U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge | Labor Day Weekend | September 2015 | Photo Credit: Krista

Labor Day Weekend is considered by many Americans as the official end of summer – the final opportunity of the season to enjoy some fun in the sun. Cities and towns across America offer many ways for friends and family to celebrate this long weekend and San Diego is no exception. In fact there have been so many offerings in San Diego this weekend it would not be possible to experience them all.

In case you don’t yet have plans for tomorrow (Monday, Sept. 7^th), here are some ideas for you to check out. Many of these will return again next year for Labor Day Weekend, so if you miss them this time, make plans for next year.

Festival of Sail:

An annual event hosted at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, the Festival of Sail is the largest tall ship festival on the west coast. It offers something for everyone and transforms the North Embarcadero area of San Diego Bay into a nautical-type theme park. In addition to visiting the ships of the Maritime Museum, there is a street fair, cannon battles, food booths, kid zone, beer garden, and overall family fun.

The highlight of the 2015 Festival of Sail was the debut of the San Salvador galleon. After watching her be built for the past three years, we had the honor of attending her official commissioning ceremony on Friday, September 4, 2015 and are looking forward to attending the Maritime Museum again to officially board her.

Official Commissioning Ceremony of the San Salvador Galleon | San Diego, California | Sept. 4, 2015 | Photo Credits: Krista

San Salvador Galleon | Festival of Sail 2015 | SD Maritime Museum | Photo Credit: Krista

Festival of Sail Cannon Battles – Sept. 6, 2015 | Photo Credit: Krista

U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge:

Another annual event held along the Embarcadero at San Diego Harbor during Labor Day Weekend is the U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge. This year’s event is at the B Street Pier and features world master sand sculptors and teams of local professionals creating unique works of art using only sand and water.

We attended on Sunday afternoon and enjoyed seeing the local teams finishing their creations. We also saw the completed projects from the masters – the competition for this group ended on Saturday evening. In addition to the sand sculptures and the beautiful scenery of the harbor, there are food trucks, a kid zone, a beer garden, live music, and vendors selling a variety of art and handmade creations.

U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge & 3D Art Expo | B Street Pier | San Diego, California | September 2015 | Photo Credits: Krista

KGB Radio 101.5 Sky Show:

For forty years, KGB Radio has sponsored this annual event which fills the sky above San Diego with an incredible fireworks show synchronized to classic rock music. This year’s Sky Show event was held on Saturday, September 5, 2015 and can be viewed from the neighborhoods surrounding Qualcomm Stadium or from inside the stadium.

This was the first year I’ve seen this show and it was awesome! The medley of rock music as the soundtrack was a unique feature. Most of the fireworks shows I’ve seen typically have patriotic music or Disney music. If you have a chance to catch the Sky Show next year, I would recommend it!

Team USA’s Road to Rio Tour:

This event is building the excitement for the upcoming summer 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We met Greg Louganis (Gold Medalist, Diving) and Blake Leeper (Silver Medalist, Paralympic Track & Field) and got to take some special Olympic-themed pictures using green screen technology. The Road to Rio Tour is traveling to other American cities like Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago in the upcoming months (see website for cities/schedule).

Krista, her sister & niece at the Team USA Road to Rio Tour | Photo Credits: Road to Rio Tour Staff & Green Screen Technology

Waterfront Park:

An urban park gathering place along the waterfront that offers a variety of activities throughout the year. Children’s playground and interactive water fountains, plus wide-open grassy areas for picnics. Music festivals and movies under the stars are also some of the events held at this venue. Over Labor Day Weekend, the park offered a nighttime movie of E.T. in conjunction with Summer Movies in the Park. Follow the Waterfront Park on Facebook for updates.

This wrap-up only covers some of the events held in San Diego’s Harbor area during Labor Day Weekend. There are countless other offerings in San Diego this weekend and throughout the year. Whether you live in San Diego year-round or are visiting America’s Finest City, there are plenty of ways to enjoy this city known as the Birthplace of California.

Question: For my San Diego friends, have you done any of these activities?

For all: What are some of your Labor Day Weekend traditions?

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