super long lines, so we chose to go elsewhere. Also, a few ran out of food really early on. All in all, it was a really fun event. I am glad that I attended and would definitely return.

I have gone a few times over the last 15 years…read more Parking is first come first serve and in the surrounding neighborhoods and then you use the heel and toe express to get over to the street fair. The fair is free to walk around, shop, buy food and drink, listen to the bands. The bands are loud and there are several sound stages. There are booths selling the festival merch, like shirts and hats, and I assume that helps to continue to put on the festival\. The ad said 300 vendors, not sure if there were really 300, but there were a bunch for sure. Definitely a fun thing to check out if you are in the area and wanting a street festival to try.

People who don't like street fairs never leave their house. I've heard about this fair for years -…read moreit's always the last weekend in September. And it can be pretty hot in Sept, so bring your floppy hats and plenty of water. This was the 40th year with 66 bands - some are 'hit or miss' - but a great selection of music. Lots of vendors for things like solar panels to pest control to food. Most of the food is a little deeper in the festival - but you've got your solid basics: gyros, bbq, and ..... well......fried. Pup friendly but be sure to travel on the off-hours. Nice selection of pet friendly vendors too (leashes, bowls, tons of pet stuff)! Lots of fun for the whole family - it's nice to get out after being locked down for so many years!

I cannot believe I forgot to write a review on San Diego Bay Parade of Lights!!!…read more We have been here a couple of years now. It's supposed to start around 5:30pm ish. Depends on where you're going to be to see all the pretty boats of lights!! It all depends on how many people participate in this evening of fun!! It can get crowded fast so plan your evening accordingly. It all starts at Shelter Island! It then goes to Harbor Island, Seaport Village, The Embarcadero, The Pier at Cesar Chavez Park, and the Ferry Landing on Coronado. Pick an area that will best benefit your evening. We brought a lawn chair and snacks! Overall, a great family experience!!

We stayed to see the boat parade after a performance at the Rady Shell. Some of the places had…read morebetter views than others. We just moved around a bit until he had the view we wanted. Some of the boats were elaborately decorated and others were more simple. It was definitely enjoyable (alien theme this year).

We live in San Diego, and decided to take this tour on a Thursday night. Anthony, our guide was…read morefunny engaging at had great stories. He took us to a few places to eat that were excellent. This is plenty of food. We met cool people. A few others also from SD. The night ended with gelato and it was not an excessive amount of walking. We are going to make this something we do yearly it was a great evening!

Always my fave spot to visit when I'm in SD. I come there one year and the food and portions are…read moreon point. No real human can eat all that food in one setting. Great food l, great service. From Minnesota will always be back. Coach Dixon

I visited the San Diego Night Market around 5:30 pm the first night, and there was not much of a…read moreline at all. At least this year they were able to rent out part of the SDCCU Stadium lot, so there's a ton of parking and no need for a shuttle to get there. There were a good amount of vendors, but the food was really just mediocre. You also really have to do your research on all the vendors before you go, because the one we decided to get was awful. The one we went to had these BBQ Squid Skewers which we ordered, and they were very undercooked. They were pretty much still raw. We took it back to them and they just cooked it a little bit more and the second time around the body of the squid was cooked better, but the tentacles were still very raw. Some of the vendors also didn't really plan accordingly because by 8 pm, before peak time, some of them were already sold out of items. Most of the main course type foods were just average, overpriced food. I think the better items to get here are the drinks and the desserts, so I would recommend getting something to eat before you arrive, and then wait in line for the drinks and desserts. There was absolutely no seating at all, so a lot of people, us included, just ended up sitting on the ground to eat our food. There were maybe like 5 tables that I saw in the entire venue which were obviously occupied very very quickly. There was a ton of open space, even with the amount of people walking around and the long lines, so there should definitely be a lot more tables than there actually were. I hope that next year they really rent out way more tables and chairs because this year it was just not enough. Like I said, I arrived around 5:30 pm, and I was glad that I did, because by 8 pm, some of the vendors would run out of certain items, and the lines were just so ridiculously long, which led to a ridiculously long wait, for ridiculously mediocre food. When we left around 9:45, the line to just get inside was so long that it reached the concrete border at the lot and had to make a bend in order to not go past it. If you're planning on coming here, I highly recommend going closer to the opening time because there is no way that I'd pay $5 to wait hours in line for sold out food. I went in early, so the wait times weren't so bad for me, which is probably why my experience wasn't as bad as others. It was still pretty bad though.

