Black light paint night at Pinot's Palette in Temecula sounds like it produces better results than a standard session â the UV canvas hides a lot of mistakes and makes everything look more intentio…
@falkorcommunity· What happened hereSee full post ↓
Moments24h window
✦
Someone will find this and wonder what they missed.
Leave them something. What was it like?
Someone will find this page today. What should they feel?
The lights drop. The UV comes up. Your canvas glows in colors that do not exist in daylight. Pinot's Palette in Temecula runs a black light paint session that looks like nothing you have made before. Thirty-five dollars. Leave glowing.
In 12 days· Jun 15 – Aug 26
Free
Spreckels Organ Pavilion, 2211 Pan…
From mid-June through late August, the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park transforms into San Diego's best free outdoor concert venue. The Twilight in the Park series runs Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings throughout the summer — a long-running tradition that fills one of the most beautiful outdoor spaces in the city with military bands, Dixieland jazz, big band swing, and Latin salsa.
The 2026 summer season begins June 16 and runs through August 27. Concerts start at 6pm and typically run 90 minutes. The Spreckels Pavilion holds several thousand people and the lawn behind it opens up to the park — families set up blankets on the grass, couples bring picnics, and a crowd that mixes every demographic San Diego actually has shows up in comfortable shoes and good spirits.
The Spreckels Organ Pavilion is located near the main Balboa Park promenade, between the Natural History Museum and the California Tower. From the Cabrillo Bridge entrance off Laurel Street, it is a 10-minute walk through the central walkway. Parking in Balboa Park is free on weekdays and evenings; the lots off President's Way and off Park Blvd both serve the pavilion well.
The series is presented by the City of San Diego and is completely free — no tickets, no reservation. You walk in, find a spot, and stay as long as you want. The military band nights draw local community groups; the Latin salsa nights draw dancers. The July 4th weekend program is typically themed around patriotic music.
Summer in San Diego's finest neighborhood, free, every week. This is the best version of a free outdoor concert series in the county.
Jun 26 – Aug 27, 2026
Free
Santa Monica Pier, 200 Santa Monic…
Every Thursday evening from late June through August, the Santa Monica Pier becomes the closest thing Los Angeles has to a town square. The Twilight Concert Series has been running since 1984 — which means three generations of people have watched the sun drop into the Pacific from this wooden deck while live music played behind them.
Shows run through August 27, 2026, starting at 7 PM each Thursday. Admission is free. The pier fills early — regulars claim spots by 5:30. Bring a blanket. Bring food from the boardwalk. Grab a drink from the cantina and watch the crowd figure out how to dance on wooden planks above the water.
The programming leans eclectic: Latin grooves, West African percussion, cumbia, indie folk, and occasionally something that refuses classification. That unpredictability is the point. You show up not quite knowing what you'll hear and leave having discovered something you didn't expect to love.
The ocean breeze handles the rest. Dress in layers — the pier gets cold after sunset regardless of what the afternoon did. No tickets. No reservations. Just show up at 200 Santa Monica Pier and be one of the thousands of strangers who quietly decided this is worth turning into a weekly ritual all summer long.
Nov 27 – Jan 3, 2027
OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Dr…
The OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa transforms into a holiday light spectacular each December for OC Night Out — the annual holiday lights event that converts the fairgrounds into an immersive walk-through light installation featuring tens of thousands of lights, themed display zones, seasonal entertainment, and the family-friendly atmosphere that has made this a staple of Orange County's holiday season.
The event differs from the summer county fair in scope and presentation — the holiday lighting transforms the fairgrounds into a destination that functions as an outdoor holiday market, a light art installation, and a family entertainment venue simultaneously. Visitors walk through themed zones including traditional holiday imagery, winter wonderland landscapes, and the over-the-top display competitions between adjacent sections.
Hot chocolate, mulled cider, roasted chestnuts, and seasonal food vendors operate throughout the event grounds. Live holiday music programming runs on covered stages. Holiday merchandise and gift vendors fill the indoor exhibit areas that are part of the fairgrounds complex.
The OC Fair & Event Center is at 88 Fair Dr in Costa Mesa, easily accessible from the 405 and 55 freeways. Multiple parking lots on-site. Timed entry tickets required — advance purchase strongly recommended for weekend dates as the most popular nights sell out weeks in advance. The event runs from late November through early January on selected nights.
Mission Bay's annual parade of lights celebrates the holiday season on the water — decorated boats illuminate the calm protected waters of Mission Bay in a tradition that has run for decades and draws crowds from throughout San Diego County to the park's shoreline for the spectacle of the lighted fleet.
Mission Bay Park's extensive shoreline provides numerous free viewing positions for the boat parade — the Marine Park Way, Vacation Road, the various shoreline parks throughout the bay, and the resort-fronted stretches of beach all provide sightlines to the parade route. The parade runs through the calm bay waters, with vessels ranging from kayaks and small motorboats decorated with simple lights to large yachts with full holiday display installations.
The Mission Bay Parade of Lights runs in December and is free to observe from public shoreline positions throughout the park. The protected bay waters provide a stable platform for the participating vessels and create reflections of the lights on the water surface that significantly amplify the visual display.
Mission Bay Park is accessible from I-8 via Mission Bay Drive or I-5 via the Clairemont Drive/Balboa Avenue exchange. Multiple entry points to the park shoreline. Street and lot parking throughout the park. Arrive early to secure shoreline positions on the parade route. The parade start time is typically after sunset, with the spectacle fully visible in darkness.
Dec 13 – Dec 20, 2026
San Diego Bay, Shelter Island Shor…
The San Diego Bay Parade of Lights is a holiday tradition unlike any other Southern California seasonal event — decorated boats of every size, from kayaks to yachts, illuminate San Diego Bay in a procession of lights that runs from Shelter Island through the harbor and toward the Embarcadero. The 2026 parade runs on two consecutive December Sunday evenings, visible from the waterfront throughout the bay.
The parade has been running since 1971 and draws over 100,000 spectators each year to various vantage points around the bay. Participating vessels spend weeks decorating with lights, inflatable displays, and themed structures that make each boat a distinct presentation. Competition categories with judged prizes encourage elaborate decoration across the full range of vessel sizes.
The best free viewing positions are along the Shelter Island Shoreline Park, Harbor Island, and the Embarcadero waterfront. The parade route runs from Shelter Island's boatyard area through the bay, making it visible from multiple vantage points simultaneously. Arrive at least an hour before the 7 PM start time to secure good waterfront position.
Harbor dinner cruises that accompany the parade are a ticketed premium option — several operators run cruises that position guests on the water alongside the parade boats. These sell out well in advance. The free shoreline viewing requires no ticket; bring blankets, hot chocolate, and patience for the crowds that gather along the waterfront for this beloved San Diego holiday tradition.