Saturday, Sept. 7

City Heights Lantern Festival
To celebrate its 35th anniversary and the diversity of City Heights, Vien Dong IV is hosting the inaugural City Heights Lantern Festival. The free event will include lion dancing, music, food trucks and lanterns. The festival celebrates the Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival (Tet Trung Thu) as well as the diversity and support from the amazing community of City Heights. The festival is from 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. at the Vien Dong IV Shopping Plaza, 5382 University Ave., San Diego, CA 92105.

South Park Fall Walkabout

The South Park Walkabout is a quarterly fun-filled evening festival that showcases all the unique and independent businesses within South Park. Enjoy complimentary treats, live entertainment, and special offers. Located at South Park Neighborhood from 30th and Kalmia streets to 30th/Fern and Beech streets from 6-10 p.m.

Raza Visions
Centro Cultural de la Raza presents Raza Visions, another round in their series of fundraisers featuring live music, food, drinks and live screenprinting. With the 50th anniversary of Centro Cultural de la Raza approaching in 2021, Raza Visions is a fundraiser to help the Centro establish new collaborations with artists and to develop new approaches to public engagement and historic preservation. 7 p.m.-midnight at Centro Cultural de la Raza, 2004 Park Blvd.

Hackathon
Academy of Our Lady of Peace (OLP) will hold its inaugural Hackathon event at its campus at 4860 Oregon Street. This event invites female students, grades 8-12, to participate in collaborative problem solving surrounding the topic of environmental sustainability. Participating students will practice valuable skills in STEM, including research, analysis, communication and more, and will present their comprehensive findings and solutions to a panel of judges, with the top teams to receive special prizes. The event will feature keynote speaker, Cody Hooven, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of San Diego, and will be hosted by OLP’s Engineering Projects in Community Service Club. The full-day Hackathon starts with registration at 7:45 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m. The cost is $18 per person and includes snacks, lunch, and event swag.

Sunday, Sept. 8

Farm to Fork Week
San Diego Farm to Fork Week returns Sept. 8-15 with a brand new kickoff party: Farmers, Chefs and Fishermen. The party will be held at the historic Mission Hills Nursery on Sept. 8 from 4-7 p.m. with over 20 chefs, vintners and other beverage makers and will benefit Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center. For more information and updates on San Diego Farm to Fork Week events, visit farmtoforksd.com

Tuesday, Sept. 10

Gay Men’s Bookclub
The Gay Men’s Book Club will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 10, to discuss this month’s selection, “The Great Believers” by Rebecca Makkai, a finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The Pulitzer committee described it as, “an artful novel that chronicles a mother’s search for her estranged daughter against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis, and contemplates the ripples of grief affecting generations of survivors.” Anyone interested in novels, memoirs and plays with gay themes is welcome to join the club. 6-7:30 p.m. at the Mission Hills-Hillcrest Library, 215 W. Washington St. Contact Ron Alsop at [email protected] or 908-347-3877 for more information.

Thursday, Sept. 12

Art as Health: A day of art and HIV testing
During this day, the community is offered free HIV testing, complimentary admission to San Diego Art Institute’s newest exhibit “Forging Territories,” including docent-led tours tailored for HIV-impacted individuals and communities, and access to a panel discussion featuring artist and HIV activist Joey Terrill of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Participants’ experiences this day are designed to provide HIV education and awareness through free testing by the AntiViral Research Center at UCSD, as well as a sense of cultural awareness through the thought-provoking art of SDAI’s new exhibit “Forging Territories: Queer Afro and Latinx Contemporary Art.” The event will be held from noon to 6 p.m., with a panel discussion, “Race, HIV, and Art: The Impact of HIV/AIDS on LGBTQ Artists and Communities of Color” beginning at 6 p.m.

SD Street Food Fest
City Heights Community Development is hosting a delicious, convenient, affordable community builder. The first annual Street Food Fest is designed to get people together around tables and food stalls to celebrate another year of community building. Kids under age 12 are free. Tickets are $8. 5-9 p.m. at Fair@44, 4350 El Cajon Blvd.

Friday, Sept. 13

Alley Cat Art Walk
Eight art galleries and museums in Historic Downtown El Cajon are hosting an event held in Arts Alley — an alley between Main Street and Rea Avenue that is a popular corridor of public murals. Entertainment will include art shows, art demonstrations, artists’ booths, hands-on craft booths, wine tastings, opportunity drawings, a beer garden sponsored by the El Cajon German American Club, and vibrant music performed live by Theo and the Zydeco Patrol. The Alley Cat Art Walk also features a collection of wood planks in the shape of a cat head, painted artistically by regional artists. 3-8 p.m.

