Attractions and Events

The world’s first LEGO® Ferrari “Build and Race” interactive attraction opened in May at LEGOLAND® California. Featuring a life-size Ferrari F40 model developed by the LEGO® Group, “Build and Race” features three zones, offering different obstacles and challenges for riders as they try to clock the fastest time.

Electric Ocean, SeaWorld San Diego’s electrifying all-ages summer event featuring both daytime and nighttime entertainment returns this summer from June 4 to Aug. 14. After a day of exploring the park, guests can continue their visit after dark, and enjoy environments of light and music while experiencing fan-favorite SeaWorld attractions and other fun surprises.

This year’s Taste of Little Italy runs June 21-22 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Taste Passport allows culinary enthusiasts to enjoy tasty bites and sips from Little Italy’s top restaurants while enjoying live music as they explore the neighborhood’s 48 square blocks.

The San Diego Symphony returns to The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, its new, permanent bayfront performance venue, for its annual summer concert series. The season starts June 24 and runs through September with additional programing in October through December.

ArtWalk Little Italy Summer Series is back and taking place at the Piazza della Famiglia along with the adjacent block of West Date Street. The event will run every other Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on the dates of June 12, June 26, July 10 and July 24, giving attendees the chance to purchase one-of-a-kind art from local, national and international artists in a variety of mediums.

San Diego’s most famous fireworks show, the Big Bay Boom will once again light up the skies over San Diego Bay on the Fourth of July. The 20-minute show will start at 9 p.m., with fireworks visible from Shelter Island, Harbor Island, Spanish Landing, North Embarcadero, South Embarcadero, Cesar E. Chavez Park and Coronado Tidelands Park.

In July, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps will open the Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins habitat, becoming the only aquarium in the western U.S. to house the world's smallest penguins. Visitors will learn about the challenges facing these birds in the wild. The 2,900-square-foot exhibit will include rocky and sandy shore habitat, an 18,000-gallon pool, a small amphitheater, and a discovery cave for children to closely observe the Little Blue Penguins on land and inside nesting burrows.

For the first time since 2019, Comic-Con, the largest comic and pop culture event in the U.S., returns to the San Diego Convention Center July 21-24. The popular event attracts thousands of artists, celebrities and fans from around the globe with hundreds of hours of programming that includes films, panels, gaming, animation exhibits and all things related to pop culture.

The Del Mar Racetrack is back with a 2022 racing season running from July 22 to Sept. 11. Fans will flock to the iconic racing track where the "turf meets the surf" to bet on the nation's top racehorses, trainers and jockeys while having bit of fun in the sun.

La Jolla Music Society (LJMS)’s SummerFest 2022 will return to The Conrad from July 29 to Aug. 26. Music Director Inon Barnatan, who is returning for his fourth year, has created an ambitious program, evocatively titled “Under the Influence,” which aims to explore the muses who seduced and inspired renowned musical composers throughout history.

Aided by a strong debut in 2021, San Diego's DAY.MVS XL is set to return August 6-7, in downtown San Diego’s scenic Waterfront Park. DAY.MVS XL, a FNGRS CRSSD production, will be a 21+ event, featuring home to house, techno and live electronic acts, including such popular acts as Eric Prydz, Vintage Culture, ANNA, Purple Disco Machine, Dixon, Claptone and more.

The highly anticipated Wonderfront Festival 2022 will return to San Diego’s downtown waterfront Nov. 18-20, 2022. The festival will feature seven-plus stages and 80+ bands throughout the three-day music, culinary and arts festival. This year’s the lineup will include Zac Brown Band, Kings of Leon, Gwen Stefani, G-Eazy, Young the Giant and more.

New Hotels & Renovations

After an extensive three-year renovation, the Cormorant Boutique Hotel, formally the La Jolla Inn, opened in May, bringing a mid-century modern aesthetic to the heart of this upscale seaside community. The hotel includes 26 nautical-inspired guestrooms, each with a balcony and expansive views of the Pacific Ocean; a new rooftop terrace bar, Birdseye, which features craft cocktails and small plates; and Prospect Market, an upscale grab-and-go marketplace.

New Venues

Asylum Rock Gym, which opened in April in the Logan Heights neighborhood, is a one-of-a-kind facility with an outdoor rock wall, yoga, live DJs as well as food and drink offerings. Despite the unique outdoor aspect, Asylum operates like most gyms, with standard memberships costing $60 a month and day passes costing $22.

Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina’s Topgolf Swing Suite opened in April featuring indoor putting grounds perfect for everything from corporate happy hours to special occasions with loved ones. Outfitted with games ideal for both golfers and non-golfers alike, including Topgolf target games, carnival classics, zombie dodgeball, hockey and jewel jam, the Topgolf Swing Suite provides an activity filled with playful competition with a view of the San Diego Bay.

Opened in May, Mic Drop Comedy is a comedy club in Kearny Mesa that pays homage to its 30-year-old predecessor, Comedy Palace. The club holds 90-minute stand-up shows every Wednesday through Sunday with unique programming such as boozy Sunday brunch shows, a comic hypnotist and more. Mic Drop Comedy also offers a full dinner menu and extensive cocktail offerings but with no drink or food minimum.

In May, the Hilton San Diego Bayfront unveiled its newest waterfront event space, The Pointe. Located on the ground floor of the hotel, this recent renovation features refined details with the picturesque backdrop of San Diego Bay, making it the perfect location for a variety of events and occasions.

As part of the SDSU Mission Valley campus, Snapdragon Stadium is slated to open in September. The 35,000-seat stadium will serve as the home of the San Diego State Aztecs football team as well as the San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League and the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby. The year-round entertainment destination will also host over 300 projected events and serve as a community hub.

Arts and Culture

Opened in May, The Shop @ MCASD at the reimagined Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s La Jolla location features a finely curated site-specific shopping experience, including artist-inspired beach towels, special edition surfboards, and a signature picnic blanket for a sunset on the beach. Unique items for sale reflect not only the permanent collection and rotating exhibitions but also echo its coastal location and vibe. The Shop @ MCASD is open Thursday through Tuesday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.

In May, the San Diego Natural History Museum opened its new, permanent exhibition Expedition Baja, which invites visitors to explore the Baja California Peninsula and follow researchers on their quest to conserve its wild beauty. Featuring museum specimens, immersive imagery, and stories about conservation work happening there, Expedition Baja brings this region to life.

The Timken Museum of Art, which is set to open in early June, has spent the last two years going through renovations to honor the museum’s historic architecture and mission while improving the visitor experience. Called Balboa Park's “jewel box,” the Timken Museum, is a treasure of mid-century architecture filled with European and American masterpieces, including the only Rembrandt publicly on display in San Diego, as well as European art icons. The museum’s admission is always free.

Debuting on July 1, Marvel's Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing – The Exhibition will be a new significant installation at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park celebrating Marvel's friendly neighborhood superhero’s 60^th anniversary. The exhibit will feature interactive installations, an extensive collection of priceless Marvel artifacts from the past six decades, including original comic art, animation materials and film production elements of the web-slinger's rich legacy. The museum will close in June in preparation for the exhibition in July.

Restaurants, Breweries and Bars

Happy Does opened in April in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter featuring a playful selection of drinks served on a retro indoor-outdoor bar. DJ Legend, the bar’s resident DJ, focuses on ‘80s, ‘90s and throwback hits mixed with current pop tracks as well as forthcoming live music. Happy Does offers a fruit-forward and refreshing cocktail menu in addition to a selection of wines, beers and bubbles with a limited menu focused on chicken tenders.

GoodBar, Point Loma’s popular neighborhood bar, reopened its doors in April after a two-year hiatus. The bar now features new cocktails and dishes, a refreshed décor and a hilarious comedy lineup. The menu includes small bites, sandwiches and burgers, and cocktail options include Rosecrans Mule, Good Ol’ Fashioned and the Loma-Rita.

Madam Bonnie’s, located in the historic Hotel Lester building, opened in May featuring a food menu comprised of protein-driven plates, like Crispy Skin Porchetta, Prime Rib, Garlic & Thyme ½ Organic Chicken, salad, sides and rotating fresh seafood specials. The libation menu includes cocktails named after iconic women from the ‘20s through the ‘40s such as Amelia Earhart, Valentina Ramirez and Clara Bow, plus a variety of wines and daily selection of draft beers.

