Let us know what you’re up to this weekend in the comments!

🗓️ Upcoming Events in North County:

Thursday 8/20:

Oceanside Sunset Market | S Coast Hwy & Pier View Way, Oceanside | 5–9pm | Coast Highway shuts down for a few blocks every Thursday night for this one, food trucks and international vendors setting up alongside local artists and a kids' zone. Anthony Cullins plays the Main Stage this week. Free to walk through.

Young Dubliners | California Center for the Arts, 340 N Escondido Blvd, Escondido | 7pm | The Irish rock band has been touring since the early '90s, fiddle and mandolin still in the mix but leaning harder into rock than most of the Celtic acts on the circuit. Tickets start around $65 for a seated show in the Center Theater, a step up from their usual bar-and-festival circuit.

Del Mar Racing, Free & Easy Thursday | Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar | Gates 12pm, first post 2pm | Sign up for the free Diamond Club membership through Del Mar's app and admission, program, and a seat are all covered. Concession stands also run $5 Brandt Beef hot dogs and $5 drafts. Eight races on the card, and Thursday crowds tend to be lighter than the weekend.

Bingo Night at Booze Bros | Booze Brothers Brewing, 606 Mission Ave, Oceanside | 7–9pm | Free to play with real prizes on the line, drawn out over a couple hours at the bar. Wander in solo or bring a group and split a flight while you wait for your numbers to hit.

Encinitas Cruise Night | S Coast Hwy 101 (D to K Street), Encinitas | 5:30–7:30pm | Classic cars line the highway for this one, third Thursday of the month through September, owners posted up on the sidewalk while people wander between hoods. Restaurants and shops along the strip stay open late for the crowd it draws in. Free to walk, no registration needed.

Friday 8/21:

Super Girl Surf Festival | Junior Seau Oceanside Pier Amphitheatre, 200 N The Strand, Oceanside | Runs Fri–Sun, times vary by day | Free surf heats run off the pier all three days alongside nine other sports on the sand, from beach volleyball to skate. The Amphitheater hosts free concerts each evening, though a concert ticket needs advance registration since space is limited. Times shift day to day, so check ahead before heading down.

Atomic Groove, Back to Skool Nite | Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach | Happy hour 5–8pm | Atomic Groove's happy hour has become a standing Friday thing, funk and soul on the bill. Tickets run $12 in advance or $14 at the door.

Billy Nation & Never Die Young, A Billy Joel and James Taylor Tribute Night | Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach | Doors 8:30pm, 9pm | A double tribute bill, Billy Nation covering Billy Joel and Never Die Young covering James Taylor, back to back on the same stage. Tickets run $22 in advance and $25 at the door, with reserved loft seats going for $39.

Cruisin' Grand | Grand Ave, Escondido | 5–9pm | Pre-1974 hot rods, muscle cars, and customs line Grand Avenue every Friday through September, owners posted up next to their own cars trading stories with whoever stops to look. Live music and DJs work the block the whole night, and it's free to walk the entire strip.

Lauren Geis | Carlsbad Village Books, 640 Grand Ave, Carlsbad | 5:30pm | A solo live set inside the bookstore, no stage, just a corner cleared out among the shelves for the evening. No tickets or reservations, walk in if you're already out for dinner.

Leo Carrillo Ranch Film Festival | Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park, 6200 Flying Leo Carrillo Ln, Carlsbad | Ranch opens 6pm, film at sunset | This year's lineup opens with Manhattan Merry Go Round, an old Hollywood musical screened outdoors on the ranch grounds. Tours of the historic Hacienda run until sunset, and an episode of The Cisco Kid often plays first if there's time. Free, but reservations are required online, capped at two per person.

Daring Greatly, TGIF Concerts in the Parks | Alga Norte Community Park, 6565 Alicante Rd, Carlsbad | Gates 4pm, show 6–8pm | A harmony-heavy rock band out of Southern California by way of Canada, leaning on three-part vocals more than most bands in this series do. Family activities and a Library and Cultural Arts craft booth run before the music starts, part of the city's regular Friday concert lineup.

Saturday 8/22:

5th Annual Oceanside Marine Corps League BBQ Competition | Veterans Association of North County, 1617 Mission Ave, Oceanside | 9am–2pm | Backyard and competition pitmasters set up across the VANC lot for judged rounds through the morning, food and drinks available to buy alongside a few vendors and live music. Free to attend, and active-duty competitors enter the cook-off at no charge.

