BETTER THAN SUMMER: No one will give the side eye to a summertime, get-to-know-the-local-village walk. After all, summer guarantees that the day'll be longer, with the sun setting after the 8 o'clock hour, and pushing a downtown saunter into the evening is a pleasure of the season. But autumn has summer beat, in the village-stroll scene, even if it doesn't have the later sunset. The air is slightly crisper, and if temperatures haven't fully dropped into fall sweater territory, they're flirting with the downslope. Del Mar Village is all about this notion, and the ocean-close community is embracing its fall-fun socializing on Sunday, Oct. 4 with the Del Mar Taste and Artisan Stroll.
20+ RESTAURANTS... will hand out their best and/or most representative tidbits to ticket holders, so if you've been wanting to sample the savory wares at Pacifica Del Mar, Kitchen 1540, Bull Taco, Il Fornaio, or other spots around the central hub of the town, this is your moment to sink your teeth in, sans reservations. When you're not sinking your teeth into small bites and various appetizers, you can take in the art at the Art Stroll, which is completely free to see. Look for the boothy area, and then head through to eye paintings, textiles, leather goods, jewelry, and the artists themselves; several Del Mar favorites shall be showing. And if you're planning on staying the night in the area, there's a deal to be had. Bed down at one of several Del Mar hotels listed here and shave a fiver off your stroll entry.
GET YOUR TICKET: If you're looking for unlimited tastes, go for the twenty-five buck option, or spend $35 for unlimited tastes/sips. There will also be special areas and features devoted to the furry attendees, so feel free to throw the sparkly, bedazzled harness on your Boston Terrier or Bichon. It's an afternoon, community-sweet soiree that puts out the best of the best of a burg known for being pretty best-y, on all fronts, all year long. And figure that Del Mar has its hands fairly full during the summer, what with the county fair and horse racing. While other town strolls rock a summer eve, Del Mar's early fall affair feels well-timed and as relaxed as these things should be.