It’s officially (unofficially) summer! After a weekend of beaching, brewing, and BBQ-ing we can finally welcome the joys of summer, even if June gloom has made its presence felt. Summer is calling for you to eat, drink, and play local and artisanal, that is Edible San Diego-style. Try your hand at making the original margarita recipe from Hussong’s Cantina, the oldest bar in Ensenada, which claims to have invented the margarita in 1941. Pair it with tortilla chips and Liz Murphy’s new strawberry salsa recipe for the epitome of seasonal flavor.

Now let’s dive into the best happenings June has to offer in San Diego. 

‍

Pride by the Beach. Image source: VisitOceanside.

‍

Pride by the Beach Festival

Saturday, June 1 from 10am–1pm

Downtown Oceanside, 300 N. Coast Hwy., Oceanside, CA 92054

June is host to many beautiful holidays including Juneteenth, Father’s Day, and Pride Month. Join Oceanside’s festivities as it kicks off Pride Month in a memorable fashion. At Pride by the Beach Festival in Downtown Oceanside, attendees will be delighted by exceptional local entertainment on both main and community stages, exciting dance performances, and tantalizing tastes from food vendors aplenty. Don’t miss out on this free and inclusive event hosted by North County LGBTQ Resource Center that will feature over 130 retail and resource vendors from around the region.

RIVA, Richard Aubert IV. Image source: RIVA.

‍

A Jazzy Weekend with RIVA

Thursday, June 6 from 7–10pm at Future is Color, 2060 Logan Ave, San Diego

Friday, June 7 from 8pm–2am at 93 Beer Tap, 1270 Avenida Francisco I. Madero, Tijuana, BC

Saturday, June 8 at La Capilla, Av Adolfo López Mateos 1000, Zona Centro, Ensenada, BC

Sunday, June 9 from 4–8pm at Blanket Sounds, Waterfront Park, San Diego

Richard Aubert IV (RIVA) may just be San Diego’s new jazz prodigy. Melding traditional jazz standards with elements of house, techno, and soul genres in his curated series, jAZZhOUSE, RIVA is in a league of his own. Performing with a five-piece band with regular musical guests, RIVA has been popping up on lineups throughout the region. Over the second weekend in June, don’t miss out on four opportunities to see RIVA perform with two free shows in San Diego and two paid experiences south of the border in Baja California. Pack a picnic to enjoy his final performance of the weekend as he and the band serenade you under the sun at Waterfront Park, the first installment of an outdoor concert and art series, Blanket Sounds. 

Kinfolk Fest. Image source: SD Melanin.

‍

Kinfolk Fest: A Juneteenth Celebration

Saturday, June 15 from noon–9pm

Waterfront Park, San Diego

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day, is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. This national holiday is an exuberant opportunity to honor Black joy, liberation, and excellence across the country. Join SD Melanin at their annual Kinfolk Fest where Waterfront Park will be bustling with live music and DJ sets, art installations, wellness activities, and a Black-owned businesses vending food, drink, and retail items. Tickets are moving fast for this 21+ event so don’t delay on your entrance to one of the most vibrant functions of the month!

City Heights Street Food Fest. Image source: City Heights Community Development.

‍

City Heights Street Food Festival

Saturday, June 15 from 11am–5pm

University Avenue in City Heights between 37th & 38th Streets

City Heights’ deep roots in cultural diversity will be showcased in this fourth annual Street Food Festival. Put on by City Heights Community Development, this festival will be a block party of live art, music, and drinks for the whole San Diego community. City Heights residents will receive a discounted ticket price and all registration and ticketing proceeds will be used to provide job assistance, food, housing, safer streets, and other critical support to the City Heights community. Purchase your tickets in advance here!

Lao Food Festival. Image source: Lao American Organization of San Diego.

‍

San Diego Lao Food Festival

Saturday, June 22 from 11am–9pm

Sunday, June 23 from 11am–6pm

Mira Mesa Community Park

San Diego is home to one of the largest Lao-American communities in the country and the Lao Americans Organization of San Diego is throwing a festival to share its culture with the city. Attendees to this second annual event can expect to find a variety of food stalls selling a range of traditional dishes, from savory to sweet desserts. Some unique and delicious dishes can’t even be found in local Lao restaurants. Indulge in the beauty and flavors of Laos in this outdoor event held in Mira Mesa Community Park. Tickets to the two-day festival range from $6-$18 and support the local San Diego Lao community. 

Graphic source: Friends of Blue Sky Canyon.

‍

Summer Solstice Guided Hike

Thursday, June 20 from 7–11am

Blue Sky Ecological Reserve

What better way to greet the new season than in the wonder of Mother Nature. Join docent Celeste Larson for an interpretive hike through Poway’s Blue Sky Ecological Reserve and around Lake Poway on this 5 and a half mile journey. The hike begins early in order to beat the heat so get good rest and pack water and snacks before enjoying a glorious Thursday morning in nature.

‍

Happy June y’all!

Stay hungry, curious, and considerate,

Chef Ryan Rizzuto

‍

Hero image: DogoraSun/iStock.

Tags
No items found.
About the Contributor
Ryan Rizzuto
Ryan Rizzuto is a chef, entrepreneur, and event curator in San Diego. You can taste his work at his own soul food popup, Southside Biscuits. Chef Ryan was nationally-recognized as a 2020 Food Hero by Edible Communities and Niman Ranch for his Covid-19-related hunger relief operations at Kitchens for Good. Follow him on Instagram at @chefryanrizzuto and his soul food and public events at @southsidebiscuits.
MORE ABOUT THIS CONTRIBUTOR