San Diego is wasting zero time getting into May. This weekend has food festivals, Padres baseball, live orchestra Star Wars, zoo drinks, soccer at Snapdragon, Riverdance, and a street fair big enough to make your parking karma matter.
Basically, if your only plan was “maybe grab a drink somewhere,” San Diego rejected the proposal and handed you a full itinerary. Here are the top things to do in San Diego this weekend, May 1 to May 3.
Table of Contents
FoodieLand San Diego
Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3 | Friday 3 to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 1 to 10 p.m.
FoodieLand is the move if your weekend personality is “one more bite” followed by immediate regret and zero lessons learned. Del Mar Fairgrounds gets packed with global street food, sweets, shopping vendors, games, and enough snack options to turn a casual lap into a full financial event.
Expect a little bit of everything, from takoyaki and Japanese hot dogs to raspados, desserts, fried things, sauced things, and those “we should split this” orders that nobody actually splits. If this makes you want to keep eating around town after the weekend, we already have a guide to the best tacos in San Diego waiting for your next bad decision.
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar
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HPR Ethnic Food Fair
Saturday, May 2 to Sunday, May 3
Balboa Park’s International Cottages turn into a mini world tour for the HPR Ethnic Food Fair, with cultural food booths, music, dancing, and performances from the groups that make the park’s international lawn one of the city’s most underrated gems.
It’s free to attend, family-friendly, and a strong daytime plan if you want something more interesting than wandering around saying, “Should we get coffee?” For more park ideas while you’re there, link this up with our Balboa Park guide.
2191 Pan American W Rd, Balboa Park
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Padres vs. Chicago White Sox
Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3 | Various game times
The Padres are home against the White Sox all weekend, which means downtown gets its usual mix of jerseys, optimism, nachos, and people explaining bullpen strategy like they’re applying for the front office.
Friday brings Out at the Park energy, Saturday has Faith and Family Night, and the whole weekend is a good excuse to turn a baseball game into a Gaslamp crawl. If you’re watching before or after first pitch, our guide to the best sports bars in San Diego is the natural companion piece.
100 Park Blvd, Downtown San Diego
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Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert
Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 3 at 6:30 p.m.
The Rady Shell is putting Star Wars on the big screen while the San Diego Symphony performs John Williams’ score live. That’s the kind of nerdy and classy overlap San Diego should lean into more often.
You get the waterfront setting, the opening crawl, the Death Star, the full orchestra, and a crowd full of adults pretending they didn’t once try to move objects with their mind. Bring a layer, because the bay likes to remind everyone who is actually in charge after sunset.
222 Marina Park Way, Embarcadero
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San Diego Zoo Food, Wine & Brew
Saturday, May 2
San Diego Zoo Food, Wine & Brew is a 21+ tasting fundraiser where you can sip, snack, catch live entertainment, and wander the zoo after hours without having to pretend the kids are the reason you wanted to see the animals.
The event is all-inclusive, with food, wine, beer, and wildlife-focused programming supporting the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. It’s not the cheapest night out, but it is one of the more San Diego ways to spend a Saturday. For families doing the zoo another weekend, we’ve got more things to do with kids in San Diego.
2920 Zoo Dr, Balboa Park
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Riverdance
Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3 | Multiple performances
Riverdance hits the San Diego Civic Theatre for its anniversary tour, bringing the kind of footwork that makes your knees file a formal complaint just watching it.
There are multiple performances across the weekend, so this is an easy downtown theater pick if you want something polished, high-energy, and not built around standing in a beer line. Respectfully, these people have calves made of rebar.
1100 Third Ave, Downtown San Diego
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San Diego FC vs. LAFC
Saturday, May 2 | 6:30 p.m.
San Diego FC gets a big Saturday night test against LAFC at Snapdragon Stadium, and Mission Valley should have that new-club buzz that still feels fresh around here.
