Happy Wednesday, North County!

This week’s Sessions Surf Festival comes in two versions: a ticketed seven-band beach concert Saturday and a free surf competition and community beach day Sunday. Ringling is also back in San Diego, Cardiff is serving Greek food all weekend and Lake Poway is showing Daddy Day Care after dark.

For the smallest kids, there are butterflies and ceramic handprints. Little kids get reptiles, circus stunts and an earthquake simulator. Big kids can watch A Minecraft Movie outside or spend the night by the lake. Teens have two free local concerts, Fiestas Patrias and a serious but uplifting musical in Vista.

Let’s break it down.

1. Cardiff Greek Festival Live Greek music and dancers should provide plenty for little eyes to watch while parents work their way through the gyros and pastries. The festival is hosted by Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, and children younger than 12 get in free.

📍 Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 3459 Manchester Avenue, Cardiff-by-the-Sea
💰 Children under 12 are free; adult admission is ticketed; food costs extra
📅 Saturday, September 12, 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday, September 13, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
👉 Details

2. Ceramic Keepsake Pop-Up Doodlebug Designs will turn your baby’s handprint or footprint into a custom ceramic keepsake using mess-free, nontoxic clay. Walk-ins are welcome at Babies in Bloom, and the finished piece will be ready in about four weeks.

📍 Babies in Bloom, 3150 El Camino Real, Suite G, Carlsbad
💰 Free to attend; ceramic keepsake prices vary
📅 Friday and Saturday, September 11–12, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
👉 Details

3. Butterfly Walk Follow a San Diego Botanic Garden volunteer through the grounds while looking for butterflies and learning how they depend on different plants. No registration is required, so this can be as much garden stroll as structured activity for babies and toddlers.

📍 San Diego Botanic Garden, 300 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas
💰 Included with garden admission
📅 Monday, September 14, 10 a.m.
👉 Details

1. Del Mar/San Diego Mega Reptile Expo Thousands of snakes, lizards, geckos, frogs, tarantulas and other creatures are taking over the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Central Valley Reptile Expo is also bringing live animal shows, hands-on reptile encounters and more than 100 vendors.

📍 O’Brien Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar
💰 $17.50 for ages 13+; $12.50 for ages 4–12; ages 3 and younger are free; parking costs extra
📅 Saturday, September 12, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, September 13, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
👉 Details

2. El Grito: Banda La Reina The California Center for the Arts is celebrating Mexican Independence Day with Banda La Reina, Los Cadetes de Santiago Avilez and LuMaya. It’s a free outdoor show with enough big-band energy to get little kids moving even if bedtime usually arrives before the final song.

📍 Lyric Court at the California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Boulevard, Escondido
💰 Free
📅 Tuesday, September 15, 7–9 p.m.
👉 Details

3. Cardiff Greek Festival Kids can watch award-winning folk dancers, try a few Greek dance steps and make a convincing case for one more pastry. Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church is also hosting children’s activities, live music and church tours throughout the weekend.

📍 Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 3459 Manchester Avenue, Cardiff-by-the-Sea
💰 Children under 12 are free; adult admission is ticketed; food costs extra
📅 Saturday, September 12, 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday, September 13, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
👉 Details

4. Community Preparedness Fair The City of San Marcos is making emergency preparation considerably more interesting with an earthquake simulator, a Home Depot craft table and local fire and safety organizations. A limited number of children’s emergency go-bags will also be available while supplies last.

📍 San Marcos Community Center, 3 Civic Center Drive, San Marcos
💰 Free
📅 Saturday, September 12, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
👉 Details

5. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Ringling is back with acrobatics, aerial stunts, comedy and the Ninja Kidz joining the circus for its San Diego shows. It’s farther south and definitely one of the pricier options this week, but it is also the sort of production little kids will talk about long after the drive home.

📍 Pechanga Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Boulevard, San Diego
💰 Ticket prices vary; select children’s tickets start at $15 with the purchase of a full-price ticket
📅 Friday, September 11, 7 p.m.; Saturday, September 12, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Sunday, September 13, noon and 4 p.m.
👉 Details

1. Sessions Surf Festival Beach Day Watch surfers compete in the Count Down Cup while spending the day at Seaside Reef with food, entertainment and more happening along the beach. Unlike Saturday’s music festival, this Sunday community event is free.