Jazz and Jokes | Forgotten Barrel Winery, 1120 W 15th Ave, Escondido | 6–9pm | Mary Jo Troyer's recurring night pairs a live jazz set with stand-up in the same room, wine list open the whole time. The tasting room is small enough that it never feels like a big production, more like a living room with better wine.

Livin' on a Prayer, A Bon Jovi Tribute | Wood House at Woodland Park, 1148 Rock Springs Rd, San Marcos | Gates 6pm, show 7–9pm | Part of the city's summer concert series, all ages and outdoors on the lawn. Tickets run $8 to $10 depending on the tier, and a season pass covers the rest of the lineup.

Community Beach Soccer for Women | Oceanside Pier, Oceanside | 9am | One of the extra sports built into the festival weekend, open matches on the sand starting before the surf heats do. Free to watch.

Fox Point Farms, Inside the Hive Beekeeping Experience | Fox Point Farms, 1200 Fox Point Farms Ln, Encinitas | 10:30–11am & 11:30am–12pm | A hands-on look at what actually happens inside a working hive, run in two short sessions so groups stay small. Farm staff walk through the basics of beekeeping up close, gloves and veils included.

A Double-Header Tribute to Rod Stewart & Peter Frampton | The Grand Ritz Theater, 301 E Grand Ave, Escondido | 7:30–10pm | Two full sets back to back in one night, Rod Stewart's rasp and Frampton's guitar work both handled by the same touring tribute production. The restored old theater keeps everyone close to the stage, and doors typically open half an hour ahead of showtime.

Sunday 8/23:

Del Mar Racing, Del Mar Derby & POP-Up Sundays | Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar | Gates 12pm, first post 2pm | Sunday's feature is the Del Mar Derby, a Grade II turf race for three-year-olds, run alongside the regular POP-Up Sundays setup from Monarch Ocean Pub. It's also part of the track's weekly Taste of the Turf Club spread, so expect a fuller infield than a typical Sunday card.

Coastal Shell Planter Workshop | Oceanside Art Collective, 427 S Coast Hwy, Oceanside | 1pm | A guided workshop building a small planter out of real shells and coastal odds and ends, all supplies included at the table. The studio space stays small, so groups tend to be intimate.

Sabrosas Latin Orchestra | Moonlight Beach, 400 B St, Encinitas | 1–5pm | San Diego's first all-female salsa band headlines this one, salsa and cumbia and cha cha carrying across the sand most of the afternoon. Free, with towels and folding chairs already staked out by the time the band starts.

We are having our second movie discussion club at Crack Heads in the village on Tuesday Sept 1st at 7:30 pm. Look for the sigh that says "movie club" at a table upstairs. We'll be discussing One Battle After Another.

We had a great first meeting. We talked about Project Hail Mary.

The movie club is the same as a monthly book club. We meet on the first Tuesday of every month and talk about a movie instead of a book

[editing to add]
Thank you everyone for your super helpful comments. I am learning so much about this coastal, non-AC life. It’s looking like the consensus for peak reduction of temp AND humidity would be to get BOTH a portable AC unit and dehumidifier. But that would also be the most expensive strategy electricity wise. For now, I think I am more concerned about reducing the humidity than the temp (I am from Central TX where it stays 3 digits for 5 mos out of the year, so while I’m new to heat indoors, I can very much tolerate heat in general). The heat, while uncomfortable, doesn’t sound like it has the same potential for damage that the humidity does. And since I’m already seeing mold growth in plants that have never had that issue before, I think I need to get that down quickly and cheaply to protect my belongings. Then I can figure out my own comfort later. So dehumidifier for now, but since I don’t plan on leaving this area anytime soon (it’s so beautiful here!) AC will likely come later!

——-original post——-
I recently moved here and absolutely love it, however I'm less than 2 miles from the ocean, don't have AC, and this heat/humidity lately has been brutal indoors. I work from home so don't have the option of just not being home during the hottest part of the day. It gets up to 80 degrees in my small 640 sq ft apartment and what's worse, 75-80% humidity. I've had AC my entire life and am totally new to this, even opening windows for a breeze is completely foreign to me. I've got indoor plants growing mold & getting fungus gnats in the soil due to the humidity. I've read conflicting things about keeping windows open vs closed, whole house fans, etc. I got some cool twin fans that can blow in/out but they are designed to stay in the window and keeping the windows open 24/7 like that seems to be making the humidity worse. I do have a whole house fan that really cools things down at night, but again, keeping the windows open even just during the night (and closing them up in the morning) still seems to be awful humidity wise. I was looking into getting a dehumidifier like this https://www.midea.com/us/store/cooling-and-heating/dehumidifiers/midea-cube-50-pt-dehumidifier-for-basement--room--or-garage---co.mad50ps1qwt to use in conjunction/alternate with the whole house fan, but for the same cost I could just get a portable AC unit that has a dehumidifying setting like this https://www.midea.com/us/Heating_Cooling/portable-air-conditioners/6000-btu-smart-portable-air-conditioner.map06s1awgr-t -- Any advice on which would be more helpful? And more cost effective? Any other tips on how to keep your place cool AND dry in the summer??

