The beach will be a big attraction this Labor Day as the mercury soars. Ocean Beach – just one of your options to cool off. Photo by Chris Stone

Head out this Labor Day weekend as a popular San Diego attraction re-opens, artists debut new works, and a local band hits a few sidewalks for socially distanced entertaining.

First of all, it’s a gonna be hot. So the beach maybe? They’re all open now. Space yourself out and enjoy!

Meanwhile, You Belong Here, the El Cajon Boulevard co-working space, will host writer and artist Elizabeth Salaam, at noon Friday through Sunday. She will present an exhibit about the healing power of art and writing in her first solo exhibition. Her work can be viewed in-person, in hour-long slots, for $10 admission, or via Zoom, for a donation. 

Choose from lots of kids options beginning at 4 p.m. Friday as Liberty Station continues its Virtual First Friday series. For instance, the San Diego Youth Symphony offers its CHiMES program to introduce youngsters to rhythm, singing and dance. Programs run via Facebook, Instagram and Zoom.

The LatinX New Play Festival by San Diego Repertory Theatre moves online. Enjoy panels by creatives, readings of four new plays and a solo performance by comedian and playwright Marga Gomez. Organizers, concerned about accessibility, have made festival passes available at every price point, from $0 to $250. Streams begin at 4 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Bask in the heat with the New Orleans Swinging Gypsies. Find them at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Little Italy’s Mercato and at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at Achilles Coffee Roasters’ Park 12 location in East Village. The band, whose members say they’re inspired by greats like Jelly Roll Morton and Duke Ellington, performs with a rotating crew of musicians. 

The San Diego Museum of Art opens its doors again at 10 a.m. Saturday, with a few caveats. They will admit only a quarter of full capacity, so get there early or be prepared to wait. Masks and temperature checks are required. Bonus: Are you a first responder or frontline worker? Your admission will be free through Nov. 14. General admission costs $15.

Watch a Grammy winner as “KPBS Presents: A Conversation with Jason Mraz,” airing at 7 p.m. Saturday on TV on KPBS, or radio at 89.5 FM. Mraz, who drew his first big following in Ocean Beach, will discuss his work and perform. His hits include “I’m Yours” and “The Remedy.”

New month, new streams. On Amazon, see Judy, which won Renee Zellweger the Best Actress Oscar last winter, and a couple of ‘60s-‘70s classics, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Graduate.

Judy shows up on Hulu too, as does Top Gun, in which San Diego plays a part. Looking to relive your aughts crush? Binge the entire Twilight series.

On Netflix, see two young actors known for their parts in the most recent Spiderman reboot and Stranger Things. Tom Holland starts in The Devil All the Time, while Millie Bobby Brown plays the title role in Enola Holmes. Indulge in some old favorites too, as the Back to the Future series, Glory, Grease, Barbershop and Magic Mike show up on the schedule.

– Staff reports