📍 Seaside Reef, 2504 S. Coast Highway 101, Solana Beach
💰 Free
📅 Sunday, September 13, 8 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
👉 Details

2. Free Anti-Bullying Class Hosted by our partners Gracie Barra Carlsbad, a free anti-bullying class for kids 5-12 yo. The team at Gracie Barra believe Jiu-Jitsu is about much more than learning how to fight. It teaches children confidence, discipline, respect, perseverance, and how to handle challenging situations.

📍 5814 Van Allen Way, #190, Carlsbad
💰 Free for the community, Ages 5-12 yo
📅 Saturday, September 12, 9 a.m.
👉 Details

3. Family Movie Night: A Minecraft Movie The City of Carlsbad is putting A Minecraft Movie on the outdoor screen at Stagecoach Park, with bounce houses, obstacle races, crafts and games before the movie. The film is free, but the pre-movie FunZone requires a wristband.

📍 Stagecoach Community Park, 3420 Camino de los Coches, Carlsbad
💰 Free movie; FunZone wristbands are $8; food available for purchase
📅 Saturday, September 12; activities 5–7 p.m. and movie begins at dusk
👉 Details

4. The Sky Tonight and The One Sky Project Palomar College’s planetarium starts with a live tour of the stars, planets and constellations currently visible over San Diego. A second show explores how different cultures have used the same night sky to understand the world, followed by telescope viewing if the weather cooperates.

📍 Palomar College Planetarium, 1140 W. Mission Road, San Marcos
💰 Each show is $5 for ages 5–12 and $7 for ages 13+
📅 Friday, September 11; The Sky Tonight at 7 p.m., The One Sky Project at 8:15 p.m. and telescope viewing afterward
👉 Details

5. Lake Poway Fall Camping Pitch a tent beside Lake Poway, hike or fish during the afternoon and settle in for an outdoor screening of Daddy Day Care after dark. To be clear, Daddy Day Care is the movie—not an offer for someone else to watch the kids while you relax by the lake.

📍 Lake Poway, 14644 Lake Poway Road, Poway
💰 $32 per car; reservations required
📅 Friday, September 11, 1 p.m.–Saturday, September 12, 10 a.m.; movie at 7:15 p.m.
👉 Details

1. Sessions Surf Music Festival Seven bands are playing directly on the beach at Seaside Reef, including Osees, Unwritten Law, Bully and Yoke Lore. It’s an all-ages festival with art installations and food, but the lineup and full-day setup make this one feel built for teens rather than little kids tagging along.

📍 Seaside Reef, 2504 S. Coast Highway 101, Solana Beach
💰 General admission currently starts around $85; VIP tickets available
📅 Saturday, September 12, noon–10 p.m.
👉 Details

2. Hidden City Sounds: Daring Greatly Daring Greatly brings its mix of classic rock, Americana, soul and three-part harmonies to the California Center for the Arts’ outdoor courtyard. Lonesome Roses opens the show, and both admission and parking are free.

📍 Lyric Court at the California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Boulevard, Escondido
💰 Free
📅 Friday, September 11, 7–9 p.m.
👉 Details

3. Vista’s Fiestas Patrias Vista is celebrating Mexican Independence Day with mariachi music, folklórico dancing, lotería, food and a traditional-attire contest. Teens can also test how much they actually know during the Mexican history trivia competition.

📍 Linda Rhoades Recreation Center, 600 N. Santa Fe Avenue, Vista
💰 Free admission; food available for purchase
📅 Sunday, September 13, noon–4 p.m.
👉 Details

4. Come From Away Moonlight Stage Productions tells the true story of the 7,000 airline passengers diverted to a small Newfoundland town after September 11. It deals directly with fear, grief and the aftermath of 9/11, so this is the serious option on the list—but it is ultimately a fast-moving story about humor, generosity and strangers taking care of one another.

📍 Moonlight Amphitheatre, 1250 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista
💰 Ticket prices vary by performance and seat
📅 Performances begin Wednesday, September 9, at 7:30 p.m. and continue through September 26
👉 Details