Here is my annual review!…read more This past weekend our little neighborhood hosted the street fair and while it was the smallest one I've ever been to, it still had all of the Rolando charm. The music was great, the food vendors were serving delicious food (I had BBQ) and the beer garden served as the constant heart of the entire thing. Props to Corbin and crew for keeping the beer cold and the bands for keeping the vibe live. Good times in a great neighborhood!

What do you think of when you go to local block parties the smell of food and the many vendors? Yes…read morethe many places that you can go to you may find festivals and the large school gatherings the ones where you see dunk tank and the teachers that like to volunteer to help out . When its the neighborhoods you have more of the many people that know each and everyone and see your many friends that do stop by . Rolando Street is off El Cajon Blvd and its a nice historical area of San Diego when you come to place that has a large sign that Says Welcome to Rolando large wooden sign that can be seen when you drive in . There are many places that I have been to the many states that are north of California and the further Northern areas of the United States that have the local fireworks displays that light up the skies . When I had arrived at Rolando Street Faire that I was welcomed of the bat as I had walked past the barricade that had blocked of the street the many cars that had parked such far distances . What can you expect when you go to neighborhood festivals and the many people that you will see when I had walked up the middle of the faire I could see so many tents that had lined the streets the many people that have their own business meeting people . To get the general feel of a street faire you can get to see the many retailers those that were selling products, and the one which were connected with city and state governments that were running for office where else can you go is a family oriented street faire . The many tents that were there you could find jewelry products that were the best I have ever seen many of them were from private owners and sellers here in San Diego and some that were from out of State . The many people that I had met were very friendly and the services they had were ones that many families could use , and the services of pharmacies that had come to street faire to check blood pressure and free products . The many food trucks and the tents that had some of the best food that I have seen the ones that I liked were the funnel cake and the great pizza they had there when you have great pizza you also have great music. The concert stage they had set up over near the kid's area they had there-own adventure that had some of the climbing and blow-up wall and tumble adventure set ups . For those that like to have a good beer they had a medium size bar garden that was set up near by you got the music and get to see the music bands they ad play there . The many food trucks and the tents that had some of the best food that I have seen the ones that I liked were the funnel cake and the great pizza they had there when you have great pizza you also have great music. The concert stage they had set up over near the kid's area they had there own adventure that had some of the climbing and blow up wall and tumble adventure set ups . For those that like to have a good beer they had a medium size bar garden that was set up near by you got the music and get to see the music bands they ad play there . This was one of the best street faire ha s been here in San Diego I have seen many that it didn't compare to this kind you didn't see people walking around with beer in their hands . To the many staff members off the Rolando Street fair you have done a fabulous job that you have gone above and beyond .

I always liked f Fiesta del Sol event when I lived in SD…read moreyears back and since I moved back 4 years ago I have been attending regularly. Always so alive, so many people of all ages enjoying this free 2 day event filled with concerts, shows, food, drinks, new thinks to try out and beautiful people. Oh, and the sunset at Fletcher Cove. I love Solana Beach and this festival, thanks to the organizers to have a civilized party town for a couple days.

A significant cut above the typical street fair, and my spidey sense (or really just common sense)…read moretells me that Belly Up's involvement is the reason why. The lineup was primarily a bunch of fun party bands playing popular music that everyone knows and (mostly) loves, especially the older crowd, which seemed to be a sizable chunk of the attendees. The location, sandwiched right between the 101 and Fletcher Cove beach is prime. The selection of vendors, food, and drink is vast. And the freebies were an especially nice touch -- in my first half hour there, I had already collected free tickets to shows at the Music Box and Belly Up and to the races at Del Mar. Not too shabby! Yes, the food is expensive and parking seemed to be insanely difficult. (One woman's friend was a last minute no-show after she couldn't find parking. Pro tip: The 101 bus drops you off right at the festival's doorstep, so take that or the virtually just as convenient Coaster.) But since the festival and all of the live music that comes with it are free, the other costs and hassles are still a pretty damn good trade off. I look forward to next year's edition.