It’s also Korean Heritage Night, so expect a little extra atmosphere around the match. If you’ve been waiting for the right excuse to finally get to Snapdragon, this is it. Waiting forever is not a personality, heh heh.
2101 Stadium Way, Mission Valley
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San Diego Wave FC vs. Bay FC
Sunday, May 3 | 4 p.m.
San Diego Wave keeps the soccer weekend going Sunday afternoon against Bay FC at Snapdragon Stadium. It’s a cleaner family move than pretending everyone wants to walk around a crowded brunch district for two hours.
The early start makes it easy to pair with lunch, make the match, and still be home before the Sunday scaries fully clock in. Snapdragon weekends are becoming their own San Diego rhythm now.
2101 Stadium Way, Mission Valley
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Atsuko Okatsuka: The Big Bowl Tour
Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3 | Multiple performances
Atsuko Okatsuka brings The Big Bowl Tour to the Balboa Theatre for four shows across the weekend. She’s sharp, strange, very funny, and proof that a haircut can become part of the brand if the jokes are strong enough.
This is the right pick for the group chat that keeps defaulting to “drinks?” every weekend and then acting surprised when nothing memorable happens. The Balboa Theatre is downtown, so dinner before or after is easy.
868 Fourth Ave, Gaslamp
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Carlsbad Village Street Faire
Sunday, May 3 | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Carlsbad Village Street Faire returns Sunday with hundreds of vendors, food options, live entertainment, kids’ activities, and a beer garden spread across downtown Carlsbad.
It’s free, it’s huge, and parking will absolutely test your spiritual development. Take the shuttle, bike, or use the Coaster if you can. If you’re making a North County day of it, our guide to things to do in Carlsbad fits right in.
Grand Ave from Carlsbad Blvd to Jefferson St, Carlsbad Village
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San Diego French Film Festival
Sunday, May 3 to Thursday, May 7
The San Diego French Film Festival opens Sunday at The Lot La Jolla, launching five days of francophone films, cultural programming, and the kind of Sunday plan that makes you sound like you have your life together.
Opening night is the weekend anchor, with screenings continuing into the week. It’s a strong La Jolla pick if you want something calmer after a food festival, baseball game, or general May chaos. Pair it with our things to do in La Jolla guide if you’re building the whole day.
7611 Fay Ave, La Jolla
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Snail Mail at The Observatory North Park
Saturday, May 2 | 6:30 p.m.
Snail Mail headlines The Observatory North Park on Saturday with Armlock and Sharp Pins, giving North Park an indie rock night that pairs nicely with dinner, drinks, and pretending you are not too tired to stand for a whole show.
The Observatory remains one of the city’s best rooms for this kind of show. For pre-show planning, our North Park guide has the neighborhood assist.
2891 University Ave, North Park
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Avant Garde Ball: Larger Than Life
Saturday, May 2 | 8 p.m. to midnight
MCASD’s Avant Garde Ball returns Saturday night with a Larger Than Life theme, open bars, Barrio Logan bites, live music, performance art, and a museum-wide party built for people who want their Saturday to feel like an actual event.
It’s 21+, dressier than your average night out, and very La Jolla in the sense that you may briefly consider becoming a person who says “activation” with confidence. Proceeds support MCASD programming and exhibitions.
700 Prospect St, La Jolla
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City Ballet of San Diego: The Firebird
Saturday, May 2 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 3 at 2 p.m.
City Ballet of San Diego closes its season in Escondido with The Firebird, performed with the City Ballet Orchestra at California Center for the Arts.
You get a Saturday night performance and a Sunday matinee, which gives both date-night people and responsible Sunday people a lane. It’s a good North County arts pick if your weekend needs more culture and fewer paper food trays.
340 N Escondido Blvd, Escondido
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That’s the weekend. Pick your lane, food coma, soccer chaos, museum party, orchestra nerd night, or pretending you went to Carlsbad “just to browse.” San Diego gave us options. Use them wisely.
