San Diego Weekend Guide: Feb. 10-12 – Hearts & Huddles

You might love football. You might love Rihanna. You might love love. You might want to take a pass on ALL of it this San Diego weekend as Super Bowl and Valentine’s fever hit. We will serve all those needs.

The downtown Balboa Theatre has three performances this weekend (look for a Monday bonus!), two that are perfect for February:

•  The Grand American Ballet takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday for “I Love To Love You, Valentine,” featuring excerpts from romantic ballet classics such as Romeo & Juliet and Swan Lake with choreography by Dariusz Blajer and local Betzi Roe. Tickets start at $30.
• Japanese drumming group Kodo brings the “One Earth Tour: Tsuzumi” to the downtown Balboa Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Members play the traditional Taiko drum and for their new program commemorate four decades of work, in pieces that trace their music back to the group’s origins. Limited resale tickets are available.
• “OURStory: The Black History Musical Experience,” written by the Billboard charting artist, Griot B, aims to take the audience on a journey through time to learn “amazing stories not taught in schools.” Tickets for the show, at 7 p.m. Monday, start at $21.50.

The WorldBeat Center at Balboa Park hosts Black Com!x Day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Black artists in the comic book industry have contributed to some of the world’s most famous characters such as Black Panther, Spider-man, Batman and Blade. Black Com!x Day focuses on Black-owned creations such as Power Knights, Is’Nana the Were-Spider, Menthu, Agent Wild and more. Panels include a look at horror masters and legacy characters vs. new creations as POC. Admission is free, but register online.

You love your partner, sure, but you love lots of other folks too and why not grab them and head out to the City Heights Festival of Love at 11 a.m. Saturday for booths, and many performers, including by Drummers Without Borders, San Diego Ballet, Fern Street Circus, Bailando con El Alba, Majesty in Motion youth dancers and the Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble from Samahan Filipino Arts. Henwood Memorial Park hosts the free fair.

Now for another kind of love – the county’s Love Your Heart Week of Action kicks off Saturday and Chula Vista will host a health fair as part of the focus on heart health. Know loved ones who could use a blood pressure screening, flu vaccine, Narcan distribution or other resources? Take them to San Diego PACE Chula Vista, 880 3rd Ave., which hosts the noon event.

The Sound, the new music venue at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, enters its second weekend (last week’s opening gigs sold out) with DJ Steve Aoki at 8 p.m. Saturday. The venue operates in partnership with the Belly Up. Tickets start at $65.

To fit in in Cardiff Sunday, one must do what the kooks do, so don your best off-kilter gear for the Cardiff Kook Run at 7 a.m. Thousands of participants are expected to run or walk the 5K and 10K and it’s competitive, but so is the costume contest. And naturally, as it’s Super Bowl Sunday, there’s a “Football Fan” costume category too.

So yeah, that game. There’s lots of parties at all the sports bars Sunday, but if you want to pass the time with those who are really invested, San Diego has a Kansas City-leaning bar and one for Philadelphia diehards too. Home & Away in Old Town will host Chiefs fans for a block party, while Backyard in Pacific Beach boasts the “Eagles Nest” for Philly fans. Game time: 3:30 p.m.