I attended The 11th Annual Asian Pacific Cultural Festival of San Diego at Mira Mesa Community park…read moreyesterday. This was my first time attended an Asian festival in San Diego. The Asian Pacific Cultural Festival of San Diego is the LARGEST celebration of Asian Pacific American Cultures in San Diego and features cultural and traditional performances from a dozen countries and cultures, including Japan, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Korea, Myanmar, Indonesia, Hawaii, Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, Polynesia, and more! This event has been recognized by the US Congress, the California State Assembly, the County of San Diego, and the City of San Diego as an official event in San Diego celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Eager to indulge my passion for culinary delights, my first stop led you to Thai Food Station 8, where I discovered the ultimate indulgence: a sublime mango smoothie that surpassed all expectations. For lunch, I ventured into more adventurous territory with a tantalizing dish of eel. After lunch, I checked out the vendors, they offer from handmade crafts to unique souvenirs. I want to supporting local artisans and taking home a piece of the festival experience with me. I ended up bought a few items from Blanc Byrd, a local artist. I took a few pictures in front of the San Diego Police Department booth. I would definitely return next year.

I had a good time here, but it's just too expensive at $90 to get in, $20 to park, and food that…read moreisn't cheap, either. The music program seems enough to satisfy even the pickiest of people (4 stages packed with different musicians), but other aspects of the "New Orleans experience" were lacking. They only had three cooking demonstrations for the entire day, and the one I wanted to go to on making jambalaya was canceled for no apparent reason. And they were missing New Orleans drinks: Nowhere to be had were hurricanes, mint juleps, sazeracs, cafe au lait (coffee). There was little informative about Mardi Gras culture and the bathroom situation was wanting: in the afternoon those portable hand washing stations lacked water and hand towels. I just think to myself there's a lot on offer in San Diego that's free - like Lunar New Year Festivals, which I went to earlier in the year. Completely free to go and sometimes free parking, as well, so if you're going to pay $90 for Gator by the Bay it better be a damn good experience all around.

They ran out of kona big wave what a disappointment!! They need overall better selection of food,…read moreespecially drinks.

Super fun event that showcased the food, music, and dances of Brazil in the beach area of the Bahia…read moreHotel. It's only on Thursday evenings during the summer, and this was the last event of the year. If you want good seats, get there early since it's first come first serve. A choice of beer or the Caipirinha, the traditional cocktail beverage of Brazil is offered with each ticket you purchase. The Caipirinha tasted a lot like like a mojito....We got to take pictures with a couple dancers before the show started. Food is served buffet style from 6:30-8pm. There's also a kids buffet consisting of fruits and some grilled steak. Some specialties for the adults include the traditional Picanha Churrasco (skewered beef barbecued with special seasonings), calamari salad, Brazilian rice, beer-marinated chicken and other regional specialties. Flan and assorted traditional pastries were offered when it was time for dessert. There was also a station where you can get coffee or hot chocolate and unlimited marshmallows! I was full even though I didn't eat very much. If you're brave, you can participate in the dances on stage. Overall, I had a great time!

Fun Event. -park for…read morefree at Bahia Hotel -check in to the event and take any unreserved seat at the beach area of the Brazilian Carnaval -food is pretty good, even though not a lot of choices -a few exotic animals shown -performance by Brazilian artists -voluntary participation Notes: -wear flip flops or something of that sort, because you will be walking on the sand -bring a jacket, as San Diego is pretty cold after sunset. Overall, a nicely put event. I enjoyed it. However, is it worth $50/person? I'm not sure. If you don't pay a retail price for it, it is well worth it.

I didn't have very high expectations for this, but to my surprise it was a blast!…read more we came around 10:45 am, thinking that we could get good parking.....ahh how naive we were. Parking at balboa is always a nightmare. The whole concept of this fair is that all the international cottages (each country had its own little decorated cottage) make food from their country in sample portions. Sample costs ranged from $1 to $10. The great thing about the sample sizes is that you can take more risks and try food you've never heard of. It was so much fun walking around and checking out different cultures, and getting to try authentic foods. They also had international performances as well. Some things I personally liked: Swedish waffle dessert, English cake, Scottish meat pies, Indian chai,Hungarian fried bread with cheese/sour cream (sorry for the life of me can't remember what it was called) Irish stew, French fruit tart and quiche, Israeli latkes. The only thing I super disliked was the Scottish whisky bread pudding. Like they should have carded for that thing LOL. VERY heavy on the whiskey. I definitely recommend going. It's hot and outdoors and crowded, so be prepared for that. Luckily lines werent more than like 10 minutes long.

