📚 Books
KPBS Book Festival
The reading event of the summer is finally here! The KPBS Book Festival returns for its second year at the University of San Diego campus. You can expect something for book lovers of all ages, including panel discussions, author signings, exhibitors featuring authors and our beloved local indie bookstores, a kids area and even live entertainment.
And if you’re curious about this year’s headliners, we’ve got a wide variety — I’m personally excited for romance novelist duo Christina Lauren and chef Claudette Zepeda. You can find the full programming breakdown here. Come celebrate the power of reading, creativity and community with us!
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 22 | University of San Diego, 5998 Alcalá Park | FREE | MORE INFO
🎭 Theater
'Family Album' closing
It’s closing weekend for the musical “The Family Album,” which had its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse last month. Created by Sam Chanse, MILCK (Connie K. Lim), AG (Adrianne Gonzalez) and Jess McLeod, it follows singer-songwriter Mia Bing, who’s on the cusp of making it into the industry until she returns to her childhood home, where she has to navigate being the “disappointing” daughter to her Asian immigrant parents once again. A cool tidbit about the musical: MILCK and AG’s song, “Quiet,” went viral in 2017 during the Women’s March and became the basis for the show. "I Can't Keep Quiet (The Reclamation)" is one of many powerful tracks from "The Family Album."
July 17 - Aug. 23 | La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, UC San Diego | $30-$84+ | MORE INFO
💃 Cultural events (and food!)
SAMAFEST 2026
Hosted by local performing arts organization SAMAHAN Arts, SAMAFEST, or the Philippine Cultural Arts Festival, is a two-day community celebration that puts Filipino artistry, culture and food front and center. There will be plenty of live music, visual art, vendors and martial arts demonstrations. I recommend checking out the folk dance showcase, which will take place over both days. The dancers are typically accompanied by music ensembles playing traditional Filipino instruments like the rondalla, a plucked string instrument, and the kulintang and gangsa, or gongs.
The food options also look absolutely mouthwatering. No Filipino celebration is complete without an abundance of good food. Definitely get some halo-halo while you’re there; it’ll be a hot day.
11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 22, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 23 | President’s Way Lawn, 1549 El Prado, Balboa Park | FREE | MORE INFO
🎸 Music
Punk in the Park
For all the punk rockers out there, there will be a free punk music festival at Kate Sessions Park in Pacific Beach. Not to be confused with the national festival of the same name, the acts include bands Fieldrush, the Basanites, Pet Mammoth and Rain on Fridays. In the words of Pet Mammoth from their Instagram: “Bring your mom, your kids, your dog, your cat! Bring a picnic blanket, a lawn chair, or just jump around in the pit for 3 hours!”
4 p.m. to sunset, Aug. 22 | Kate Sessions Park, 5115 Soledad Road, Pacific Beach | FREE | MORE INFO
The Midnight Pine reunites for one last performance
The last time local Americana band The Midnight Pine played together was early 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic. They didn’t know it would be their final performance at the time — but instead of leaving on an unresolved note, the band has decided to play one last time at the Music Box. They will be performing their second album, "Buried," in its entirety to pay homage to the band’s final moments. KPBS arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans profiled the band ahead of their final performance.
“It feels good to close a loop before we start another one and to kind of also remind the community of like, ‘Hey, do you remember this?’” said Shelbi Bennett of The Midnight Pine.
7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 | The Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy | $26.10 | MORE INFO
For more arts events and ongoing happenings, visit the KPBS/Arts Calendar.
