The best things to do this week in San Diego: Oct. 13-17

Here are some of the best things to do this week in San Diego, from Monday, Oct. 13 to Friday, Oct. 17.

Check back Wednesday for our guide to things to do this weekend.

Monday

Free museum entry: Children ages 12 years and under can get free admission to over 60 museums across San Diego County during October. These include Comic-Con Museum, Children’s Museum of Discovery and the San Diego Natural History Museum. Kids can also get free access to county aquariums and gardens such as the Birch Aquarium, Japanese Friendship Garden and the Living Coast Discovery Center. Additionally, children can also use this promotion at the San Diego Zoo. sandiegomuseumcouncil.org/specials/kidsfree

Brick-or-Treat: LEGOLAND California holds its Brick-or-Treat Monster Party on weekends in October with entertainment, dance parties, live music, costumed entertainers and trick-or-treating. The party is included with park admission. As part of its Halloween season celebration, there will be costumed characters, décor and seasonal treats daily through Oct. 31. Visit legoland.com/california/things-to-do/seasonal-events/halloween.

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Jurassic Fright at Pumpkin Patch: Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in Oct. 3 through Oct. 31 at 1050 Cannon Road. There’s a haunted corn maze, marigold fields, bounceland, Jurassic Fright, a tractor ride and sheep, goats and rabbits. Admission is $15; free for kids 3 and younger plus fees for activities. Visit carlsbadstrawberrycompany.com/pumpkin.

Bruce Holsinger author event: Named to Oprah’s Book Club in July, this provocative bestselling novel questions personal ethics, responsibility and the dangers of artificial intelligence. A family is implicated when the autonomous minivan they’re riding in collides with a car carrying an elderly couple who die in the crash. Who’s at fault? Was it AI or the 17-year-old teen in the driver’s seat who failed to take the wheel. Author Bruce Holsinger will discuss the book with Seth Lerer. 7:30 p.m. Monday. Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. warwicks.com/event/holsinger-2025.

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San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery and San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art: ‘Clothes Story’ Atlanta-based designer Kenneth Green has curated a new exhibition that “celebrates the lives and contributions of African American women.” The full title for “Clothes Story” is actually “Clothes Story: An Exhibit Highlighting African American Women’s Clothing from 1890 to 1963.” And in this new exhibit, San Bernardino native Green has replicated more than 30 garments and fashion accessories from that period — sequined 1920s flapper coats, body-hugging 1940s dresses, patterned 1960s mini-skirts and more. The exhibit can be seen at the San Diego Mesa College Art Galley, which is presenting it in collaboration with the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art. Through Oct. 16. Closing reception: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery, 7250 Mesa College Drive, FA-103, San Diego.  Free. 619-388-2829, sdmesa.edu/art-gallery

Scarecrow Days: The annual Fallbrook Scarecrow Days are Oct. 1-31. Scarecrows will be displayed at businesses and residences throughout Fallbrook.  A Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt is Oct. 8-31. The volunteer ScareCREW group provides hands-on scarecrow building workshops Oct. 2-4 and Oct. 9-11. A Scarecrow Kids Corner is at the Fallbrook Farmers Market with fall crafts, games and an art contest for kids from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Visit fallbrookchamberofcommerce.org.

Tuesday

Steven Rowley author event: In conversation with Julie Slavinsky, author Steven Rowley will launch his new book “The Dogs of Venice.” 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Free; $20 for book and reserved seat. warwicks.com/event/rowley-2025

Resident Free Days: On Tuesdays throughout each month, different local museums open their doors for free to local residents. This week’s open venue is the San Diego Air & Space Museum, The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park and the Comic-Con Museum. Make sure to bring identification. balboapark.org/resident-free-days

Sky Art from Borrego Springs comes to Escondido: Artist Ricardo Breceda’s famous metal desert sculptures are coming closer to the city. Fans can get up close to the rams, dinosaur and rattlesnake and majestic as well as two new sculptures that will go to Borrego Springs in November. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday. California Center for the Arts, Escondido. 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. ArtCenter.org.