Hudson & Nash, which opened in May, will be the Hilton San Diego Bayfront’s new on-site, waterfront restaurant concept inspired by a classic Pacific Coast Highway road trip. With a something-for-everyone menu, the kitchen sources fresh ingredients from regional purveyors alongside beverages that span coastal-inspired cocktails, California coastal wines and craft beers from local breweries.

Slated to open in June, Marisi Italiano in La Jolla will feature a menu rooted in regional dishes from the whole of Italy, including handmade pasta and hearth-cooked meats and seafood. The international and highly intense cocktail program features an array of Italian aperitivos, homemade limoncello, rare spirits and an Italian pilsner made specifically for Marisi.

In June, the popular San Diego restaurant group CH Projects will unveil its newest concept, Part Time Lover, a hi-fi listening bar and record store in the hip North Park neighborhood. A cultural hub rooted in music, Part Time Lover will feature specially curated soundtracks, pastries, coffee and cocktails inspired by Japan’s listening bar culture.

Opening in June, Tao Group Hospitality’s LAVO San Diego will bring Italian cuisine to San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter. LAVO San Diego will cater to locals and visitors alike, featuring 235 seats and occupying a prime corner in the lively neighborhood. Guests can expect a boisterous dining experience juxtaposed with a laid-back, yet sophisticated, Southern California flair. The restaurant will first be open for dinner, followed by lunch and brunch later this summer.

Slated to open in June, Mission + Garnet is a 4,000-square-foot restaurant space with six distinct food concepts under one roof. Situated at the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach, the venue will house three of local restaurateur Scott Slater’s existing fast-casual brands: the healthy salad shop Head Lettuce, Spitfire Tacos, and breakfast burrito outpost Early Bird. Joining them will be a yet-unnamed gourmet churro outfit, a sandwich shop based around whole cuts of meat, and an outdoor hot dog stand that will feature a bacon-stuffed, all-beef hot dog that Slater developed for Slater’s 50/50.

Slated to open in August, Fisher’s San Diego will bring “Avant Garde” Mexican seafood style of cuisine to San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood. Guests can expect to find an oyster bar, seafood bar and the freshest and finest shellfish available on dry land. Fisher’s other locations are mostly in Mexico, making San Diego its first U.S. eatery.

Chick & Hawk, which is scheduled to open this summer, is a collaboration between pro skate icon Tony Hawk, a North County resident, and chef Andrew Bachelier of Jeune et Jolie and Cucina Enoteca. The pair developed the menu out of their mutual fondness for spicy fried chicken as well as their commitment to sustainable poultry. The “fast-fine” restaurant’s open kitchen will serve a variety of plates based on locally sourced ingredients, including raw bar and seafood dishes. The artwork and design of the restaurant will celebrate ‘90s skate and surf culture.

Awards and Recognitions

Recently, Major League Baseball (MLB) recognized Point Loma Nazarene University’s Carroll B. Land Baseball Field as “America’s Most Scenic Ballpark,” highlighting its panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean as well as its recent upgrades that have improved the field and experience for players and spectators alike.

The hits keep on coming with USA Today naming San Diego’s Petco Park the best MLB stadium of 2022. Home of the Padres, USA Today praised Petco Park for its great downtown location, the weather, the food, the beer, and, of course, the stadium, which offers views of both the skyline and waterfront.

Transportation

San Diego International Airport (SAN) added seasonal non-stop service to Sioux Falls, S.D. via Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) on Allegiant Air starting May 19 and running through Aug. 12, 2022. Flights will operate two times weekly on Thursdays and Sundays.

San Diego International Airport (SAN) resumed seasonal nonstop service to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada via Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on WestJet starting May 20. Flights operate once daily. Flights operate two times weekly on Thursdays and Sundays through September.

San Diego International Airport (SAN) added non-stop service to Montréal, Québec, Canada via Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) on Air Canada starting May 21. Flights operate three times weekly during the peak summer travel season with arrivals into San Diego on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and departures from San Diego on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

San Diego International Airport (SAN) added non-stop service to Oakland, Calif. via Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK) on Spirit Airlines starting May 25. Flights operate once daily.

San Diego International Airport (SAN) will add year-round non-stop service to Provo, Utah via Provo Municipal Airport (PVU) on Allegiant Air starting Aug. 18. Flights will operate two times weekly on Thursdays and Sundays.

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For more information on San Diego’s offerings, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority’s website at www.sandiego.org.