Happy Thursday, Encinitas! Did you miss us? Last week, What’s Up, Encinitas was on a quick family vacation up to Northern California (which is basically anything north of Camp Pendleton, amiright?). It’s great to be back in Encinitas now and filling you in on what’s up this weekend again.
There are a bunch of fun things happening in Encinitas this weekend. The Botanic Garden turns into a swing-dancing party tonight, the library hosts three evenings of world-class music, Saturday brings a full day of big ideas from Scripps scientists, and hair bands invade North County. Add clear skies in the mid-70s the whole way through, and we love this one. Let's goooo!
🏄 The weekend at a glance
Weather. Clear and mild all weekend. Thursday ~75°, Friday ~74°, Saturday ~74°, Sunday ~74°. Basically zero rain chance — pack sunscreen, not an umbrella.
Surf. Small and mellow to start (waist-high or under Thursday and Friday). Things pick up Saturday with a ~3ft SW swell rolling in on a long 18-second period, and Sunday afternoon looks like the best window of the stretch as the wind swings offshore. Get the latest from Surfline.
Tides. Morning lows around 7-7:30 ish both days this weekend make for good early tide-pool timing at Cardiff Reef. Check the charts here.
Sunset. Saturday ~7:57 PM. Sunday ~7:56 PM. Perfect time to grab a fish taco and a marg at Las Olas and watch the sunset across the street.
🎡 Featured
2026 Tramonto Music Festival — I’m at the Encinitas Library right now writing this week’s What’s Up and I got to tell you the views are amazing. Imagine internationally acclaimed musicians performing with these huge ocean views as a back drop. What’s that you say? It’s actually happening? This weekend? Whoa! "Tramonto" is Italian for sunset, which tells you everything you need to know about the vibe. Friday's program is "Timeless Voices: From Vienna to Cinema," Saturday is "Dance of Life and Death," and Sunday afternoon closes with "Surfing the Sound Waves." Friday and Saturday. 📍 Encinitas Library, 540 Cornish Dr 🗓️ Fri Jul 17, 7 PM • Sat Jul 18, 7 PM • Sun Jul 19, 2 PM 💵 $30 per concert (small card fee)
TEDxEncinitasBlvd 2026, Saturday, July 18, 10 AM–12 PM at the Encinitas Community & Senior Center. A full day of "ideas worth spreading" themed around climate action and sustainability, featuring Scripps marine biologists Dimitri Deheyn and Jennifer Brandon (a microplastics expert who's been interviewed by NPR, The New Yorker, and the BBC), plus leadership coach Lis Best and others. Organized by local nonprofit WayZero. A rare chance to catch world-class thinkers without leaving town. 📍 1140 Oakcrest Park Dr. 💵 $60, all ages.
🗓️ Day by day
Thursday, July 16 (tonight)
Summer Nights: Vintage Swing with Mercedes Moore at the San Diego Botanic Garden. San Diego's 2024 Best Jazz Artist brings '50s/'60s swingin' soul and blues built for dancing — she's a Lindy Hop and swing dancer herself, so expect an actual dance floor to break out. Admission from 4 PM, music 5:30–7:15 PM. 📍 300 Quail Gardens Dr. 💵 Members $10 adult / $5 youth; general admission ticket includes after-hours garden access.
Encinitas 101 Cruise Nights roll down Coast Highway 101 downtown, 5:30–7:30 PM. Classic cars, third-Thursday tradition, with the Linda Berry Band on F Street and Tower 7 by the E101 office. Last time we went, we saw a mint condition pale yellow Jag XKE, my dad’s dream car. Maybe you’ll see your dream car this time.
Trivia Night at Duck Foot Leucadia, 7–9 PM. Grab a pint and find out just how smart your neighbors are (or aren’t). Gluten-reduced beer, low-key competition, 978 N Coast Hwy 101.