I find it humorous reading the one-star reviews from earlier tonight because the 2019 version of…read morethe SD Night Market was an improvement over the past years, especially the cluster that was on Convoy St in 2018. That being said, many of the critiques were spot-on and accurate. Here were my observations for the first night of the event... Pros: * There were many more parking spaces than in the Kearny Mesa area. A shuttle was no longer needed to transport people to the site. * Food vendors were more numerous this time (~32 compared to less than 10). * There was plenty of open space away from the food lines to walk around and not feel overcrowded. Cons: * The wait to get into the stadium parking lot was ridiculously long. The organizers needed to hire SD Police to direct traffic and override the signals which were useless. * There was a competing auto festival on the other side of the stadium lot so that added to the congestion on Friars Rd. * The admission lines should have been more efficiently managed especially for those who had already purchased a ticket on Eventbrite. * Some vendors really underestimated the customer demand and ran out of food early. * The food lines did take a long time as many of the booths seemed caught off guard by the crowds. Overall, I gave my experience 2.5 stars and rounded up because trust me, the SD Night Market has been even more poorly organized than what we have seen so far. PS: I heard the Fire Marshal had to shut down admission around 10 pm because the capacity of 5,000 attendees had been reached.

Beautiful yet not totally spectacular because all the lights and nice things to see her…read moreconcentrated to a very reduced plaza and if the main restaurant there has a private event you cannot roam freely. Still, each year I try to at least to one day or better one night like this year and enjoy the catrinas, the music, the Mexican colors and the way their honor the dead. Parking can be challenging especially during the weekend and restaurants around are a hit or miss (usually I don't get great experiences as they are mostly targeting tourists and good quality is not the best). Very nice festival to get a glimpse of what the real thing might be in Mexico. I wish the whole Old Town had more lighting, many areas are very dark at night and can feel sketchy especially if you are a woman walking alone.

Now that Cinco de Mayo is over, I'm already looking forward to Old Town's very best annual…read morecelebration--Dia de los Muertos! Last year's event was amazing. So many costumed volunteers as well as average joes, gorgeous ofrendas commemorating lost loved ones, giant paper mache masterpieces, spooky face painting, music and of course food and drinks galore. Can't wait to get dressed up, take a stroll through my hood and enjoy the fabulous, fun-loving milieu one more time!

We had planned to spend the afternoon at Liberty Station and were pleasantly surprised to see the…read moreTet Festival being hosted here. Upon arrival, the Lion and Dragon dance had just started so we got to see the full performance. As a kid, I was always fond of seeing these performances, so I was smiling ear to ear! The event was very fun and festive, with lots of food vendors and merchants selling all kinds of stuff. I didn't have a hat on me and it was sunny, so I ended up with a pretty parasol to shield me from the beating sun. Next year, I'll definitely want to come dressed in my Vietnamese dress to take pictures with all the beautiful props. All in all, we had a great time and will be back next year!

We went to the Tet Festival at Liberty Station over the weekend and it was sensational. The food…read morewas incredible; such authentic delicious Vietnamese creations! Too many to name one and all made to order! The stage performances were exceptional and so varied! Fair rides kept families busy and so happy! I hope they come back next year to celebrate the lunar year again!

First time going to street fair. I was concerned about…read moreparking since many of reviews mentioned that finding parking is tough. Fortunately we were able to park immediately a couple minutes away from the fair. They had so many venders, we got raw cinnamon honey and hot sauces! Im so excited to try them out especially raw honey! Very family and dog friendly, we spent great time!!!

A typical California farmers market with 60% fresh grown and local food, 30% arts & crafts and 10%…read morefood booth/trucks. This dynamic is welcomed to most people because they get to socialize and buy more then just fresh fruits and veggies. The only thing I am critical about is the organization of the booth space that allows the flow of people in better safety and comfort. I assume there was some store front push back that wanted 100% of there sidewalk available and clear surfing the market but what that has done has jammed too many people in what is obviously a "narrow space" to walk. It would be a fair and SAFE compromise to use 50% of the sidewalks on each side and adjust back the venders booths giving people 5 feet more in the middle to walk around. It would be easier to do this rather then assume or ask people to not stand around creating bottlenecks or be considerate of others and move like a car on a road. Expect to drive around for parking if you are not local enough to walk to the event and crowding due to the popular area it is in, live music, fresh foods and drinks as well as plenty of unique crafts and clothing.

What an idea! Pop up a movie anywhere. Could your street be next?…read morePAC-Arts in San Diego is putting on Drive-by Cinema around town. Just find a location and pop up a classic movie! This kickoff event was so fun, we will certainly follow them on twitter to see where they pop up next!