Wednesday

LGBTQ Historic Exhibit: In honor of National LGBTQ History Month, an exhibition of artifacts, photographs and stories about local community trailblazers will be featured in an exhibit opening Wednesday and continuing through Nov. 5. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. San Diego City Hall lobby, 202 C Street, downtown. 619-692-1967.  

“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”: Cygnet Theatre presents Christopher Durang’s absurdist comedy that mixes characters from Chekhov plays with contemporary sibling strife in pastoral Pennsylvania. 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Nov. 9. Dottie Studio Theatre at The Joan, 2880 Roosevelt Road, Arts District Liberty Station, San Diego. $58 and up. 619-337-1525, cygnettheatre.com

“Manifest P*ssy”: Diversionary Theatre presents the closing weekend of trans performer Shakina’s autobiographical “glam rock odyssey.” 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sunday. Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd., University Heights. $64.50-$71.50. 619-220-0097, diversionary.org

“Arms and the Man”: Lamb’s Players Theatre presents George Bernard Shaw’s “Anti-Romantic Comedy in Three Acts” about a war-weary solder finding refuge in the home of a sympathetic young woman. 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesdays; 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Nov. 16. 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado. $49-$98. 619-437-6000, lambsplayers.org

Thursday

SeaWorld Howl-O-Scream: Back for the fifth time is SeaWorld’s Howl-O-Scream. This Halloween activation modifies the theme park into a haunted playground with eight scare zones. Guests can expect to see spooky creatures, a graveyard, a carnival of chaos and five haunted houses. There will also be music and live entertainment stages, themed bars and speakeasies. Plus, certain amusement park rides will be open. Select nights now through Nov. 1. $44.99-$144.99. seaworld.com/san-diego/events/howl-o-scream

Scary movies in Spanish: In downtown San Diego, Media Arts Center San Diego’s Digital Gym Cinema is featuring some Spanish-language films this Halloween season. On Thursday, Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” will be shown.1100 Market St., San Diego. 619-230-1938, digitalgym.org

Historic horror: Fans of Halloween horror flicks can get spooked at the Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House. The venue will be screening “Night of the Living Dead” on Oct. 16, “Plan 9 from Outer Space” on Oct. 23, and “House on Haunted Hill” on Oct. 30. Tickets are $10 for each showing and include a candlelit, self-guided haunted stories tour through the Gaslamp Museum. Events start at 6:45 p.m. 410 Island Ave., San Diego. 619-233-4692, instagram.com/gaslampquarter

“Blues for an Alabama Sky”: Moxie Theatre presents Pearl Cleage’s drama about a struggling blues singer surviving with the help of friends in Depression-era Harlem. 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Oct. 26. 6663 El Cajon Blvd., Suite N, Rolando. $20-$59. 858-598-7620, moxietheatre.com

“Jekyll & Hyde”: San Diego Musical Theatre presents Frank Wildhorn, Leslie Bricusse and Steve Cuden’s gothic musical based on the Robert Louis Stevenson about a Victorian-era physician at war with the dark side of his psyche. 7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Through Nov. 2. 4650 Mercury St., Kearny Mesa. $49-$69. 858-560-5740, sdmt.org

Friday

Master of the Macabre: Stories by Master of the Macabre, Edgar Allan Poe, will be featured at 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Oct. 17 to Nov. 1 at Villa Montezuma Museum in Sherman Heights. The performances, “Poe and More Poe” are co-directed by Rachael VanWormer and Veronica Murphy and hosted by Write Out Loud.  Tickets are $30 at writeoutloudsd.com.

