Hello San Diego!

Embark on a cultural voyage this weekend in our lovely city by the sea! Whether your fancy is festivals, films, food, talks, benefit events, art exhibitions and workshops, music, comedy, dance, or theatrical performances, there really is something for everyone in the coming days. Cross-cultural treasures await you!

Throughout this weekend, the San Diego Filipino Film Festival continues.

Today (Friday), is the last day for the Mohammad Barrangi Exhibit at the Art Museum. The film Made in Mexico will screen at Miracosta College in Oceanside. Mexican singer Ana Barbara will perform at the Magnolia in El Cajon. Latina singer Becky G will perform at the Balboa Theatre. Los Darth Vatos will be at Navajo Live. Junior H will perform at SDSU. And at the La Jolla Community Center, you can enjoy an Evening of Italian Songs and Arias.

Saturday, there will be a Lōkahi Festival at Guardian Angels Church in Santee. Ponce's Mexican Restaurant will have a Dia De Los Muertos Painting Class. Casa Familiar is celebrating its 50th anniversary with Casa Fest 2023 at Waterfront Park. At the San Diego Museum of Art, there will be a Persian Mehregan Fall Fête. The Son de Allá y Son de Acá exhibit will open at the Chicano Park Museum. The San Diego Diplomacy Council 45th Anniversary Event will take place at UC San Diego Park & Market. At the St. George - Serbian Orthodox Church in Bay Park, there will be a Bulgarian Festival. At La Paloma Theatre, there will be a Masters of Hawaiian Music Benefit Concert for Maui. At the Grand-Ritz Theater in Escondido, there will be a Hawaiian Music and Dance Concert featuring Sean Na'auao, Kūhai Hālau O Kawenaokalā’īokalani Pā ‘Ōlapa Kahiko dance group and local band Spam and Egg. Iranian singer Farshid Amin will perform at Saffrono Lounge Bar & Girl.

Sunday, the House of Spain will hold its annual Lawn Program at the International Cottages. Bread and Salt Gallery will host a Mexico in a Bottle event celebrating the varieties of distilled liquid refreshments produced in Mexico. At SDSU, La Chimi & Friends will perform flamenco. There will be an All-Female Baja California Authors Talk at Park & Market which will include a performance by María Reyna. At the Clark Cabaret & Bar, Filipino music artist Justin Huertas will perform. Syrian singer Nassif Zeytoun will perform at the Sycuan Casino Resort in El Cajon.

Monday at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, there will be a special Indigenous Peoples' Day Celebration hosted by the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians.

Next Thursday, the 3-day 6th Annual Jewish Short Film Festival will begin. There will be a Bilingual Storytime at the Balboa Library. At the Central Library, there will be a Hafez Day Celebration in honor of the beloved Persian poet. The Archaeological Center will host a live and virtual talk on the Ancestral Maya Ground Stone Tool Industry in Belize. There will be a special showing of the epic Ukrainian movie Dovbush at the Landmark Hillcrest. At the Museum of Photographic Arts, the San Diego Italian Film Festival will screen the film Il Colibri (the Hummingbird).

Next Friday and Saturday, the Digital Gym will screen the documentary I Went to the Dance (J’ai Été Au Bal) that celebrates the rich history of Cajun and Zydeco music.

Next Friday, there will be a Korean Fall Harvest Festival as UCSD. At Royal Banquet, there will be a Carnatic Music Concert. The Original Wailers will perform at Belly Up.

Next Saturday, the Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper Exhibition opens at the Mingei. At Monarch School's Center for the Arts, there will be an All of Us Festival. The Filipino So Sarap Festival will take place at Waterfront Park. The North University Community Library will host a Bilingual Storytime. At the Central Library, Mary Knight will discuss her new book The Sicilian Sorceress. There will be a Filipino Kamayan Na Ka-Nayon Celebration at Kusina in Mira Mesa. The Embolden Beer Co will present a Taste of Japan event featuring Japanese street food. At Kensington-Normal Heights Library, there will be a Persian Music Concert featuring the Dornob Collective led by our friend Farhad Bahrami. The Japanese band Awesome &roid will perform at the Til Two Club. There will be a Carnatic Vocal Music Concert at the Seaside Center for Spiritual Living. Sewa International will hold their Annual Dance and Fundraiser at Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Jiaoying Summers will perform stand-up at Mic Drop Comedy. Comedian Jr De Guzman will perform at Balboa Theater. Jarabe Mexicano will perform at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts. Hawaiian singer Kalani Pe'a will perform at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. And the comedy group Haram Guys will perform 2 shows at Good Bar and another show that Sunday. Whew!

Next Sunday, the Escondido Grand Avenue Festival will happen. The House of Czech and Slovak Republics will hold their annual Lawn Program at the International Cottages. Mariachi Herencia de México will perform at JAI at the Conrad in La Jolla. At Little Italy's Piazza della Famiglia, there will be an Italian Heritage Concert. Legendary Argentine composer and singer Leo Dan will perform at SDSU. Romeo Santos will perform at the Pechanga Arena.

Local theatrical productions include Cabaret (ends Sunday) at the Old Globe, Dragon Mama (ends Sunday) at Diversionary Theatre, Dishwasher Dreams at the White Theatre at the Old Globe, Sumo at the La Jolla Playhouse, and Les Misérables at the Civic Theatre.

Please note that after two weeks in the main calendar section, ongoing events (such as exhibitions and plays) can be found in Ongoing and Extended Events.

Everyone here at the San Diego Participant Observer and the Worldview Project wish you fulfilling, illuminating, and culturally-rich experiences in the days ahead. See you next week!