June 2019: 10 Family-Friendly Activities in San Diego

Whether you’re a kid or a grown-up, everyone looks forward to June! It’s a month of great celebrations – graduations, Father’s Day, the official start of summer and tons of stay-cation San Diego fun with the whole family.

This June, mark your calendars to admire some beautiful local art, check out the safari animals after dark, go to an awesome car show with Dad or just let your creativity go crazy!

1. San Diego County Fair
   When: Now through July 4
   Where: Del Mar Fairgrounds
   Cost: $20 Ages 13+, $14 Ages 6-12, Free for ages 5 and under
   Ages: All ages
   Nothing says summer in San Diego like the San Diego County Fair! This year, guests of the fourth largest fair in North America can journey into an “Oz-some” world inspired by “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Your family will feel like “there’s no place like home” among the thrilling carnival rides, astonishing creative and educational exhibits, hundreds of tasty food vendors, concerts, animal encounters and fabulous exhibits of all kinds.
2. Summer Safari
   When: Now through Sept 1
   Where: San Diego Safari Park
   Cost: Free to members, Non-members $46+
   Ages: All ages
   Summer Safari returns to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park! Enjoy an incredible selection of live music and entertainment, arts and crafts, up-close animal encounters and special evening shows. Plus, you’ll want to stay late on select Mondays and Tuesdays during the Safari Park’s first-ever Family Nights, featuring unique family-friendly entertainment!
3. Friday Night Alive! In Balboa Park 
   When: June 7 – August 30
   Where: Balboa Park
   Cost: Free
   Ages: All ages
   Looking for the perfect Friday family date night this summer? Food Truck Friday fuses with Balboa Park After Dark beginning June 7 and goes all summer long! The celebration includes creative projects and crafts, live music, entertainment, games, San Diego’s most beloved food trucks and extended hours at museums.
4. Wonderspaces: in common
   When: June 7 – Sept 1
   Where: Cruise Ship Terminal, Downtown
   Cost: $24 Ages 12+, $12 Ages 3-11, Free for kids under 3
   Ages: All ages
   Wonderspaces, the exhilarating interactive art exhibit, returns to San Diego for the third summer in a row! This year’s exhibit, “in common,” examines how we are all shaped by our experiences, environments and relationships. While appreciating the uniqueness of our own individual journeys, the art installation also focuses on the questions we all share – highlighting our connectivity to each other through creativity.
5. San Diego Festival of the Arts
   When: June 8-9
   Where: San Diego County Administration Building
   Cost: $12 Ages 12+ ; Free for kids under 12
   Ages: All ages
   San Diego Magazine and the Torrey Pines Kiwanis Foundation present their annual Festival of the Arts on San Diego Bay – a fantastic event that showcases nearly 200 local artists and benefits San Diegans with disabilities. Enjoy an exciting day of original fine art, live entertainment and delicious food and drink while supporting your community!
6. Belmont Father’s Day Fest and Car Show
   When: June 16
   Where: Belmont Park
   Cost: Free
   Ages: All ages
   If your dad loves classic cars, this Father’s Day festival is for him! Celebrate all the amazing things your dad does by taking him down to Belmont Park. The whole family will enjoy over 100 classic cars on display, a delicious brunch, a cornhole tournament, live music and a free arts and crafts station for kids to make Dad a heartfelt gift!
7. Nighttime Zoo at the San Diego Zoo
   When: June 16 – Sept 2
   Where: San Diego Zoo
   Cost: Free to members, Non-members $46+
   Ages: All ages
   It’s baaack! The coveted Nighttime Zoo begins June 16, where families can stay put after dark and celebrate all the sparkling fun the zoo has to offer. The excitement includes an all-ages contest of Zoolahoops and Zoolamoves games; a jaw-dropping trampoline act; Dr. Zoolittle’s special animal performances; African-themed entertainment until close; and lots of other sneaky surprises!
8. Mass Creativity Day
   When: June 22
   Where: New Children’s Museum
   Cost: Free
   Ages: All ages
   Mass Creativity Day, an artist-led community outreach program, features a thrilling all-day outdoor celebration of art, creativity and community! Bring the whole family to relax and enjoy live music, food, hands-on art-making activities, free admission to the Museum and so much more!
9. OB Street Fair + Chili Cook-Off 
   When:June 22
   Where: Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach
   Cost: Free
   Ages: All ages
   The Ocean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off Festival returns for its 40th year, offering guests good, old eclectic fun in the sun. Bring the family and enjoy a day of nonstop live music on four stages, tasty festival fare and beachfront entertainment for all ages! Shop the handmade items from regional artists at Artists’ Alley, paint a square of the community mural, or jump right into the fun in the Kids Zone.
10. Scoop San Diego Ice Cream Festival
    When: June 23
    Where: North Park
    Cost: $20+
    Ages: All ages
    Who doesn’t love ice cream? The first annual Scoop San Diego Ice Cream Festival satisfies your taste buds with a menu of the best ice cream and gelato San Diego has to offer! Plus, it supports a wonderful cause – all proceeds benefit Monarch School, which helps homeless students in San Diego break the cycle of poverty through education.

Want to know what fantastic family-friendly events are happening around San Diego all summer long? Be sure to bookmark Scripps Affiliated Medical Groups’ helpful articles!