TwitchCon: TwitchCon is celebrating its 10th anniversary with three days of live streaming, networking, workshops and a Q&A with its CEO. Live streamers and their fans will be flocking to the San Diego Convention Center for TwitchCon 2025 this weekend. The three-day conference, similar to Comic-Con International, brings together Twitch community members and the general public to meet other livestreamers, attend interactive workshops, hear industry leaders and play video games. Some of the event highlights include a block party, esports competitions, and a cosplay game show. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17-19. 111 Harbor Drive, San Diego. $60-$249. twitchcon.com/san-diego-2025

Meet-and-Greet with Dave Berke & Jocko Willink: Retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, fighter pilot and ground combat leader and retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink will sign their now book “The Need to Lead: A TOPGUN Instructor’s Lessons on How Leadership Solves Every Challenge.” 6 p.m. Friday. Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. $35.01. warwicks.com/event/berke-and-willink-2025

HauntFest:The city of El Cajon is putting on a Halloween event from 4 to 9 p.m. Oct. 17 in downtown El Cajon with a costume contest, amusement rides, a candy trail, trunk or treat with classic cars and a haunted maze along with dancing and a DJ, an outdoor movie screening of Monsters University and a reptile petting zoo. There will also be a sensory tent offering a quiet space. The Magnolia will host its annual Haunted Circus: Monsters at Play, featuring jugglers, contortionists, stilt walkers, hoop throwers, aerialists and acrobats at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Free. elcajon.gov.

Movies in the park: This fall, the public can enjoy free showings of movies across various city and county parks, including Halloween-themed family classics. Some of these films are “The Nightmare Before Christmas” on Oct. 17, “Coco” on Oct. 18, and “Hocus Pocus” on Nov. 1. Movies will start 15 minutes after sunset. summermoviesinthepark.com

San Diego Symphony: Gemma New conducts Lera Korngold’s Violin Concerto and Mendelssohn’s Overture and Nocturne from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Symphony No. 4 (“Italian”). 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.. Jacobs Music Center, 1245 Seventh Ave., Downtown. $30-$108. 619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org

“Small”: The Old Globe presents Robert Montano in the West Coast premiere of his Drama Desk-nominated solo play about outgrowing his career as a horse-racing jockey to become a successful Broadway dancer. 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Sheryl & Harvey White Theatre, The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, San Diego. $44-$118. 619-234-5623, theoldglobe.org

Haunted Hotel: The historic grounds of the Olivenhain Meeting Hall will be transformed into a Haunted Hotel Friday and Saturday nights from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 10-11, Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 24-25 at  423 Rancho Santa Fe Road. There will be spooky scenes ranging from a Haunted Swamp, Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory and a Witches’ Lair to a Candy Mystery Trail. Actors are Scouts, ages 11 to 17. There will be games at the carnival and refreshment to purchase. Tickets are $8; cash and credit are accepted at the door. The event is a fundraiser for Scout Troop 2000. For questions, email troop2kcommunityoutreach@gmail.com.

Fright for Future: The horrors can impact humans, animals and Earth are on full display at Fright for Future. This interactive haunted maze is designed to educate visitors about the dangers of pollution, animal abuse and climate change through 20 interactive activations. Some of these attractions in the maze include a biohazard unit, a butcher shop, a poacher camp and a witch’s cauldron. New this year are four attractions: tech-known terrors, the harm of processed foods, the influence of big tobacco and pain caused by pharmaceutical companies. This haunted maze is intended for those 10 years and older. It is free for students with a school identification. Oct. 17-19, 24-26. 37ECB, 3720 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. $10. frightforfuture.org

“Follies”: Cygnet Theatre presents this 1971 musical about a group of long-retired showgirls gathering on the even of their old theater’s demolition. 7 p.m. Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Clayes Theatre at The Joan, 2880 Roosevelt Road, Arts District Liberty Station, San Diego. $44 and up. 619-337-1525, cygnettheatre.com

Spooky campout: The annual Spooky Camp-o-Ween is back from Oct. 17-19 and Oct. 24-26 at Lake Jennings, 10108 Bass Road. Check in Friday and pick up creepy crafts, then listen to and tell spooky stories around the campfire. There will be campground trick-or-treating, a scavenger hunt and a campsite decorating contest. Bring your costumes. Camping fees apply. This weekend is for registered campers only and campsites fill up fast. Reserve a campsite at (619) 390-1623. Visit lakejennings.org.

