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Local Cross-Cultural Events
January 2026
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7:00 PM -
Stage: The Diary of Anne Frank
7:00 PM -
Music: Dokhtare Tarsa and Sheikh Sana'an
* Upcoming Events *
Wednesday, January 7
| 5:00 PM | Author Talk: Jackie Wang and Lily Hoang This New Writing Series event features readings from Jackie Wang and Lily Hoang.
Jackie Wang is a poet, scholar, multimedia artist, and Assistant Professor of Literary Arts at Brown University. She is the author of Carceral Capitalism (Semiotext(e), 2018), the poetry collection The Sunflower Cast a Spell to Save Us from the Void (Nightboat Books, 2021; National Book Award Finalist, Lambda Literary Award Finalist), the experimental essay and poetry collection Alien Daughters Walk Into the Sun (Semiotext(e), 2023), and The Collected Graces (forthcoming from Nightboat Books). She is also the co-author, with the Precarity Lab, of Technoprecarious (Goldsmiths Press, 2020). She holds a PhD and MA in African and African American Studies from Harvard University and a BA in Liberal Arts from New College of Florida.
Lily Hoang is the author of nine books, including most recently A Knock at the Door (Texas Review Press’s Innovative Prose Series), Underneath (winner of the Red Hen Press Fiction Award), A Bestiary (PEN/USA Non-Fiction Award finalist), and Changing (recipient of a PEN/Open Books Award). With Vi Khi Nao, she wrote Timber & Lụa (Red Hen Press), a collaborative collection in three languages: Vietlish, English, and Vietnamese. Currently a Professor of Literature at UC San Diego, she has taught writing workshops on five continents.
UCSD |
Friday, January 9
| 1:00 PM | Villa-Lobos Festival Concert Cellist Lars Hoefs and pianist Aline Alves come back to Southern California from Brazil, presenting their Villa-Lobos Festival. They will play music by a range of Latin American composers in this three concert series. This year's festival kicks off with the “A Pasch Premiere - Three Friends in Rio," performed by the Blue Rose Trio. The Blue Rose Trio consists of Rose Chen on piano, Karl Pasch on clarinet, and Lars Hoefs on cello. Aline Alves will be featured on piano.
Coronado Library |
| 5:00 PM | Pechanga Pow Wow Native culture and artistry take center stage at the Pechanga Pow Wow, returning to the Summit Events Center January 9–11, 2026. Pow wows, by definition, are Native American gatherings where American Indians sing, dance, reconnect with old friends, and celebrate their rich ancestral histories. Pechanga’s free, three-day event hosts hundreds of tribes from across the U.S. and Canada to showcase unique styles of dance, song, and tribal traditions from their respective regions. Enjoy performances, Native American food, artisan crafts, and fireworks for an interactive cultural event for all ages.
Pechanga Resort |
Saturday, January 10
| 10:00 AM | Hands-on Miso Workshop In this hands-on workshop, you will learn all about miso, a magical fermented bean paste that originated in Japan many centuries ago. Miso is full of umami and is used to flavor everything from soups to marinades and salad dressings, stir-fries, to eggs. Includes your own take-home jar of miso! Learn: We will talk about the history of miso, its many different forms, and then make a large batch using various legumes. Taste: You’ll get to taste various misos to understand the fermentation process. Do: You’ll get to pack a mason jar full of miso to take home (but you’ll have to wait a year to eat it)! Eat: Then we’ll enjoy one of the most popular miso dishes– homemade miso soup!
Japanese Friendship Garden |
| 11:00 AM | Pechanga Pow Wow Native culture and artistry take center stage at the Pechanga Pow Wow, returning to the Summit Events Center January 9–11, 2026. Pow wows, by definition, are Native American gatherings where American Indians sing, dance, reconnect with old friends, and celebrate their rich ancestral histories. Pechanga’s free, three-day event hosts hundreds of tribes from across the U.S. and Canada to showcase unique styles of dance, song, and tribal traditions from their respective regions. Enjoy performances, Native American food, artisan crafts, and fireworks for an interactive cultural event for all ages.
