![\"Bounce](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/VPA_0096.jpg\")
Bounce houses await young BirdStock guests last year. (Vincent Andrunas)<\/p>\nThe 2024 BirdStock Music Festival was promoted as \u201cbigger, better and safer\u201d than in years past, with a \u201cgame-changing\u201d closure of La Jolla Boulevard between Midway Street and Camino de la Costa.<\/p>\n
This year, the scope is even bigger with more stages, a beer and wine garden and more family-friendly activities as organizers work to push it to the finish line.<\/p>\n
Bounce houses await young BirdStock guests last year. (Vincent Andrunas)<\/p>\n
The annual free event presented by the Bird Rock Community Council<\/a> encourages families to gather for live music from local performers, shopping and an array of activities, from a pet adoption zone and pet costume contest to mini golf and face painting.<\/p>\n The 2025 edition is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, in the 5500 to 5700 blocks of La Jolla Boulevard.<\/p>\n BirdStock was revitalized in 2022 after a 12-year hiatus, with volunteer organizers Arianna Opsvig, Merisa Titlow and Kelsey Martin leading the way.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year and every year, it\u2019s an entirely volunteer-driven event,\u201d Opsvig said. \u201cSo all of us organizers are volunteers, everyone who helps the day of are volunteers and this year we\u2019re really reaching out beyond just the Bird Rock Elementary [School] families to the wider community for folks who want to pitch in and help that day.\u201d<\/p>\n BirdStock is made possible through contributions and sponsorships, with proceeds going to the Bird Rock Foundation, which supports Bird Rock Elementary, and future BirdStock festivals.<\/p>\n Work on this year\u2019s festival began in February.\u00a0Opsvig said 100 bands applied for just eight time slots on the main stage.<\/p>\n To showcase as many musicians as possible, music will be played on five stages: the main stage, where Bird Rock Avenue meets La Jolla Boulevard; a stage on a raised patio in front of La Jolla Independent BMW Service at 5535 La Jolla Blvd.; one inside Beaumont\u2019s restaurant at 5662 La Jolla Blvd.; one outside Bird Rock Surf Shop at 5509 La Jolla Blvd.; and a youth stage featuring dance, local theater groups and kids bands.<\/p>\n Last year, the main stage was at the surf shop, along with a side stage and another at Beaumont\u2019s.<\/p>\n BirdStock 2025 also marks the debut of an electronic dance music tent, pitched by Martin to help engage the younger crowd and bring added variety to the lineup. The tent, decorated with lights and a smoke machine, will feature different types of electronic music with hints of house, pop and hip-hop.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of rock cover bands that are around town that want to play these types of things, but we\u2019ve been realizing that toward the end of the festival, it\u2019s a lot of college kids,\u201d Martin said. \u201cSo I think that tent area might bring a different vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n Opsvig agreed, saying\u00a0\u201cEvery year we try to make BirdStock a little bit bigger and a little bit better and reflect the needs [and] wishes of the community even more. It is a music festival, so I feel like the more music we can have [and] the more local musicians we can support, the better.\u201d<\/p>\n Reggae group Sandollar<\/a>, a first-time BirdStock performer, will headline the festival on the main stage at 7:15 p.m. Dad Bod will headline at the EDM tent.<\/p>\n Also among the featured acts is Seapoodle<\/a>, a \u201csurfadelic\u201d jam band<\/a> based in La Jolla\u2019s Windansea neighborhood.<\/p>\n Seapoodle \u2014 along with \u201csurfabilly\u201d rock group the Sandcasters<\/a>, alt-rockers the Voices<\/a> and power pop act Lioneer<\/a> \u2014 performed at last year\u2019s festival and are slated to return in October.<\/p>\n A couple of BirdStock newcomers, Pacific Beach garage\/surf rock group Tsunami Sound Waves<\/a> and La Jolla country singer-songwriter<\/a> Lissa Dee<\/a>, also will take the main stage.<\/p>\n \u201cI think you\u2019re surrounded by so many good musicians all up and down the boulevard, wherever the stages are,\u201d said Seapoodle rhythm guitarist Matt Donoghue. \u201cArianna and company do a great job getting the right groups in there \u2026 and they really give you a wide variety of music as well.<\/p>\n \u201cI think because [they] do such a good job, people have come to expect this level of event now. So I think more and more people are really getting behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Bird](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/VPA_0005.jpg\")
Bird Rock Community Council board member Craig Bender; Crystal White, a BirdStock presenting sponsor; event co-chairwomen and co-founders Merisa Titlow, Arianna Opsvig and Kelsey Martin; and Community Council President Joe Terry attend the 2024 BirdStock Music Festival. (Vincent Andrunas)<\/p>\n![\"Members](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/sut-l-SEAPOODLE-001.jpg\")
La Jolla-based Seapoodle is scheduled to play at the BirdStock Music Festival on Saturday, Oct. 25. (K.C. Alfred \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n