Pasta discount: Foodies who want to celebrate National Pasta Day with some specials can visit Roman Wolves in Little Italy. The restaurant is offering 50% off its cheese wheel pasta during happy hour. Piping-hot pasta is tossed into a well carved in a wheel of Parmesan cheese. Guests can also get other deals on the happy hour menu, such as bruschetta and calamari for $8, the flatbread pinsa margherita for $12 and beer and a house wine for $5. 4 to 6 p.m. Friday. 1980 Kettner Blvd. Suite 10, San Diego. 619-539-7344, romanwolves.com

“Kimberly Akimbo”: Scripps Ranch Theatre presents the original play version of David Lindsay-Abaire’s bittersweet tale about a teenage girl who has a premature aging disorder that makes her an old lady at 16. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Scripps Ranch Theatre at the Legler Benbough Theatre, 9783 Avenue of Nations, Alliant International University, San Diego. $30-$52. 858-578-7728, scrippsranchtheatre.org

Quarterly dinner series: It’s spiny lobster season at Vistal Bar + Restaurant as it is spotlighting this seafood dish at its Behind the Catch quarterly dinner series. This multiple-course educational dinner teaches diners about the local shellfish species and recreational and commercial lobster fishing. The course includes spiny lobster chawanmushi, spiny lobster culurgione, a spiny lobster surf and turf with lobster tail and a chocolate-glazed pumpkin spiced cake with coffee cinnamon cream. 6 p.m. Friday. 901 Bayfront Court, San Diego. 619-535-0485. $95, vistalsd.com

Trinity Theatre presents ‘Witch’: Trinity Theatre Company will present an adult-cast production of Jen Silverman’s play “Witch,” inspired by the 1621 Elizabethan tragedy “The Witch of Edmonton.” In this adaptation, an innocent woman is labeled wicked because she dares to speak her mind and a sly devil arrives to mix things up. Opens tonightand runs thorugh Nov. 2. 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Mission Valley Center, Suite 128, 1640 Camino Del Rio North, San Diego. $30. trinityttc.org

Pokémon speakeasy: This weekend, Union Kitchen and Tap in the Gaslamp Quarter is morphing into a Pokémon speakeasy during TwitchCon. Customers can taste themed cocktails, enter raffles and collect special Pokémon items. There are six cocktails named after Pokémon characters that match their skin tone: Eevee, a vodka espresso martini; Flareon, a hard apple cider with a cinnamon whiskey; Glaceon, a frozen margarita; Jolteon, a whiskey lemonade; Leafeon, a gin mojito; and Vaporeon, with blue pineapple rum. The Pokémon speakeasy will be behind the restaurant’s back alley entrance and decorated with neon lights and video game decor. 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to midnight Sunday. 333 Fifth Ave., San Diego. 619-795-9463, gaslampunion.com

“Huzzah!”: The Old Globe presents this world premiere musical by the co-writers of “Legally Blonde: The Musical” about a family fighting to keep their Renaissance fair alive. 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, San Diego. $55 and up. 619-234-5623, theoldglobe.org

Harvest Fest: The public has a few more weekends to visit the 2025 Harvest Fest at Julian Farm and Orchard. New to this year’s family-friendly event are food trucks, face-painting, John Deere tricycles children can ride, apple cannons to shoot at targets and added sandboxes for kids. There is also a pumpkin patch, petting zoo, hayrides, cider-making demonstrations, an axe-throwing station and a rock climbing station. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 26. 4381 Julian Highway, Julian. $10-$30. 760-765-5494,  julianfarmandorchard.com/harvest-fest-fall-season

“& Juliet”: This Broadway musical comedy mixes the energetic pop music of Swedish hitmaker Max Martin with a modern twist on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown. $57.25-$87. broadwaysd.com

Mission Bayfest: Three days of American reggae, pop and alternative music are landing in San Diego at the 2025 Mission Bayfest. This year’s lineup includes more than 30 bands and musicians such as 311, Chromeo, Pepper, Rebelution, Slightly Stoopid, Sublime and Tuxedo. New to this year’s festival is a second stage called the Ventura Cove Stage. The event also features food trucks and local pop-up food vendors and a marketplace to purchase handmade goods from local artists and designers. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 3119 Mariners Way, San Diego. $100-$1,000 bayfestsd.com