For the people still fretting about what to do for Mother’s Day: We’ve got you. If mom likes a good festival, consider stopping for drinks at the Coronado Art & Wine Festival or learning how to dance in the zydeco tradition at Gator by the Bay. Or peruse the local art scene and explore new exhibitions Bloodlines & Brushtrokes at Distinction Gallery, ArtSpectrum 2026 at Gallery 21, or (fittingly) Athenaeum Art Center’s Día de las Madres pop-up. Regardless of how you choose to spend time with mom this weekend, there’s plenty of ways to make her feel special.
Food & Drink | Concerts & Festivals | Theater & Art Exhibits | More Fun Things to Do
Courtesy of Coronado Art & Wine Festival
Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Weekend
Mother’s Day at Huntress
May 8–10
To celebrate Mother’s Day, Gaslamp’s Huntress is offering a trio of food specials crafted by Executive Chef Chris Hutchison, plus complimentary welcome mimosas for all the mothers in attendance. This Friday-Sunday, patrons can order a lemony spring pea risotto, a beef Wellington with wild mushrooms and a rose dessert with chocolate mousse, strawberry air cake and loads of raspberry. The specials also include the Mother’s Flower Cocktail which comes with gin, lavender, citrus and prosecco and Albert Bichot Crémant Sparkling Rosé. Reservations can be made through OpenTable.
376 Fifth Avenue, Gaslamp
Coronado Art & Wine Festival
May 9
Stroll the fifth annual Coronado Art & Wine Festival for fine artwork, live music, pour of wine and bubbly, and to raise money for STEM and arts education for Coronado’s K-12 students. This Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., over 100 artists, including this year’s four featured artists, will display and sell their work, with other festivities including selfie stations, family-friendly crafts, 21+ libation zones. General admission is free; deluxe ticket options include Wine Village passes with six tastings, Bubbles Lounge/Wine Village passes with nine tastings, and all-access VIP with 12 tastings.
10th Street and Orange Avenue, Coronado
‘Momakase’ Experience at Temaki Bar
May 10
Take mom out for a sophisticated, yet thrifty, sushi dinner through Temaki Bar’s ‘Momakase’ experience, happening this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The experience ($39 per person) comes with salmon, shrimp and yellowtail handrolls, a nigiri platter with deluxe seafood and flavor combos—including salmon with brown butter aioli, sweet soy and smoked salt—and a matcha-flavored vodka martini. Because Temaki does not take reservations, guests are advised to join the restaurant’s online waitlist before arriving.
575 South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas
Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Weekend
Meshell Ndegeocello at Epstein Family Amphitheater
May 6
Armed with a bass guitar that could nourish any souls its vibrations encounter, and an alluring voice to match, Meshell Ndegeocello is a vital figure in the lineage of Black musical tradition. Her vocation, an artistic desire for love and truth told through jazz, pop, R&B and neo-soul, is best understood through her sublime covers project Ventriloquism and her most recent album, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin. This Wednesday from 7-9 p.m., Ndegeocello will perform tracks from No More Water and career-spanning hits at Epstein Family Amphitheater as part of ArtPower’s spring event lineup. Tickets range for $18 to $50 for this concert.
9480 Innovation Lane, La Jolla
GI Film Festival at Museum of Photographic Arts
May 6-8
Active and former military members will share their experiences through cinema during the GI Film Festival at the Museum of Photographic Arts, coinciding with Military Appreciation Month. The festival begins Wednesday with an opening night reception featuring awards, photo ops and a screening of Home from the Vietnam War, continues Thursday with Ugo: An Artist at War and documentary shorts and finishes Friday with American Solitaire and narrative shorts. Ticket options include opening night admission, tickets for screenings/blocks, and multi-ticket packs which come with admission to all screenings and events.
1649 El Prado, Balboa Park
Sister Nancy with Kat Hall at Music Box
May 9
Calling Sister Nancy a dancehall pioneer is true, yet also an understatement. Though her career never resembled a normal trajectory for someone of her talents, the persistence of her 1982 hit “Bam Bam” is undeniable, cementing her as a beacon for Caribbean sound and a worldwide influence—with the song having since been sampled 100+ times, including by Too $hort, Jay-Z and Lauryn Hill. This Saturday at Music Box, hear classics from Sister Nancy’s catalog, plus jazzy reggae tunes from opener Kat Hall. Tickets start at $44 for this concert.
1337 India Street, Little Italy
Yebba at The Observatory North Park
May 10
Those familiar with Yebba likely know of the singer/songwriter for a variety of reasons. Maybe its her multiple collaborations with Drake, her star-making vocals for Chance the Rapper on Saturday Night Live, or perhaps, her immensely heartfelt debut Dawn, a rumination on grief created in the aftermath of her mother’s suicide. But I reckon Yebba’s newest album, Jean, is the best chance to jump on the bandwagon yet. Jean finds Yebba still persisting, and its stripped down, guitar-driven production should make her concert this Sunday (7 p.m.) at The Observatory North Park feel intimate on a nearly spiritual level. Tickets start at $41 for this concert.
2891 University Avenue, North Park
Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Weekend
MJ: The Musical at Civic Theatre
May 5-10
As evidenced by the box office numbers for Michael, nostalgia for the King of Pop is currently at a fever pitch. While the biopic focuses on Michael Jackson’s upbringing and ‘80s stardom, MJ: The Musical—returning to the Civic Theatre for a week-long run—is set during the making of Jackson’s Dangerous World Tour in 1992. Playing the role of MJ will be former San Diego resident Jordan Markus, who has donned the sequined glove once again for the show’s nationwide run. Tickets start at $51, with performances this Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m.