Pechanga Resort |
Sunday, January 11
| 11:00 AM | Pechanga Pow-Wow
Native culture and artistry take center stage at the Pechanga Pow Wow, returning to the Summit Events Center January 9–11, 2026. Pow wows, by definition, are Native American gatherings where American Indians sing, dance, reconnect with old friends, and celebrate their rich ancestral histories. Pechanga’s free, three-day event hosts hundreds of tribes from across the U.S. and Canada to showcase unique styles of dance, song, and tribal traditions from their respective regions. Enjoy performances, Native American food, artisan crafts, and fireworks for an interactive cultural event for all ages.
Pechanga Resort |
| 2:00 PM | Music: Kulintang Workshop Join us for an exciting in-person workshop where you'll dive into the beautiful sounds of Kulintang! Learn directly from Master Artist Farid Guinomla as he shares his skills and stories. Whether you're new or experienced, this is your chance to explore this unique musical tradition. Limited Sarunay (mini kulintang instruments) available. Bring your own if possible! Hosted by Samahan Filipino American Performing Arts & Education Center, this workshop is part of an ongoing effort to preserve, honor, and share Indigenous Filipino musical traditions.
Building My Wellness Studio |
Wednesday, January 14
| All Day | The 13th Annual Borrego Springs Film Festival Our festival features great local attendance, a catered opening gala, a filmmaker networking event, filmmaker activities, our catered Saturday party, panel discussions, a red carpet event, a catered award ceremony, a catered filmmaker’s lounge, and so much more. Our model is “traditional film festival.” Old school. We’re a bunch of film lovers that prioritize gathering together to watch and talk about truly independent movies and having a good time doing it. We ain’t fancy, but we’re earnest. It’s the best way to fest! Join us!
Festival Schedule
Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center |
| 7:00 PM | Music: Drumtastic Drummers representing different parts of the world will all be coming together to feature music from west Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Belly Up |
Thursday, January 15
| All Day | The 13th Annual Borrego Springs Film Festival Our festival features great local attendance, a catered opening gala, a filmmaker networking event, filmmaker activities, our catered Saturday party, panel discussions, a red carpet event, a catered award ceremony, a catered filmmaker’s lounge, and so much more. Our model is “traditional film festival.” Old school. We’re a bunch of film lovers that prioritize gathering together to watch and talk about truly independent movies and having a good time doing it. We ain’t fancy, but we’re earnest. It’s the best way to fest! Join us!
Festival Schedule
Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center |
| 4:00 PM | Talk: How Exams Have Shaped Chinese Society & Politics At its heart, Chinese education is an exam system. What makes this system distinctive? “The Highest Exam” traces its origins in imperial China and its evolution into today’s national college entrance exam, showing how it became deeply woven into governance, family life and social values. Drawing on both personal experience and statistical evidence, the authors show how individual destinies are tied to a larger system that functions like a centralized, hierarchical tournament.
UCSD |
Friday, January 16
| All Day | The 13th Annual Borrego Springs Film Festival Our festival features great local attendance, a catered opening gala, a filmmaker networking event, filmmaker activities, our catered Saturday party, panel discussions, a red carpet event, a catered award ceremony, a catered filmmaker’s lounge, and so much more. Our model is “traditional film festival.” Old school. We’re a bunch of film lovers that prioritize gathering together to watch and talk about truly independent movies and having a good time doing it. We ain’t fancy, but we’re earnest. It’s the best way to fest! Join us!
Festival Schedule
Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center |
| 1:00 PM | Villa-Lobos Festival Concert Cellist Lars Hoefs and pianist Aline Alves come back to Southern California from Brazil, presenting their Villa-Lobos Festival. They will play music by a range of Latin American composers in this three concert series. The second concert of this year's festival, “Brazilian Poetry, Eyes of the Beloved, and Bachianas Mexicanas," will feature a variety of musicians and instruments including: Daniel Parente, soprano, Daniel Kamon on saxophone, Ching-Ming Cheng on piano, Lars Hoefs on cello, Aline Alves performing poetry recitation, and Venus Rey Jr., a visiting composer and speaker.
