10 TO TRY: SUMMER FREEBIES
June 1, 2010 by Junvi
Filed under Don't Miss, Recently Posted
The FREEBIES during San Diego’s summer are good and plenty. The county brims with free movies, music, activities, sights and scenes. We’ve scoured the freebies and narrowed down our favorite free summer finds to stock up on.
Cinema Al Fresco
Spend the night with the stars of the screen and sky during outdoor film playing throughout San Diego County.
The San Diego Museum of Art hosts Screen on the Green on the east lawn, in front of the Botanical Building. This summer, the film schedule includes: Jason and the Argonauts (1963) on July 23; The King of Masks (1996), in conjunction with the San Diego Asian Film Festival, on August 6; and Moulin Rouge (1952) on August 20. The lawn fills up quickly around 5pm, so get there early for a pre-film picnic to watch the sunset.
Pop open a cold one and toast the late night comedies at Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens. Shown every Wednesday night on a 12-foot screen in the garden, the funny line-up include Airplane!, Office Space, and Blazing Saddles. Bring your own lawn chairs or beach blankets, then order some munchies and beers from the bar.
If you like spending your summer evenings poolside, dangle your legs in the oyster-shaped pool while watching movies at the Pearl Hotel. Every Wednesday, they present Dive-in Theatre, a free cinema social at their outdoor lounge, where films are projected onto a 10×13 screen . This summer, movies include Top Gun, 500 Days of Summer and The Hangover.
Concert crashers
Outdoor summer concerts are a San Diego tradition, but if you value sound over sight there’s ways to ‘float’ around paying at the box office.
Borrow a friend’s kayak or jet-ski and join the other innovative locals in the marina next to the Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay for a free evening concert or comedy show. Running from June through October, these concerts feature top-name performers and take place at Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn & Suites on Shelter Island. This year, acts such as Colbie Caillat, Beach Boys and The Comedians of Chelsea Lately will be taking stage.
Photo by David Hartig
As if sunsets on San Diego Bay weren’t spellbinding enough, come summer the echoing sounds of the San Diego Symphony Summer Pops concerts will stop boats in their tracks. Held at the Embarcadero, behind the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina, these concerts include fireworks finale and guest performances such as Michael Cavanaugh, Lee Ann Rimes, Burt Bacharach. You’ll find locals in the know cozying their boats – big and small – up to the other side of the Embarcadero. Or, you can just as easily sit in your lawn chair along the bay boardwalk that runs between the hotel and the concert, or on the steps of the San Diego Convention Center.
Climb New Heights
If there’s one thing that can make you fall in love with San Diego all over again, a sweeping view of our sparkling coasts and bays should do it.
Think locals know all the San Diego secrets? Think again. Mostly only guests of the Paradise Point Resort & Spa have had the opportunity to gaze upon a unique sky-high view of Mission Bay by climbing up the 81-step Observation Tower that sits in the center of this sprawling property. This whimsical structure was designed by the hotel’s original owners and immediately overlooks the property’s fish-filled lagoons and all of Mission Bay. It’s free to explore, for guests and locals. Day parking at the resort is complimentary as well.
A must-see for anyone who steps foot in San Diego, the bar at the Top of the Hyatt combines sips and panoramic views 40-stories high above San Diego Bay. Every evening, the bar also offers a complimentary glass of champagne during sunset, so you can toast your sweeping views of Coronado, Point Loma, downtown and San Diego Bay.
Beach bums
Life’s a beach in San Diego and you’ve got miles and miles of coastline to play with. If riding the waves isn’t your style, stay on the shores to stock up on these summer must-do experiences.
On a full moon night, when the tide is high, head to the beaches to witness a California tradition – the grunion run. These silvery fish come up to the sand to mate and deposit their eggs, before swimming back into the waves. However, while they’re stranded, you can ‘fish’ for them by grabbing with your hands, though you’ll need a valid State fishing license to do so. For a schedule of expected grunion runs, go to the California Department Fish and Game Web site.
Put your sandcastle skills to the test this summer. Grab some friends for some amicable competition and see who can build the grandest sand castle. Use whatever tools you need and see who reigns supreme. If you’d rather watch artists in action, go the 30th Annual U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition in Imperial Beach on August 7.
You might like it hot, but when the temps cool down in the evening, get roasty toasty with a beach bonfire. Grab some blankets and firewood to Mission Bay, Coronado or La Jolla Shores. Collect some nearby branches to roast marshmallow s’mores and take turns telling goofy stories for a fireside chat.
Glad you saw some new ones on this list. LOVE your photography by the way.