You’ve spent a lot of time at home over the past year. You already may have made a few changes or you may be in search of new ideas. Maybe you want to scale back. Two big shows come to Del Mar this weekend to help you on the journey.
But first, we interrupt this weekend guide with a friendly public service announcement – Monday, May 17 – yes, THIS Monday – your taxes are due! So if you procrastinated, or if the one-month delay just threw you all out of whack, live it up this weekend, because come Monday, you might have a lot on your plate.
The Spring Home/Garden Show opens at 10 a.m. Friday, featuring more than 100 exhibitors. See everything from art for your walls to barbecue gear for your patio, plus a garden marketplace for those of you who tended a little patch of land for your pandemic hobby. Tickets for the show, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds through Sunday, cost $4 online or $8 at the door.
The American Tiny House Association begins its second annual TinyFest California 2021, also at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, at noon Friday. Zack Giffin, host of A&E’s “Tiny House Nation,” serves as keynote speaker. Tour houses from pro-builders, DIYers and van lifers, as well as shipping container homes and bus conversions. Tickets cost $15 online and $20 at the door, or $5 for virtual access.
The virtual San Diego International Film Festival’s ShortsFest opens Friday, celebrating films of less than 30 minutes in length. The fest includes more than 150 shorts from around the world, 11 filmmaker panels and networking in the Filmmaker Cafe. Passes cost $79 for the full fest, through Sunday, or $29 for one day. And hey, spot the big celeb in the trailer above.
Tune in as Oscar nominee Garrett Bradley visits with the UC San Diego Visual Arts department at 5 p.m. Friday on their YouTube channel. Bradley, whose Time received a Best Documentary Feature nod at the awards last month, focuses on issues of race, class, family, social justice and Southern culture.
Another Oscar notable, Judas and the Black Messiah, screens at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills. The film, about an informant who targets Black Panther Fred Hampton, won two Oscars, for Best Supporting Actor Daniel Kaluuya and Best Original Song, by H.E.R. Catch it at 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Tickets start at $18.
It’s the last weekend to enjoy Blindspot Collective’s “Lit.” The family-friendly fantasy commissioned by the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, focuses on Celeste, daughter of the moon, in her quest to restore lost light in the world. The show, which includes puppets, is recommended for ages 6 and up. “Lit” streams On Demand through Sunday. The theater accepts pay-what-you-can, with a minimum price of $15.