Coronado Library |
| 6:30 PM | Film: L'Attachement A young single father trying to find the strength to love. A feminist librarian, single by conviction, who’s decided that she won’t be a mother. A six-year-old child trying to find a place in a new family structure. By revealing their aspirations, their fears, their choices, writer/director Carine Tardieu depicts different ways in which humans create families. Based on the novel L’Intimité by Alice Ferney.
San Diego French American School |
| 7:00 PM | Music: Cotton Poignantly rooted in John E. Dowell’s haunting photography of South Carolina cotton fields, COTTON explores an African American narrative of past and present, from rural Southern fields where enslaved people were forced to labor on the land, to the concrete canyons of New York City. Acclaimed Philadelphia artist John Dowell felt called by his grandmother in a dream to travel to the cotton fields in South Carolina, where his ancestors had likely been enslaved. Thus he began an exploration and journey deep into the world of cotton, where for over a decade, he produced a body of amazing and evocative work. Dowell’s work explores African American ancestral survival strategies and resilience in penetrating super-imposed images, and looks at the wealth of this nation through the lens of the cotton industry.
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center |
| Stage: The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank was only 15 years old when she died in a Nazi concentration camp. After the war, her father found her diary in the attic where they managed to hide for 2 years and 2 months. In that time, Anne managed to write an account of her life, her feelings, and her thoughts. Please join us as we recount her, and the entire Frank family's story, In the words of a young girl growing up in the madness of war and hate, this is a story of life, loss, and confusion, underlying with a feeling of love and always hope. We wish you will join us.
Innovations Academy |
| 7:30 PM | Music: Mbira Bhururu The Center for World Music's Global Stage 2026 Passport Concert Series kicks off with a concert by the Zimbawean group Mbira Bhururu.
Experience the rich cultural and musical heritage of Zimbabwe through the traditional sounds of the mbira (Zimbabwean “thumb piano”), accompanied by the rhythmic pulse of hosho shakers. Played for over a thousand years, the mbira has been central to Shona spiritual ceremonies, storytelling, and community gatherings. The ensemble Mbira Bhururu offers audiences an exploration of the instrument’s intricate layered melodies, the interplay between rhythm and tune, and the ways music fosters cultural continuity and connection to ancestry. During the audience Q&A following the concert, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the musicians, learning about Zimbabwean musical traditions and the ways these artists carry forward a centuries-old cultural legacy.
La Jolla Community Center |
| 9:30 PM | Comedy: Bobby Lee Bobby is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and podcaster. From 2001 to 2009, Lee was a cast member on MADtv, and he co-starred in the ABC single-camera sitcom series Splitting Up Together alongside Jenna Fischer and Oliver Hudson between 2018 and 2019. Lee has also appeared in the films Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), Pineapple Express (2008), and The Dictator (2012). He had a guest appearance as the cynical, burned-out Dr. Kang on FX on Hulu’s TV comedy series Reservation Dogs
Balboa Theatre |
Saturday, January 17
| All Day | The 13th Annual Borrego Springs Film Festival Our festival features great local attendance, a catered opening gala, a filmmaker networking event, filmmaker activities, our catered Saturday party, panel discussions, a red carpet event, a catered award ceremony, a catered filmmaker’s lounge, and so much more. Our model is “traditional film festival.” Old school. We’re a bunch of film lovers that prioritize gathering together to watch and talk about truly independent movies and having a good time doing it. We ain’t fancy, but we’re earnest. It’s the best way to fest! Join us!
Festival Schedule
Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center |
| 10:00 AM | Talk: Tyrus Wong You might not know the name Tyrus Wong, but you probably know many of the images he shaped, including the beloved Disney classic Bambi. Despite entering the US as child during Chinese Exclusion, Tyrus Wong went on create some of America’s best loved imagery. Come hear film scholar and author Karen Fang discuss her book, Background Artist: The Life and Work of Tyrus Wong, which tells the inspiring story of the Chinese immigrant, centenarian, and Disney Legend whose art countered Exclusion injustice by finding American communities that welcomed him and celebrated his unique artistic talent.
