San Diego Weekend Guide: May 12-14 – Mother’s Day Edition

It’ll be all about moms, dads and grads over the next month. Kick off the season for good ol’ mum – or your fave gal or mom surrogate – with anything that might tickle her fancy, from brunch to blues to beer. Find all these things and more hereabouts this San Diego weekend.

As for Mother’s Day brunch, make that reservation now! Here’s our list of local restaurants serving morning and afternoon delicacies this Sunday.

The Gator By The Bay Zydeco, Blues and Crawfish Festival continues Friday through Sunday at Spanish Landing Park with more than 100 performances on seven stages. Local talents include the Bill MaGee Blues Band, Anthony Cullins, Whitney Shay and Zavala Sol. Lean more toward the food? On Saturday and Sunday, stop by the Taste of Louisiana Cooking Pavilion for the secrets of Southern cooking. Gates open at 4 p.m. Friday and at 11 a.m. on the weekend. Day admission starts at $65, with evening and full-fest pass options available too.

The seventh annual Beer Fest and OTL Tournament begins bright and early, at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, at Mariner’s Point Park. The Old Mission Beach Athletic Club hosts the event, with brewers and food trucks set to take part. The sportier among us may compete in several divisions – men’s pro, master’s and open, and women’s open.

The 35th annual Balboa Park Pow Wow, at the corner of Park Boulevard and President’s Way, kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday. The free fun, which continues Sunday and includes a Mother’s Day salute, features bird singing, gourd and inter-tribal dancing and drumming.

The free Fiesta de los Peñasquitos, starting at noon Saturday, features food, music by Dylan’s Steel Drum Band, carnival rides and a kids zone. The shopping center at 13255 Black Mountain Road plays host to the fest.

The Fern Street Circus wraps up its month-long free Spring Neighborhood Tour with two shows this weekend, including one on Mother’s Day. Head to Teralta Park on Saturday and Gompers Park in Chollas View on Sunday, where you’ll see professional jugglers, clowns and tumblers mix it up with children from the circus’ after-school program. Both start at 2 p.m.

Del Mar Highlands Town Center has numerous stores and restaurants with offers for Mom or discounts for those looking for the perfect gift. There will be brunches of course, but also free roses, succulents and desserts, and buy-one-get-one offers too.

The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, a natural for Mother’s Day, has openings left Sunday evening. Try to get in or take advantage, as the ranch, all a bloom with sunflowers, just announced an extension of the season, through May 21. Mom won’t mind if you treat her for an extra weekend (wink).