Back to the Future (1985) hits the big screen at the historic La Paloma, 8 PM ($12, cash only). Next week is the San Dieguito All-Class Reunion (see below) so seems fitting to go back in time at La Paloma this weekend. Also showing Sat and Sun.
Friday, July 17 Tramonto Music Festival opens tonight (see Featured) — the marquee event.
Friday Sunset Sessions at Fox Point Farms, 5–8 PM. Live music on the farm as the sun drops — bring the family, grab a drink at Haven.
The Dead Milkmen The punk legends play the Belly Up, 9 PM. Punk Rock Girl! This will probably sell out so check the link before you head down there.
Saturday, July 18 A big day: TEDx in the morning, Tramonto at night.
Cardiff Farmers Market, 10 AM–2 PM at MiraCosta's San Elijo campus.
Live music around town: It’s big hair 80s up and down the coast this weekend 🤘 Catch Wag Halen at 1st Street Bar and Savage Touch at The Roxy. Plus just a bit down the road, Journey USA, a Journey tribute, hits the Belly Up at 8 PM for the arena-rock singalong crowd.
Back to the Future is back at La Paloma tonight too, 8 PM ($12, cash only) — see Thursday.
Sunday, July 19 Tramonto's grand finale is a 2 PM matinee (see Featured) — great for an early-evening-free crowd.
Farm-to-Table Dinner at Coastal Roots Farm, 5–8 PM. A multi-course pescatarian dinner out in the fields, menu by Fox Point Farms, wine from Sipwell (an amazing canned sparkling wine company based in Leucadia) and Fox Point beer — and your ticket helps the farm feed San Diegans facing food insecurity. It's sold out, but there's a waitlist that’s worth getting on. 📍 441 Saxony Rd, Cardiff. 💵 $150 ($100 tax-deductible).
Leucadia Farmers Market, 10 AM–2 PM — now at its new home at Oak Crest, 675 Encinitas Blvd.
Back to the Future gets an earlier 5:30 PM showing at La Paloma today ($12, cash only) — the most family-friendly slot of the three if you want the kids in bed on time.
🍧 New in the neighborhood
What’s Up Encinitas’ VP of Tasty Treats tries out the shave ice from Numbskulls in Leucadia.
Numbskulls Shave Ice just opened in Leucadia (466 N Coast Hwy), and with a warm weekend ahead, the timing couldn't be better. It's real Kauai-style "kine" shave ice — super-fine, melt-in-your-mouth, with an ice cream core and tropical flavors like Tiger’s Blood and POG. We missed the grand opening party by a day when we went, but it's new, it's local, and it's our new favorite spot. We’re gonna go on Friday straight from Moonlight after Junior Guards pick up to kick off the weekend. Open Tuesday–Sunday, noon–8 PM.
👨👩👧👦 Family-friendly picks
Tide-pooling at Cardiff Reef. Morning low tides all weekend mean the pools open up early — head south of Lifeguard Tower 10 and go exploring. Free.
Summer Nights at the Botanic Garden (Thu) isn't just for grown-ups — Toni's Treehouse and the Hamilton Children's Garden stay open during evening hours, so the swing music becomes a family outing.
🔜 On the horizon
16th Annual San Dieguito Mustang Open Reunion — next Saturday, July 25, 4–7 PM at the Charlie's Electric Studio lot (corner of F St & the 101). It's an all-class reunion for anyone who went to San Dieguito — I'll be there as a fellow Mustang. All classes welcome, so come say hi. Go Mustangs!
Taste of Encinitas (Tue, Aug 25, 5:30–8:30 PM) — E101's downtown food-and-drink stroll returns, and tickets are on sale now. Worth grabbing early.
SDBG Summer Nights continues every Thursday through August — a new themed concert each week on the Gazebo Lawn.
🤝 One ask
Know someone who'd love this? Forward this to a neighbor — it's the best way to help us grow. And if you've got a tip, a favorite happy hour, or an event we should know about, just hit reply. We read every one.
See you out there, Encinitas! 🤙