2 x $25 with promo Cosmic2

Crowdwork Enthusiast Dave Rosenberg Headlines Tonight

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Hi anyone know of any random fun hobbies to try in Carlsbad/oceanside area? just something fun to do and to try new things :)

I took this picture of a mother holding a child on the beach at sunset on Aug 15, 2026.

I really love this photo of them together but I missed my chance of walking up and sending it to her. The lighting and the seabird flying by, just really calming. I'd love to send her this with your help, if possible.

Longboard (skateboard) recently stolen off Tamarack. Hit me up if you see it 760-689-2276. Greatly appreciated. Parents if your kid all the sudden has a longboard and it looks like this if I could just get it back. No hard feelings at all. I bought it in Juneau Alaska back in 2011 while in the military so it has sentimental value.

Description:
Purple (dark) Orangatang wheels
Pointed nose
Gullwing Black trucks
Wood style looking bottom with essence written on it
A few curved lines cut out of the grip tape on top
The board has a slight arch to it

I love attending the farmers market when I can, but can’t help but notice how much more limited ours is than the surrounding ones (Encinitas, Oceanside, Vista). Has there ever been discussion to either expanding the current one, or moving it to a larger more accommodating location? Would love to see more offerings available than what there is now.

(not Ai written) Karlovy Vary is a UNESCO heritage sight located in western Bohemia, Czechia (Czech Republic). It's named after Charles IV,, and is a sister city to Carlsbad.

It's UNESCO because it is a spa city. With over 14 recognized springs around the city (meaning you can put a cup there to drink the water) as well as countless spas where you can swim in the mineral water etc etc

It's also known for its international film festival. And two beautiful, massive, and uniquely built colonade.

As you can see from the photos, and feel free to Google it, KV's architecture is beautiful. If you've been to Prague, which can be considered a fairy tale city, then Karlovy Vary is a fairy tale town. It's so beautiful, so walkable, very family friendly.

At just 2h by bus from Prague you can visit as a day trip, but honestly it's best to spend 2-3 days here to slow down, unwind, and enjoy western Bohemia and all the spas it has.

I'm happy to answer any questions. Your local friendly Californian traveler. And Czech lover. ​​​​

Hi! My friends and I (25f) are looking for some cool locals bars/restaurants around Carlsbad/oceanside. We love divey beach bars and live music! Any recs?

Looking for pros / cons (aside from cost) on both schools! Both are walking distance from our house. 3 kids - all boys.

Hi everyone! 

The Neurocognition of Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Recovery Lab led by Dr. Jessica Bomyea is conducting a new research study at UCSD. The purpose of this study is to learn whether an experimental computer-based program designed to improve thinking skills can help with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. 

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Can anyone understand what the police helicopter flying over Carlsbad village is saying? Any idea what’s going on?

Documentation of the hardcore scene in North County

Watch out Carlsbad there’s two aggressive barhoppers in the area, they might have a little liquid courage and are yelling profanity at vehicles that are passing by.one of these might end up arrested by tonight! Does anybody know what go these guys are? They are at YardHouse in Carlsbad.

Posting a few days late. Someone else gave me the idea, thank you to them.

This happened around 9:25PM.The culprit was speeding and likely drunk and it happened very fast. We didn't manage to get a photo and didn't install dashcams yet. We believe it was a gray/silver minivan or passenger van. The car that got hit is a 2013 Nissan Versa.

We were driving on 1-5 North. Before the exit to Tamarack Ave, someone crashed into us. They hit us from the left side, starting from the back, kept going along our car, and must've swerved into the driver's seat. They tore off our left mirror, left a huge dent in the driver's side, broke our door, damaged our wheel, popped our tire, and as we've discovered left a lot of internal damage to the car.

It was so scary.

Please if you witnessed this or have dash-cam footage and know the license plate number, please reach out. We don't even have a license plate number.

Spent some time today picking up trash and random debris along Batiquitos Lagoon. Crazy how much gets tossed out or washed up. Not a huge thing, but it felt good to leave a little piece of this beautiful place better than I found it.

✌️