What it was like
Since 1984, the Kiwanis Club of La Jolla has been throwing free Sunday afternoon concerts at Scripps Park on the cliffs above La Jolla Cove. Forty years of this, every summer. The Pacific behind the stage. The grass in front of it. No seats to reserve, no ticket required.
The 2026 series runs four Sundays: July 12, July 19, July 26, and August 2, from 3:30 to 5:30pm. Each show features live music — jazz, big band, Latin, folk — rotating styles week to week. The crowd brings blankets and beach chairs. Dogs are welcome. Children run. Grandparents sit and sway.
There is nothing pretentious about this. It is not curated. It is a neighborhood deciding, year after year, that Sunday afternoons in summer should sound like something.
Scripps Park is a short walk from the main La Jolla village. Arrive early on warm Sundays — the grass fills quickly. Parking in the surrounding streets or the pay lots on Prospect Street.
Free admission. No registration. Just show up.