Porto Vista Hotel throws Wooftop event The Porto Vista Hotel, 1835 Columbia St., will host an event for dog lovers on Friday, Sept. 3 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The First Friday Wooftop event, which takes place on Porto Vista’s Ripassi rooftop terrace, will feature a raffle to raise money for Friends of the Humane Society of Tijuana, complimentary psychic readings for dogs and their owners, massage demonstrations, food samples from the Honest Kitchen and doggie goodie bags. Dog owners will also be treated to signature cocktails and appetizers. Admission is free, but space is limited. Call (619) 564-3998 for more information. Balboa Park celebrates Mexican Independence Day Roaming mariachis and folkloric dancers will flood Balboa Park on Thursday, Sept. 16 from 5 to 8 p.m. for an event designed to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Mexican Independence Day. The three museums sponsoring the event — Mingei International Museum — The San Diego Museum of Art and Timken Museum of Art, will each feature exhibitions, programs and food inspired by Mexican culture. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 on the day of the event. For more information, visit www.mingei.org/vivamexico or call (619) 239-0003 x113. Family Justice Center holds open house The San Diego Family Justice Center will hold an open house at its new location, 1122 Broadway, Suite 200, on Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The cost for the event, which includes wine and light appetizers, is $25. The center provides services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, child abuse and elder abuse, all under one roof. Mayor Jerry Sanders and the City Council recently granted the center a permanent home by co-locating it with the San Diego Housing Commission. For more information, e-mail [email protected], or call (619) 236-9551. Mingei International presents Rhodes exhibit The Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado in Balboa Park, will unveil its new exhibition, “ZANDRA RHODES — A Lifelong Affair with Textiles,” on Sunday, Oct. 3. Rhodes, who lives and works half the year in La Jolla, has designed clothes for some of the world’s foremost fashion icons, including Princess Diana, Jacqueline Onassis and Freddy Mercury. The exhibit will feature her textiles, as well as some of the high-end fashions she has created. Items will be on display until April 3. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and $4 for students and active duty military. For more information, visit www.mingei.org, or call (619) 239-0003. Free rock concert to sound off on the bay Sight and Sound, along with Art San Diego, will offer for the first time a free concert at the Hilton on the Bayfront Hotel’s Promenade Patio, located at 1 Park Place. The performances will take place Sept. 3 from 7 to 10 p.m. In 2008, Jon Block and Adam Rosen created Sight and Sound as a monthly music and arts event in North Park showcasing local talent. The popular event will now move beyond North Park and be held at different locations throughout San Diego. Sight and Sound Concert on the Bay will be the first of these events. Musical acts for the evening will be Gregory Page, Vinyl Film and Republic of Letters. For the art portion of the evening, Rich Walker will display a 12-foot installation piece. Acclaimed organist to perform Oct. 2 The San Diego Civic organist Dr. Carol Williams will play the Wonder Morton Organ at the Balboa Park Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 1:30 p.m. In 2001, Williams was the first person in the world to be appointed civic organist. Since then, she has served as civic organist and the artistic director of the Spreckels Organ Society in San Diego. Williams has performed at locations all over the world including, Westminster Abbey and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Shawn Style of the TV News 8 Weathercast will emcee the 75-minute performance. The Balboa Theatre Foundation and the San Diego Theatres are making the concert possible through a special arrangement. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for seniors, military and students. They can be purchased by visiting www.sdbalboa.org or by calling San Diego Theatres at (619) 570-1100. For more information, visit www.thebalboatheatre.org. Annual Fleet Week event features family festival Fleet Week, the weeklong celebration honoring military, will have a new event this year. Fleet Week Big Bay Family Festival will take place Sept. 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the B Street Cruise Terminal. The event will kick off with a welcoming ceremony each day. Musical performances, food and a children’s fun zone will be part of the weekend as well. The festival will keep with the traditions of the annual Fleet Week events that generally entertain, support and thank the men and women who serve in the military. The USS Freedom, USS Pinckney and the USS Curts will be open for guests to tour. Sailors, Marines and Coastguardsmen will all be on hand to answer questions. Inside the terminal, educational exhibits will also be on display. The event is free. For more information visit www.fleetweeksandiego.org. Adams Avenue to host more than 60 acts More than 60 musical artists of all genres will take the stage at the 29th Adams Avenue Street Fair on Sept. 25-26 in the Normal Heights community. This year’s free festival, which features six stages set up along eight blocks of Adams Avenue, will host well-known acts like Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Peter Case, blues legend James Harman and Friends and Mariachi El Bronx. The fair will also have more than 300 food and arts and craft vendors on site. For more information, visit www.AdamsAvenueBusiness.com or call (619) 282-7329. Gems exhibit continues, animal showcase to open Throughout September, the San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM) will continue to host the ongoing exhibit “All That Glitters: The Splendor and Science of Gems and Minerals.” The exhibit consists of sparkling gems including rubies, sapphires, diamonds and opals. These gems have a history as old as the Earth. The exhibit will explain gems as a byproduct of the natural forces that have shaped the planet. It highlights San Diego County as one of the most famous regions for producing gems. From Sept. 4 – Oct. 31, SDNHM will host a traveling exhibit “Art and the Animal — 50th Anniversary Exhibitions of the Society of Animal Artists.” The Society of Animal Artists (SAA) is an artists’ organization well-known for their animals in art themes. Its membership base is international and SAA members compete to have their work included in annual exhibitions such as this. The 120-150 pieces to be shown were selected by a jury of SAA members. The SDNHM is the first stop on the national tour. Tickets prices to the museum range from $11 to $17. Members are free. SDNHM is located at 1788 El Prado in Balboa Park. For more information, call (619) 232-3821. Old Town marks Mexican Independence Day Old Town will celebrate Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 11 and 12 from noon to 6 p.m. The event, also known as Fiestas Patrias, will celebrate the Independence Day with dancing, storytelling and music. Games, corn husk doll making and relay races will be part of the day’s events. From 4 to 6 p.m., early California music will play in the background as attendees dance the fandango. The event is free, but the dancing will have a nominal fee. The event will take place at the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. For more information, visit www.oldtownsan-diego.org. Coronado Art Walk planned for Sept. 18-19 The fifth annual Coronado Art Walk is set for Sept. 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Coronado Ferry Landing. The free event will be put on by the Coronado Historical Association. Painters, jewelers and photographers are among the exhibitors. There will also be interactive art activities for children and adults. Local artists’ organizations participating in the event include the Coronado Ferry Landing’s Galleries and Artists, Coronado Art Association Artists in Spreckels Park and Coronado High School’s Art Department. For more information, visit www.coronadoartwalk.org.