San Diego Weekend Guide: Sept. 29-Oct 1 – Bier & Boots

Fall. Halloween. Oktoberfest. What’s October mean to you? Maybe all three? This San Diego weekend, with October beginning Sunday, we start with a couple celebrations of all things Germanic.

Start planning now for Kids Free month beginning Sunday at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. All kids ages 11 and younger will receive free admission to the Zoo and Safari Park throughout October, when accompanied by an adult with a valid form of admission or membership. Aside from seeing the animals, the month’s schedule includes HalGLOween at the zoo and the Autumn Festival at the Safari Park.

And a reminder: San Diego Restaurant Week concludes Sunday. Choose prix-fixe menus at more than 100 participating eateries, with two-course lunches and three-course dinners starting at $20, on up to $60.

La Mesa Oktoberfest opens its a three-day stay on La Mesa Boulevard Friday, and it’s a big one – their 50th annual event. Head out for three biergartens, a dance square, Kinder Karneval, Daschund Village, German and international food and live music and sing-a-longs. The event is free, but there’s multiple VIP levels, starting at $15. Gates open at 4 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday and noon Sunday. Fan out from La Mesa Boulevard between Third Street and Palm Avenue.

For a less traditional take, try East Village Oktoberfest, presented by Quartyard and East Village Association. The event takes over four city blocks at 1 p.m. Saturday with beer from eight vendors, two bands and three DJs, performing traditional Polka music mixed in with tributes and tunes with a Latin flair too. Tickets start at $15.

The second annual Mission Bayfest offers two days of concerts at Bonita Cove Park, 3119 Mariners Way, beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and continuing at 1 p.m. Saturday. Performers include Pepper, Fortunate Youth, KBong, Tribal Seeds, Hirie and Johnny Cosmic. Two-day passes start at $99, with one day costing $60.

Prefer line dancing with an ocean breeze at your back? Scoot over to the September installment of PRK 101’s Dukes and Boots at 5 p.m. Saturday in Carlsbad Village. The outdoor bar will feature a live band and line dancing until 8 p.m. with a DJ until close. And hint: Check them out Wednesday, too when the bar celebrates its six years with the Aloha Cowboy Anniversary Party.

The 31st annual Paddle for Clean Water begins at 8:30 a.m. Sunday at the Ocean Beach Pier, where hundreds of surfers, paddle boarders and swimmers will do their thing to advocate for better care for our waterways and a healthier ocean. Following the paddle, enjoy yoga, eats, music and a prize drawing at a fest coordinated by the Surfrider Foundation of San Diego County.

Remember your granddad’s record collection? Vinyl collecting is a thing, so Mo Records will present Vinyl at the Market, the Craftoberfest edition, at the Public Market at Liberty Station. The event, at 10 a.m. Sunday, features thousands of records for sale and performances, including DJ Symphony, the official DJ for GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. It’s part of the market’s salute to craft suds, with beer-themed games, trivia and more.