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| 2:00 PM | Stage: The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank was only 15 years old when she died in a Nazi concentration camp. After the war, her father found her diary in the attic where they managed to hide for 2 years and 2 months. In that time, Anne managed to write an account of her life, her feelings, and her thoughts. Please join us as we recount her, and the entire Frank family's story, In the words of a young girl growing up in the madness of war and hate, this is a story of life, loss, and confusion, underlying with a feeling of love and always hope. We wish you will join us.
Innovations Academy |
| Theater: Pancho Rabbit & the Coyote Bodhi Tree Concerts presents the World Premiere of the Bilingual Chamber Opera by Pulitzer Prize- Winning Composer Anthony Davis in San Diego and Tijuana in January 2026. Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote, based on a book by Mexican American children’s author Duncan Tonatiuh, addresses themes of love of family, cultural traditions, and long, difficult journeys. See it here first, before the rest of the world
Southwestern College |
| Persian Music Recital Persian Music Recital Setar Students of Kourosh Taghavi
Iranian American Center |
| Comedy: Bobby Lee Bobby is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and podcaster. From 2001 to 2009, Lee was a cast member on MADtv, and he co-starred in the ABC single-camera sitcom series Splitting Up Together alongside Jenna Fischer and Oliver Hudson between 2018 and 2019. Lee has also appeared in the films Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), Pineapple Express (2008), and The Dictator (2012). He had a guest appearance as the cynical, burned-out Dr. Kang on FX on Hulu’s TV comedy series Reservation Dogs
Balboa Theatre |
| 7:30 PM | Comedy: Janesh Rahlan Janesh Rahlan is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer based in LA. He’s performed at clubs across the country, including San Francisco Punch Line, The Comedy Store and Chicago Laugh Factory. He’s worked with comics such as Kumail Nanjiani, Atsuko Okatsuka, Josh Johnson, Jeff Ross, Cedric the Entertainer, and Jesus Trejo. His comedy touches upon his immigrant upbringing and aggressively millennial persona.
Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter |
| 8:00 PM | Music: Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán Amigos! Our next BIG SHOW: the best mariachi in the world, back in San Diego, supporting mariachi education and scholarships.
San Diego Civic Theatre |
| 9:30 PM | Comedy: Bobby Lee Bobby is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and podcaster. From 2001 to 2009, Lee was a cast member on MADtv, and he co-starred in the ABC single-camera sitcom series Splitting Up Together alongside Jenna Fischer and Oliver Hudson between 2018 and 2019. Lee has also appeared in the films Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), Pineapple Express (2008), and The Dictator (2012). He had a guest appearance as the cynical, burned-out Dr. Kang on FX on Hulu’s TV comedy series Reservation Dogs
Balboa Theatre |
Sunday, January 18
| All Day | The 13th Annual Borrego Springs Film Festival Our festival features great local attendance, a catered opening gala, a filmmaker networking event, filmmaker activities, our catered Saturday party, panel discussions, a red carpet event, a catered award ceremony, a catered filmmaker’s lounge, and so much more. Our model is “traditional film festival.” Old school. We’re a bunch of film lovers that prioritize gathering together to watch and talk about truly independent movies and having a good time doing it. We ain’t fancy, but we’re earnest. It’s the best way to fest! Join us!
Festival Schedule
Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center |
| 11:00 AM | 44th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade The 44th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade is filled with dazzling floats, phenomenal High School Bands, Drill Teams, Colleges/Universities, Fraternities, Sororities, Churches, Peace and Youth organizations. This year's parade will feature a MLK 5k Walk/Fun Run and Festival. For more information on the 5K and festival, follow the links below. Join your community and help continue the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This event supports scholarship opportunities for the youth of San Diego
Harbor Drive |
| 2:00 PM | Food Tour: Flavors and Stories Tasty treats abound in this culinary adventure around San Diego - join YPAC for a tour of some of the best Asian food our city has to offer!