1100 Third Avenue, Gaslamp
ArtSpectrum 2026 at Gallery 21
May 5–June 1
This week marks the birth of a hopeful new tradition for San Diego’s long-established community of LGBTQ artists. The group exhibition ArtSpectrum 2026, curated by RD Riccoboni and overseen by The Studio Door and Village Arts and Education Foundation, features a dozen local LGBTQ artists making an impact. Because the exhibition doesn’t abide by a particular subject or style, it’s a way for audiences to explore the artists’ best individual works. ArtSpectrum 2026 will have a free opening reception this Saturday from 1–4 p.m. at Gallery 21.
1770 Village Place, Balboa Park
Día de las Madres: Mother’s Day Pop-Up Exhibition at Athenaeum Art Center
May 8-10
Weeks before Mother’s Day was set to arrive, the Athenaeum Art Center surveyed the public, welcoming artists of all skill levels to express what it means to be a mother and how they define maternal love. The result is Día de las Madres, a three-day pop-up intended to elicit bilingual and bicultural POVs ahead of the holiday. To celebrate the exhibition, all are invited to Saturday’s free opening reception from noon to 8 p.m. to enjoy tamales, live mariachi, printmaking workshops and demonstrations, and a chance to converse with the artists.
955 Julian Avenue, Logan Heights
Bloodlines & Brushtrokes at Distinction Gallery
May 9–June 6
Fifteen local Asian American and Pacific Islander artists are showcasing their ancestry-inspired pieces via Thumbprint Gallery’s Bloodlines & Brushstrokes group exhibition for AAPI Heritage Month. Part one opened at Thumbprint last Friday, and will remain on display through the end of May, with part two premiering Saturday at Distinction Gallery with a free reception from 6-10 p.m. Both locations will feature a unique piece by each participating artist, offering a chance to see a range of artistic mediums and culturally resonant viewpoints.
317 East Grand Avenue, Escondido
Art of the River at Santa Ysabel Art Gallery
May 9 – July 6
The continued depiction of the San Diego River’s beautiful, wide-spanning ecosystem is the guiding ethos of the San Diego River Artists Alliance. Beginning with a free opening reception this Saturday from 4-7 p.m. the collective will open its newest environmental exhibition, Art of the River, at Santa Ysabel Art Gallery. Visitors are invited to peruse and purchase artwork, as well as partake in the San Diego River Park Foundation’s River Days initiative (May 9-17); A portion of sales from Art of the River will go towards the SDRPF.
30352 Highway 78, Santa Ysabel
A Room in the Castle at MOXIE Theatre
May 10 – June 7
No skull, no ghost, no ‘to be or not to be’ monologue, but still so much story to tell. Lauren Gunderson’s stage play A Room in the Castle, a modernized, female-centered retelling of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, will have a new production beginning Sunday at MOXIE Theatre. Though the actions of The Bard’s tragic hero hang like a dark cloud over the lives of Ophelia and Queen Gertrude, A Room in the Castle awards them the primary perspective. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, ranging from free to $88.
6663 El Cajon Boulevard, Rolando
Courtesy of San Diego American Indian Health Center
More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend
An Evening with David Sedaris at Jacobs Music Center
May 7
Drawing on your personal life—the ups, downs and hard-to-believe stories—can serve as a rich source of creative material. Just ask David Sedaris, best-selling author, renowned satirist and long-time contributor for The New Yorker. Throughout his writing career, Sedaris’ works contain a whole host of quirky insights, including a secret marriage divulged just a few weeks ago. This Thursday at 8 p.m. during ArtPower’s An Evening with David Sedaris at Jacobs Music Center, he’ll recite passages from both beloved pieces and unpublished stories, offering a detailed perspective of his humor and storytelling style. Tickets range from $60 to $108 for this event.
1245 Seventh Avenue, Downtown
San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park
May 7-10
With the lack of elite closers in today’s game, Padres fans can rest easy knowing when the 9th inning arrives, they have a reliable arm ready to pounce. Mason Miller—NL Reliever of Month Mason Miller, that is—is a perfect 11/11 in save opportunities, averaging nearly two strikeouts per inning and recently compiled a 34 ⅔ consecutive scoreless inning streak, a franchise record. Not too shabby. Plus, the first 40K fans through the Petco Park gates for Thursday’s game (7:10 p.m.) against the Cardinals will receive a flame-throwing Mason Miller bobblehead. Tickets start at $35, with games Friday (6:45 p.m.), Saturday (4:15 p.m.) and Sunday (1:10 p.m.) at home.
100 Park Boulevard, Downtown
Gator by the Bay
May 7-10
It’s Fat Tuesday everyday at Gator by the Bay, Bon Temps Social Club’s yearly toast to bayou living. The festivities include Creole cooking demonstrations, seven live music stages, Zydeco dance lessons and 10,000 boiling pounds of crawfish. Gator by the Bay kicks off with a free party Thursday from 5-9 p.m. at Sheraton’s Lanai Lawn before heading to Spanish Landing Park Friday (4-10 p.m.), Saturday (11 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.). Single-day GA (Friday: $80, Saturday: $90, Sunday: $85), any day GA ($90) and three-day GA tickets ($230) are available; admission is free for kids ages 17 and under with a paid adult.
3900 North Harbor Drive, Embarcadero
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Balboa Park Pow Wow
May 9 & 10
The San Diego American Indian Health Center will host its 38th annual Balboa Park Pow Wow this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. As is tradition, the Pow Wow spotlights a range of cultural regalia, music and dance, including gourd dancing and Kumeyaay bird singing. This free community event also offers the chance to shop from a lineup of Indigenous food and artisan vendors, with hand-crafted goods such as art, jewelry and apparel available for purchase.
Park Boulevard and President’s Way, Balboa Park