This is a yearly event which highlights the various ethnic foods from Thai to traditional American…read moredishes. It takes place at Balboa Park inside the international cottages and each cottage participates and offers food from their respective host country. Food is extra here but it is only $3-$6 per cottage but the helpings are large for an event of this type. After only a couple of cottages, I was full but wanted to try out a few different ones just to experience the food. We stopped in Finland, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Ireland, and China. All of the food that we had was homemade and delicious! The cottages really put up some good food for this event and it was really worth the price of admission and would recommend it to anybody looking to experience a variety of different foods at a relatively cheap price.

Hui O Hawaiʻi of San Diego, located in Chula Vista, was founded in 1969. Many of the current board…read moremembers have grown up with the club since they were children. They now have their children dancing in the shows and representing the Hui at festivals--as they once did. This is their first annual Lōkahi Festival. It was well received with a great turnout, clearly demonstrating its potential to grow bigger in the coming years. Whereas the PIFA Pacific Islander Festival, held two weeks earlier, presents various cultures of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, the Lōkahi Festival showcases the Hawaiian culture exclusively. It is also an initiative to help fill the vacuum left by the annual San Diego Hoʻolauleʻa that ceased after 2019. The show lineup featured three local dance academies: Nā Pua ʻIlima of Chula Vista; Hālau Hula ʻO Kawahinepiʻilani of Chula Vista; and Healiʻi's Polynesian Revue of San Diego. Two solo dances were performed by this year's Miss Hui O Hawaiʻi of San Diego, Kehaulani Wilson (of Healiʻi's Polynesian Revue). In between the performances, music was provided by Mele Mokupuni and Hui O Hawaiʻi's Kanikapila Group. The performances all took place on the stage inside of the church, which also included vendors selling Hawaiian foods, goods, crafts, and clothing. A fascinating historical display highlighted the Hawaiian ancestry of William Heath "Kanaka" Davis, founder of San Diego. The parking lot in front of the church had a water station, food served by several Hawaiian vendors (including a food truck from Hawaiian Fresh Seafood), a tent that served a small selection of beer and wine. The weather was hot here in Santee on this first Saturday of October, so folks had to make effective use of the indoors and shade.

Go for the food, stay for the local vibe. Poke was ono and the ube cookies (yeah, I know not…read moreHawaiian) were really good, in fact all the desserts were great. Also got some Ani's Sweeat Bread, which is similar to the Molokai Bread I get on Maui. Caught the tail end of a Chula Vista Halau performing - beautiful. Festival had lots of seating in the air-conditioned hall, where people could get out of the sun. Nice assortment of vendors carrying local crafts and t-shirts. A nice way to spend a couple of hours soaking up Hawaiian-style culture in Southern California.

As a fan of the fine arts, I swooned over the wide selection of beautiful artwork, photography, and…read morehandcrafted work on display at the 2026 Liberty Station Art Walk weekend this year. Vendors appeared to provide friendly service to their patrons. Art Reach SD pop up gives kids (and adults alike) some time to hone their craft.

I usually attend the Little Italy Art Walk, but I missed it this year. Liberty Station is a nice…read moreplace to have this event. The parking is definitely easier than Little Italy . But I prefer the Little Italy vibe more. It's more lively and I think more artists are there. This event is free on Saturday and Sunday, however they hold a Preview Party on Friday night for those willing to pay $25 a person. I thought that was a little snobbish. Every day there is a stage with live music. You can also purchase food and alcohol every day. The art is varied with many types of art. There are jewelers, photographers, glass artists, wood artists, painters, people who work with fabric, metal - etc. I love how the artists are there so you can ask them about their techniques. You can sit down and create a watercolor, and there are also some booths for kid activities. We were looking for art for our bedroom and we were able to find and take home a beautiful framed print signed by the artist.