Multiple Restaurants |
| 4:00 PM | Stage: The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank was only 15 years old when she died in a Nazi concentration camp. After the war, her father found her diary in the attic where they managed to hide for 2 years and 2 months. In that time, Anne managed to write an account of her life, her feelings, and her thoughts. Please join us as we recount her, and the entire Frank family's story, In the words of a young girl growing up in the madness of war and hate, this is a story of life, loss, and confusion, underlying with a feeling of love and always hope. We wish you will join us.
Innovations Academy |
| 5:00 PM | Music: Wild Wild East Whether performing on the National Mall in DC for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival or in the foothills of the Himalayas in Pakistan for 10,000 people, Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East creates hypnotic rhythms that intertwine with Hindustani vocals, saxophone, and guitar. Drawing from his family’s immigration story, Jain recasts the immigrant as the modern-day cowboy and cowgirl, inspired by Bollywood classics, Spaghetti Westerns, Punjabi folk traditions, jazz improvisation, and rollicking psychedelic styles
The JAI |
Tuesday, January 20
| 6:30 PM | Open Reading: Macbeth (Part 1) "The Tragedy of Macbeth" is one of William Shakespeare's darkest tragedies, exploring the destructive effects of political ambition, guilt, and paranoia. Patrick McBride is our director.
Coronado Public Library |
| 7:00 PM | Comedy: Nimish Patel Nimesh S. Patel is an American comedian and television writer. In 2017, he became the first Indian American writer on Saturday Night Live.
The American Comedy Company |
Friday, January 23
| 7:00 PM | Stage: The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank was only 15 years old when she died in a Nazi concentration camp. After the war, her father found her diary in the attic where they managed to hide for 2 years and 2 months. In that time, Anne managed to write an account of her life, her feelings, and her thoughts. Please join us as we recount her, and the entire Frank family's story, In the words of a young girl growing up in the madness of war and hate, this is a story of life, loss, and confusion, underlying with a feeling of love and always hope. We wish you will join us.
Innovations Academy |
| 7:30 PM | Trade Roots Reggae 40th Anniversary Show The Holding Company in Ocean Beach will host a historic celebration honoring the 40th Anniversary of Trade Roots Reggae, the landmark reggae shop whose influence helped shape the cultural soundtrack of San Diego. Founded in 1985 by Elliot Leib and Renee Romano, Trade Roots emerged as a vital hub for what was then a radical and deeply countercultural sound. More than just a record store, Trade Roots became a conduit for reggae’s spirit of resilience, identity, and cultural resistance—at a time when San Diego was undergoing rapid change.
The Holding Company |
| 8:00 PM | Music: Luis Angel 'El Flaco' y Julio Preciado Regional Mexican artists Luis Angel "El Flaco" and Julio Preciado will blend their incredible banda sounds for an exciting show.
San Diego Civic Theatre |
Saturday, January 24
| 7:00 PM | Stage: The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank was only 15 years old when she died in a Nazi concentration camp. After the war, her father found her diary in the attic where they managed to hide for 2 years and 2 months. In that time, Anne managed to write an account of her life, her feelings, and her thoughts. Please join us as we recount her, and the entire Frank family's story, In the words of a young girl growing up in the madness of war and hate, this is a story of life, loss, and confusion, underlying with a feeling of love and always hope. We wish you will join us.
Innovations Academy |
Sunday, January 25
| 6:30 PM | Music & Dance: Flamenco Intimo Get ready for a passionate night of Flamenco! Join us in person at Charade Speakeasy for an unforgettable experience filled with fiery guitar riffs, soulful singing, and mesmerizing dance. It’s all about the raw emotions and intimate vibes that only a live Flamenco show can deliver. Come soak in the rhythm, the energy, and the magic of Flamenco Intimo at Charade —you won't want to miss it!
Charade Speakeasy |
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