‘Urban Campout: All That Glitters is Gold’
Friends of Girl Scouts San Diego are invited to come together under the stars on Friday, Sept. 13, for “Urban Campout: All That Glitters is Gold.” The event will be held from 6-11 p.m. at Girl Scouts’ campus in Balboa Park, located at 1231 Upas St. In addition to a wine walk (modeled after a cake walk) and classic camp activities like archery and s’mores, the event will provide entertainment based on its theme. Urban campers will “pan for gold” and compete for a chance to score a “golden ticket.” The gilded evening will also feature auctions, gourmet cuisine, adult beverages, and dancing to the music of The Mighty Untouchables. The public is welcome at Urban Campout. For details on attending or volunteering for the event, visit sdgirlscouts.org/uc or call 619-610-0807. Tickets start at $300.

Saturday, Sept. 14

The ART of Aging Well: A Workshop for Gay Men
The workshop is based on Michael Kimmel’s next book: “The Gay Man’s Guide to Aging Well.” The ART of Aging Well will address questions like: As a gay man, do you find aging (particularly in San Diego’s LGBT community) to be a challenge? Come join us as we explore these questions with a safe, supportive group of men, facilitated by yours truly. The workshop is limited to 25 men and the admission fee is $25. Saturday, Sept. 14, from 1:30-3 p.m. at The Studio Door in Hillcrest. To register, please go to: bit.ly/2KvDCwM. For more information, contact Michael at 619-955-3311 or [email protected].

Homeruns for Homelessness
Come celebrate InterContinental San Diego’s first anniversary by running the original Padres stadium bases to benefit the Alpha Project and other homeless services. At this all-ages, all-levels event, request your “at-bat” song, step up to the plate at historic Lane Field Park and wind up for a whiffle ball — the farther you hit it, the more the hotel will donate on your behalf! Then, batter up for a ballpark-style lunch, ice cold brews in the “outfield,” raffle and silent auction prizes, fun and games for kids, and more. In attendance will also be the San Diego Padre’s official Pad Squad and Swingin’ Friar, the official Padres mascot. Pricing is $20 for adults, $15 for kids — includes one “at bat” and run around bases, ballpark-style lunch, and $10 (adults) or $5 (kids) donation to the Alpha Project. Lunch includes hot dog or hamburger, chips, cracker jack and soda or water. Additional “at bats” can be purchased for $5 with all proceeds going to the Alpha Project.

Monday, Sept. 16

Mayoral Forum
The Bankers Hill Community Group will host a mayoral forum at their monthly meeting. Barbara Bry, Bonnie Sue Eisner, Todd Gloria, Beatrice Marion, Rich Riel and Tasha Williamson all want to be your next mayor and have confirmed for the Mayoral Forum. The forums are open to all and will be held at the Bankers Hill Clubhouse, 3030 Front St. in Bankers Hill from 6-8 p.m. Come early, submit your candidates question, meet candidates and enjoy a beautiful view of the bay and setting sun.

Thursday, Sept. 19

San Diego LGBTQ Town Hall
The San Diego LGBT Community Center has announced the next phases of its organizational strategic planning process, which will include a community-wide town hall meeting and a series of focus groups. The feedback from these interactive activities will be essential in developing goals to form The Center’s strategic plan to continue to strive to best serve the San Diego LGBTQ community. The San Diego LGBTQ Town Hall meeting will take place from 6-8 p.m. in The Center’s Auditorium, 3909 Centre St.

Friday, Sept. 20

Santa Fe Marketplace

Celebrating the colorful cultures of Native Americans and the American Southwest, Bazaar del Mundo’s annual Santa Fe Marketplace returns to Old Town, Friday through Sunday, Sept. 20-22. Bazaar del Mundo (located at 4133 Taylor St. in Old Town) will overflow with exquisite collections of authentic Native American jewelry, art, crafts and décor from Navajo, Cherokee, Hopi, Pima, Isleta Pueblo and Santo Domingo Pueblo tribe members, along with other noted Southwestern artists demonstrating and selling their goods.Guests will also enjoy daily musical entertainment and feast on mouth-watering Mexican cuisine for sale at the otherwise free event, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit
bazaardelmundo.com.

Saturday, Sept. 21

Charity Yoga EventOne Love Movement, a nonprofit centered around raising awareness and support to advance social justice, will host its eighth annual Charity Yoga Event on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Waterfront Park in Downtown San Diego. The event features a yoga class along with a guided meditation, a live concert and talk with singer-songwriter and guitarist Trevor Hall, a kids corner and the first-ever wellness garden. Guests will be able to enjoy food and beverage vendors, as well as massages. All proceeds will benefit local San Diego nonprofit Voices for Children, that transforms the lives of abused or neglected children by providing them with trained volunteer advocates, as well as the San Diego Rapid Response Network, that aids immigrant families in the San Diego border region, and the One Love Shelter in India, home to 17 boys in Bangalore, India. Tickets start at $35.

