San Diego's biggest art and music street fair takes over Hillcrest on August 9 — free, noon to 11 PM.
If you only hit one street fair all summer, make it this one. Hillcrest CityFest takes over Fifth Avenue on Sunday, August 9 — San Diego's largest and best art and music festival, stretching nearly half a mile across nine city blocks. Now in its 40th year, it draws tens of thousands of people for a full day-into-night celebration of live music, DJs, art, crafts, food, and the unmistakable community spirit of Hillcrest. It runs noon until 11 PM, and it's the kind of sprawling, all-day block party that sums up everything great about urban San Diego.
CityFest packs a lot into one day, spread across nine blocks of one of San Diego's most vibrant neighborhoods:
Music, all day and night. There's 20+ hours of live entertainment across two stages — singer-songwriters, electronic, indie and alt rock, and rap during the day, then DJs spinning into the night. After dark, CityFest After Dark turns the 5th and University stage into an all-ages dance party, with smooth sounds and unique beats over on Robinson Avenue.
The Art & Craft Ramble. The heart of the festival is a massive ramble of artists, performers, crafters, and vendors — hundreds of them — selling handcrafted art and goods, all mixed in among the neighborhood's own shops and restaurants. It's made for wandering and discovering.
Food and drink. Dozens of food stalls and trucks line the route, alongside cocktail bars and a beer garden (21+ for the drinks).
Family fun. The Kids Zone, at the south end at Brookes and Fifth, brings rides, a Lego mountain, flower potting, and comic-book making, plus Drag Queen Storytime hosted by the Imperial Court de San Diego.
CityFest is one of San Diego's oldest neighborhood street fairs, and it's pure Hillcrest — the longtime home of San Diego's LGBTQ+ community and a neighborhood known for its nightlife, international dining, and eclectic shopping. Locals call it "Pride-Light," and the festival is a celebration of the neighborhood's landmark Hillcrest sign, its residents, and the businesses that have championed diversity and inclusion here for decades.
It's one of the best single days San Diego puts on all summer. For more ways to spend the season, browse our full event calendar. And if a day in Hillcrest has you curious about the neighborhood, our Hillcrest neighborhood guide is a great place to start.