By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com San Diego Blogger
There are so many fun events in San Diego that it’s sometime a challenge to figure out what to do on a given day. This is especially true on weekends.
That being said, when I got wind of a free event with two days of bands in Solona Beach called Fiesta del Sol, I figured it was worth a look and it certainly that and more. So much so, that I returned this year for both days of it.
After all, Fiesta del Sol is where I was introduced to the high-energy band Atomic Groove, which I later went to see at one of its every-other-Friday Happy Hour shows at the Belly Up. When I saw they were on the lineup for 2026 Fiesta del Sol, I grabbed a friend and said “we have to go and you have to see this band!”
I also told him in order to get reasonably close to the stage we had better be in position a good 15-20 minutes ahead of the band’s performance. Just before they started to play he looked around and, at seeing all the people behind us remarked, “you weren’t kidding.”
Fiesta del Sol. which takes place the last weekend of May so as not to interfere with Memorial Day (how thoughtful of them!) is like a lot of small-town festivals. It has several local artists and entrepreneurs selling various items they make, several food trucks and – best of all – San Diego craft beer from Pizza Port which was started a can’s throw from the festival in Solana Beach. There’s a main stage with bands that play all day and into the evening. and a side stage by the two bars within the festival ground (both of which are packed to capacity on Saturday). But what sets it apart from similar festivals is the size of the stage and the crowd.
This is no go high-five-the-band stage; it’s almost the size of one at a major concert. When I first saw this it kind of stunned me because I am used to being able to just walk up to a stage and have the band just above eye level. That’s when I knew this is a big-time event. On Sunday, Los Lobos was the headliner. The English Beat was Saturday’s main band.
It’s all outside, the vibe is great and the beers are a reasonable $13 for a large can or cup. There’s also other beverages and one I frequented was the soda fountains of Wild Bill’s, which offered free refills throughout the day ($16 on Saturday, $13 on Sunday).
There’s one fun thing that I discovered a bit too late this year. A DJ was entertaining people in adjacent Fletcher Cove just above the beach. People were dancing and having a great time but unfortunately for me, I got there at the last song. That’s something to keep in mind for next year.
Getting there is as easy as jumping on a train. Literally. The Coaster and Amtrak stop in Solana Beach right across the street. Having moved to San Diego from LA, where the idea of easy-to-get-there does not exist, this is a real treasure and pleasure not of the festival but of San Diego as a whole.
Fiesta del Sol is put on by the friendly folks at the Solana Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Kevin Wilkerson is a San Diego-based award-winning journalist. His articles have appeared in newspapers across the country, magazines, on MSN and various blogs. He is the publisher of PubClub.com.
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