Mission Hills Roaring ’20s Home Tour
Mission Hills Heritage presents its 15th annual Home Tour. This year’s tour is all about Mission Hills Homes built in the 1920s — that decade of decades, exuberant, prosperous and simply fabulous. Take the tour of eight Mission Hills Historic Homes featuring high style and architectural variety. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. starting at 4405 Trias St. Tickets are $35.

Celebrate the Jeri Dilno Way
Councilmember Chris Ward will be recognizing local trailblazer and LGBTQ leader, Jeri Dilno with an honorary street naming at the 2400 block of Howard Ave, in front of her home at North Park Seniors. We will be unveiling “Jeri Dilno Way” and celebrating her 83rd birthday. 12-1:30 p.m. at North Park Seniors, 4200 Texas Street.

San Diego Zoo Food & Wine Brew
San Diego’s wildest tasting event, that will feature globally-inspired food, wine and brews with more than 160 of SoCal’s best vendors, is set in the world-famous SD Zoo. Fine-casual concept Bibigo Kitchen brings its modern Korean menu to the 3,000 guests. Benefits will go to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Conservancy. 6:30-10:30 p.m.  Tickets start at $125. For more information, contact Rachel Schrichte at [email protected] or call 619-744-3362.

Rock & Roll Avalanche
Immunotherapy Foundation’s Rock & Roll Avalanche returns Sept. 21, with rock & roll icon, Billy Idol. The legendary evening to “Rock out for Cancer Research” takes place at the Music Box, 1337 India St., in San Diego. Sponsorship and tickets are on sale now. Individual tickets are priced at $500, with VIP options available.

Saturday, Sept. 28

30th annual AIDS Walk & Run San Diego
AIDS Walk & Run San Diego is the largest HIV/AIDS fundraiser in San Diego County and is coordinated by The San Diego LGBT Community Center. For more information on the event, including opportunities to donate, volunteer, sponsor, or register, please visit www.aidswalksd.org. You can also contact Ian Johnson at [email protected] or 619-692-2077, ext. 247.

‘The Secret Morgue: Alien Autopsy’
Kick off the Halloween season with the return of The Secret Morgue to the future home of the Comic-Con Museum. Presented by Film Geeks SD, this year’s marathon of offerings will be “Alien Autopsy” themed. Not all films will be about aliens, but they will share the sci-fi theme. Just like last year, titles will not be announced in advance, but we guarantee at least six films will be shown, including fan favorites, as well as some that are rarely screened, and hopefully some you have ever seen! Tickets are $30, includes a survival pack, lunch and dinner snacks. You can bring your own food and drinks, but no alcohol is permitted. Noon on Saturday to 1 a.m. on Sunday.

RECURRING EVENTS

Mondays

Lestat’s West Open Mic
Weekly open mic event hosted by Robby Robertson every Monday, 6:30-11 p.m. at Lestat’s, 3343 Adams Ave.
bit.ly/LestatsWest

Tuesdays

Introduction to Buddhism & Meditation
Join an all-ages introductory class to learn the basic Buddhist concepts as well as participate in a discussion and silent meditation. Weekly event led by Jeff Zlotnik. Free. 7-8 p.m. at Dharma Bum Temple 4144 Campus Ave. Also held on Saturdays at 11 a.m.-noon
bit.ly/dharmabum

Thursdays

North Park Thursday Market
Shop at more than 90 tents for locally grown produce, seasonal grocery items, fresh food and hand-crafted arts and crafts. 3-7:30 p.m. at 3000 North Park Way, stretching from 31st to Utah streets in North Park.
bit.ly/ThursMarket

Thursdays at the Ken
San Diego’s late-night jazz jam convenes every Thursday night at the Kensington Club. Hosted by musicians Ian Buss, Robert Dove and Hugo Suarez. $5. 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. 4079 Adams Ave. bit.ly/ThursKen

Fridays

Free Friend Friday
Looking for a co-working space with value-aligned social entrepreneurs, artists, nonprofit professionals and local startups? Collective Impact Center offers a complimentary day pass to use shared desks and office space. Bring your laptop and check in on social media with #cicfreefriendfriday for free Wi-Fi. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Collective Impact Center, 3295 Meade Ave.
bit.ly/free-Fridays

Saturdays

Old Town Saturday Market
This street market features original works from local artists including paintings, jewelry, photography and more. Every Saturday and Sunday. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at Harney Street and San Diego Avenue in Old Town.
bit.ly/OTMarket

Sundays

Hillcrest Farmers Market
About 175 venders offer a variety of locally grown produce, hand-made arts and crafts, and fresh-cut florals at one of the city’s largest open-air markets. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Normal Street between University and Lincoln avenues.
bit.ly/HillcrestMarket