Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sailed into San Diego Bay in 1542 and named the area San Miguel. Not until the arrival of Sebastian Vizcaino in 1602 on the flagship “San Diego” did the city get its current name. Vizcaino surveyed San Diego Bay and what is now Mission Bay and named the land for the Spanish Roman Catholic saint San Diego de Alcala, according to the San Diego Historical Society. Yet during the initial discovery 467 years ago, Cabrillo originally claimed the area for the king of Spain prior to sailing up the coast of California before the region was renamed San Diego. The explorer died about four months later in the Channel Islands near Santa Barbara, according to a timeline published by the San Diego Historical Society. To celebrate the discovery, hundreds of people will gather in Point Loma for the 46th annual Cabrillo Festival at the Cabrillo National Monument on Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 27 — starting at 9 a.m. — to enjoy a weekend of living history that includes a re-enactment of Cabrillo’s landing in the bay at what is now Ballast Point in Point Loma. “It’s really going to be a day full of fun for the entire family … with dancing and music and fun activities for children,” said Mary Correia, Cabrillo Festival Inc. president. “They have similar celebrations in Ensenada [Mexico].” Miss Cabrillo Festival winner Janessa M. Garcia will represent the Cabrillo festivities at events in Mexico and San Diego, according to officials. And because Sept. 26 is National Public Lands Day, no entrance fee will be charged at the Cabrillo Monument and park activities are free, according to festival organizers. For 46 years, hundreds have gathered to celebrate this piece of San Diego history with music, dancing, food and fun for children and history buffs alike, with a weekend of history lessons and experiences aboard historical vessels like those sailed by 16th-century explorers. The event features a “living history encampment” on Sept. 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The encampment at the Cabrillo National Monument features a glimpse into the explorers’ lives in the 16th century. To get a firsthand experience, visitors can sail aboard the privateer vessel Lynx. Guests will get a taste of life aboard this vessel representative of those sailed during the war of 1812, according to Lynx Educational Foundation officials. Cabrillo was on board the San Salvador, an older vessel from a different era, said Jeffrey Woods, a Lynx Educational Foundation representative. “[But] we try and replicate the event and any ship of that time. We’ll fly the flags … and people will dress up,” Woods said. The Lynx will sail alongside the Californian and into the San Diego at Ballast Point, where visitors can relive the moment Cabrillo arrived in the bay. Festivalgoers also have a chance to board the ship on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Maritime Museum of San Diego for $75 a ticket. A half-hour National Park Service film, “In Search of Cabrillo,” will also be shown throughout the day at the Cabrillo National Monument auditorium at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. At noon Saturday, a scheduled presentation titled “Filipinas and the California Coast 1512-1793,” will be presented by historian Joseph Sanchez. Sanchez is also scheduled to deliver the keynote address. The day’s activities will move into evening celebrations at the United Portuguese S.E.S. Hall, 2818 Avenida de Portugal in Point Loma. The Cabrillo Discovery Celebration Dinner and Dance, sponsored by Cabrillo Civic Club 16, allows Cabrillo Festival participants to rediscover fun for $40 a ticket. Tickets can be purchased by calling (619) 426-0769 or (619) 221-8084. Sunday’s festivities center around the Cabrillo Festival Open House from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival’s open house at Ballast Point is believed to be the location where Cabrillo landed on Sept. 28, 1542, according to Cabrillo Monument officials. Ballast Point is located on Naval Base Point Loma at the south end of Rosecrans Street. The open house festival will also feature a full display of dancing, music and storytelling traditions of Mexico, Native American traditions and those of Spanish and Portuguese cultures. The open house also features the 2009 Miss Cabrillo Festival, Miss Janessa Garcia and 2009 Queen of the Casa de Espana, Miss LeAna Alvarez. A re-enactment of the landing at Ballast Point takes place Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. The privateer Lynx will sail along-side the Californian delivering actors dressed as Cabrillo and his soldiers. For more information on the Cabrillo Festival and a full list of events, visit www.cabrillofestival.org.