San Diego Weekend Guide: March 3-5 – Blooms & Broadway

Brrrr. We mean, BRRRRRR. Seriously, though, there are signs of spring afoot. So start the process of shedding this weird San Diego winter – bundle up to see blooms, have some outdoor fun with science and enjoy one preview of what summer has in store.

Late winter is the season for arts lovers and special deals. Museum Month is over, but don’t despair! Now we have San Diego Theater Month, with tickets ranging from $15 to $45 at more than 30 local venues throughout the county, including some of our most well-known theaters and programs – the La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe and Broadway San Diego, with San Diego Opera and San Diego Ballet tix available too.

There are treks long and short to see the flowery goodness spring brings, both in and around San Diego. One of the easier ones is to the Flower Fields in Carlsbad, where the season opened this week. Acres and acres of blooms will be on view, including a star, the Giant Tecolote Ranunculus. Admission starts at $23. The outlook for the weekend? “The fields are full of new growth (with) ranunculus blooming throughout the north end,” officials said.

Reading this on a mobile device? Ever heard of the Global Day of Unplugging? On Saturday there’s a host of local events designed to get you and your family away from screens. Two feature free scavenger hunts, at 10 a.m. at Spring Valley’s Bancroft Canyon, and at 11 a.m. at La Mesa Floral Craft. For adults, try the sound bath event on Crown Point at 5 p.m. Sign up online; entry is $35.

The San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering is for the technical-minded, ages “pre-K to gray,” as organizers put it. Celebrate the 15th anniversary of the free event at Petco Park, with no registration or tickets required. Enjoy a day filled with more than 100 hands-on activities, demonstrations and performances on two stages. Gates open at 10 a.m.

Art Night Encinitas opens for the season Saturday, with local art galleries and performers celebrating the city’s diverse visual art scene beginning at 5:30 p.m. Some of the nine sites will offer live music and refreshments. Head to various galleries, but also to stages at Encinitas City Hall, the Library, Senior Center and the ICA San Diego North campus. Other Art Nights are set for June, September and November.

The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, already a beloved part of the local arts scene, hosts its second annual Picnic in the Park with members of the San Diego Symphony, at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Be the first to learn who’s coming for the shell’s summer season, then listen to performances by the Young Lions Jazz Band and Gregory Page. The event is free, with season packages available for sale.