Firstly, friends: Happy Juneteenth. It’s not just a day off. It’s a day to celebrate Black culture, history, and community, and there are plenty of ways to do that around San Diego this weekend.

And because San Diego apparently decided to do everything all at once, we’ve also got NASCAR coming to Coronado (potentially the coolest event I’ll ever attend), World Cup watch parties taking over the streets, Padres vs. Dodgers tension, Father’s Day, concerts at the Fair, and Sunday is technically the first day of summer and the longest day of the year… the list could go on, but I’m tired just typing all that.

Which is actually the perfect segue into my next trick...

Winning you tickets to RENEW — A Beachside Wellness Experience. Our friends Almost Nakey x Same Same But Different are taking over FIT Social with Big Gigantic.

I mean... come on… this city is an overachiever. I love it.

THE LOCAL’S LIST: ORGANIZATIONS THAT BUILD COMMUNITY IN SAN DIEGO

This Juneteenth Local’s List feels extra special — especially because Juneteenth falls on 6/19, which is San Diego’s day too.

Today’s feature comes from Loren Cobbs, founder of SD Melanin, a Black-forward events company that has been building community, creating space, and celebrating Black joy in San Diego since 2017.

I first found SD Melanin through my job while constantly searching for events and things to do around the city, and over the years, I’ve watched Loren’s work show up again and again in ways that felt thoughtful, joyful, necessary, and deeply rooted in community.

So for today’s Local’s List, Loren is spotlighting the organizations doing real, on-the-ground work across San Diego. A Juneteenth feature. A 619 Day feature. And a reminder that community does not build itself.

+ Check out the rest of the local recs here!

TONIGHT!

FEATURED