Things to Do in San Diego in September 2026

Every year around the first week of September the parking at the end of my street opens back up, and that is how I know summer is over here. The visitors go home, the marine layer burns off before nine instead of noon, and the ocean stays warmer through October than it was in June, which is the part nobody believes until they get in.

September is the best month to live in San Diego and one of the busiest, so this is what I am actually planning to do, what has opened, and where the market landed in August.

September events worth putting on the calendar

Eight things, in order, with the caveat that dates and times move and it is worth confirming with the organizer before you drive across the county.

• September 2 to 13. The Phantom of the Opera at the San Diego Civic Theatre.
• September 12 to 19. Sessions Surf Festival, in Encinitas and Solana Beach.
• September 13 to 20. San Diego Restaurant Week, countywide.
• September 18 to 20. San Diego Bayfair at Mission Bay.
• September 19 and 20. The Adams Avenue Street Fair in Normal Heights, now in its 44th year, with around 75 acts across six stages. It is free, which makes it the best value on this list.
• September 25 to 27. The MCAS Miramar Air Show.
• September 26 and 27. CRSSD Fest Fall at Waterfront Park.
• September 26 and 27. The San Diego Spirits Festival at MCASD La Jolla.

If you are new to the county and trying to work out which of these is near you, my San Diego neighborhoods guide lays out how the areas actually sit relative to each other.

What just opened

Four restaurants and a museum, and the museum is the one I would prioritize if you have kids.

Zuma opened on August 10 at The Guild Hotel at 500 West Broadway downtown, and it is the brand's first California location and sixth in the country. It started in London in 2002 and the San Diego room seats around 270 across a dining room, sushi counter, bar and terrace.

Maranello is now open at 2101 Kettner Boulevard in Little Italy. It takes its name and its look from the town outside Modena where Ferrari is headquartered, and the menu is regional Italian with handmade pasta and an all-Italian wine list.

Goop Kitchen opened its first sit-down restaurant at One Paseo in Del Mar on August 31, with 92 seats. Until now the brand has run as delivery and pickup only, and the company has said La Jolla and downtown locations are coming.

Lucien in La Jolla earned its first Michelin star on June 24 at the 2026 California ceremony. Chef Elijah Arizmendi runs a 30-seat room with a 12-course seasonal tasting menu at $360 a person and a shorter six-course option during the week at $240. Book well ahead.

The Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park reopened on June 27 after a $14.6 million project, its first major renovation since the late 1990s. Public exhibit space is up 20 percent inside the same building, the original entrance has been restored, and there are new galleries including a community space and a basement astronomy show.

A San Diego fall bucket list

Ten things, weighted toward the ones that only work in fall.

• A pumpkin spice latte from Better Buzz Coffee.
• A seasonal donut from Donut Bar.
• An SDSU football game at Snapdragon Stadium.
• An afternoon at the Bates Nut Farm pumpkin patch in Valley Center.
• A fall concert at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay.
• The drive to Julian for apple pie and the closest thing we get to fall weather.
• The La Mesa Oktoberfest.
• The Little Italy Mercato on a Saturday morning.
• The Fleet Science Center's new galleries, above.
• Swimming at the beach in October, when the water is warmer than it was in June and the crowds are gone.

Where the housing market landed in August

Three numbers, and then what they actually mean, because a median on its own does not tell you much.

The median sold price across San Diego County came in at $935,000 for all home types, meaning detached houses and attached condominiums and townhomes together, up 6.3 percent from a year ago. Homes averaged 33 days on market, down 13 percent. Sellers received 97.5 percent of asking price on average, up about a point.

That $935,000 figure covers everything, which is why it sits well below the numbers you see quoted for a detached house on the coast. Detached homes run considerably higher, and on the Point Loma peninsula entry level has been closer to $1.5 million. I keep the county-level detail current in my monthly San Diego County market report and the peninsula version in the Point Loma market report.

If you are thinking about buying, homes selling at 97.5 percent of asking means there is usually still room to negotiate, though price is only one lever. Terms, credits, and how the offer is structured often matter more than the number at the top, and I wrote about the costs that surprise buyers at the closing table in what buyers and sellers actually pay in San Diego.

If you are thinking about selling, homes are moving faster than they were a year ago, and buyers are still price-sensitive. Starting at the right number matters more than almost anything else you can control, and I looked at what happens when sellers get that wrong in the 76 Point Loma homes that did not sell last year.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do in San Diego in September?

September is one of the busiest event months of the year here. The 2026 calendar includes The Phantom of the Opera at the Civic Theatre from the 2nd to the 13th, the Sessions Surf Festival from the 12th to the 19th, San Diego Restaurant Week from the 13th to the 20th, Bayfair at Mission Bay from the 18th to the 20th, the free Adams Avenue Street Fair on the 19th and 20th, the MCAS Miramar Air Show from the 25th to the 27th, and both CRSSD Fest and the San Diego Spirits Festival on the 26th and 27th.

Is September a good time to visit or move to San Diego?

It is the best month of the year by most local measures. Summer crowds thin out after Labor Day, the morning marine layer clears earlier than it does in May and June, and ocean temperatures stay warm through October. For anyone relocating, it also lands just after the summer moving rush, which usually means a little less competition for housing.

What new restaurants opened in San Diego recently?

Zuma opened its first California location at The Guild Hotel downtown on August 10. Maranello, a Ferrari-inspired Italian restaurant, opened on Kettner Boulevard in Little Italy. Goop Kitchen opened its first sit-down location at One Paseo in Del Mar on August 31. Lucien in La Jolla earned its first Michelin star in June 2026.

What is the median home price in San Diego right now?

The August median sold price was $935,000 across all home types in San Diego County, up 6.3 percent year over year. That figure combines detached houses with condominiums and townhomes, so detached homes on their own run meaningfully higher, and coastal neighborhoods higher still.

Is the Adams Avenue Street Fair free?

Yes. The Adams Avenue Street Fair in Normal Heights is free to attend and is in its 44th year in 2026, running September 19 and 20 with around 75 musical acts across six stages.

One last thing

The best month to live here is also the month most people are too busy to notice. Pick two things off this list and actually do them.

If you are thinking about buying or selling in San Diego this fall, or you just want a straight read on what your house is worth right now, call or text me at (858) 750-5753.

Shirin Kheshti | Broker Associate, Realtor | MRP Certified | DRE #01848250 | Coldwell Banker West | (858) 750-5753 | Shirin@TheSDHome.com