What’s New in Oceanside Fall 2025

Oceanside, Calif. (Sept 2025) — As summer comes to a close, O’side slides into its Season of Swellness, inviting visitors to enjoy a vibrant lineup of new dining experiences, cultural celebrations, and world-class events. Creative collaboration is a throughline this season and interesting partnerships can be found all throughout Oceanside. From collaborative culinary events to co-curated art exhibitions, Oceanside is buzzing with synergy from its brilliant residents and business owners.

Art, Culture & Creative Expression
This fall, surf culture takes center stage at the dual-museum exhibition Surf Art: Exploring Southern California’s Coastal Culture (Sept. 13, 2025–Feb. 1, 2026), co-curated by the Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) and the California Surf Museum (CSM). Featuring works by more than 30 regional artists in painting, sculpture, resin, surfboards, murals, and textiles, the landmark show explores the creative expressions born from the surf lifestyle. To mark the occasion, Visit Oceanside has released a limited-edition California Surfing Day T-shirt designed by exhibit artist and SoCal native Angie Samblotte, with proceeds supporting the California Surf Museum.

The Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) and Oceanside Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF) have teamed up to bring a unique public art project to life with the transformation of “Miss Mary,” a donated upright piano. The project is part of the Oceanside Public Piano Project, an initiative that places hand-painted, playable pianos in public spaces throughout the city. Already, pianos can be found at the Oceanside Museum of Art, the Civic Center Library, and 101 Café. By blending visual art with live music, the initiative fosters spontaneous creativity and connection across the community.

Historical Revivals, World-Renowned Chefs & Culinary Partnerships
The Victorian at Hill Street is bringing fresh life to one of Oceanside’s most storied residences while preserving the home’s original character. Housed in the more-than-100-year-old Wetzel House, the reimagined space blends historic charm with a modern share-plates menu by Chef Juan Armando (Mesa Agrícola). Expect seasonal California cuisine, housemade laffa bread, Old World wines, and craft cocktails, served primarily on the expansive, heated outdoor porch.

The Oceanside culinary scene continues to gain national recognition, highlighted by Matsu’s Chef William Eick welcoming Chef Dominique Crenn on October 12 for a one-night, eight-course collaboration dinner. Matsu, known for its modern Japanese-inspired tasting menus, will feature a deeply personal menu crafted with the best local ingredients. While tickets sold out in a matter of minutes, this event marks an exciting moment for the Oceanside culinary scene, collaborating on a national stage, and future collaborative dinners are already being planned to continue showcasing the city’s creative talent.

Adding to the national excitement around Oside’s culinary scene, the James Beard Foundation’s Platform space at Pier 57 in New York City will welcome a star-studded collaboration dinner on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, featuring chefs and flavors of the San Diego region. Michelinstarred chefs Roberto Alcocer (Valle), Eric Bost (Jeune et Jolie, Lilo), and James Beard Award finalist Tara Monsod (Animae, Le Coq) will craft a multi-course menu celebrating San Diego’s agricultural abundance, cross-cultural influences, and bold creativity. This special event further cements the region’s place among the nation’s leading culinary destinations. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.jamesbeard.org/events/platform-collab-dinner-taste-of-socalcuisine.

Looking ahead, planning is already underway for the second annual Swell Plates Series, returning January 14 to February 11, 2026. Early highlights include a collaboration between Jason Mraz’s Jitters and The Plot, Merenda teaming with Oceanside Museum of Art, a Dija Mara x Allmine partnership, and a Privateer’s cocktail pairing.

Culture, Community Spirit & Friendly Competition
Oceanside’s fall calendar is packed with cultural and outdoor events. On October 26, the Día de los Muertos Festival celebrates life in downtown Oceanside with music, food, dance, artisan vendors, classic cars, and cultural traditions. The Valley Arts Festival (Nov. 8) at Heritage Park honors the heritage of the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians with a full day of programming from 10 am to 4 pm. Guests can look forward to storytelling, artisan vendors, live music, student performances, and interactive activities like a kÍicha, tule boat, and cultural displays. Young dancers will also return this year, inviting the audience to join in for a lively, familyfriendly celebration rooted in community and tradition.

On Saturday, November 1, 2025, cyclists of all ages and abilities will gather for Bike the Coast, an Oceanside tradition that welcomes first-time riders and seasoned athletes alike. Riders can choose routes of 7, 15, 24, 50, or 100 miles, traveling along historic Highway 101 through Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, and Del Mar. Every registered rider receives a food voucher for the Finish Festival, which runs from 10 am-5 pm with live music, an open-tothe-public expo, and a lively beer garden benefiting Bike MS.

For more updates on what’s new in Oceanside, visit www.visitoceanside.org.

About Oceanside
Perfectly situated between metropolitan San Diego and Los Angeles, Oceanside is a quintessential California coastal escape that includes wide sandy beaches, a quaint New England-style harbor, a historic wooden pier, and charming bungalow neighborhoods. O’side (as locals affectionately call it) is a destination of discovery where visitors can explore everything from California history at the “King of Missions” to surf culture at the California Surf Museum and awe-inspiring sea life through exciting ocean adventures. This playful and fun destination thrives on taking recreation to the next level and boasts world-class surfing, skateboarding, bike riding, boating, and even skydiving. A flourishing farm-to-table food and craft beer, wine, and spirit scene reflects Oceanside’s creative and entrepreneurial spirit, as do exciting arts and culture programs that earned Oceanside one of just 14 California Cultural District designations in 2017. Classically charming, eclectic, and always genuine, Oceanside is an ideal place to stay and a true O’riginal. www.visitoceanside.org

About Visit Oceanside
Visit Oceanside Conference and Visitors Bureau is the official tourism marketing organization in Oceanside, Calif., promoting travel to the city for both leisure and group visitors. The organization influences about one-third of the $625 million that is generated by visitor spending in Oceanside each year, which supports over 4,000 jobs. Visit Oceanside also operates one of the state’s official California Welcome Centers. With just one stop, visitors can find local, regional and state maps, purchase discount tickets to major Southern California attractions, make hotel reservations or shop for the perfect California keepsake. The Visit Oceanside CVB and California Welcome Center- Oceanside are conveniently located just off Interstate 5 at 928 North Coast Highway. For more information, please call (800) 350-7873 or visit www.visitoceanside.org.