The Spring Busker Fest Brings Topnotch Street Performers Back to San Diego’s Seaport Village
Take in some dazzling waterfront acrobatics, magic, music, and more at California’s one and only busker festival this weekend, with nearby luxury accommodations in Downtown San Diego at the Sofia Hotel!
The 14th annual Spring Busker Fest descends upon Seaport Village (849 W. Harbor Drive) on Saturday, March 7th and Sunday, March 8th from noon to 6 PM, and as usual it’ll be an all-ages blast right at the doorstep of San Diego Bay!
The 2020 Spring Busker Fest in Seaport Village
What exactly is busking? It’s simply an old name—derived from the Spanish buscar, which means “to search”—for street-performing of all different sorts. A busker may be a musician, a dancer, a mime, a clown, a circus-style acrobat or sword-swallower or fire-eater or contortionist—you name it! Busking’s a venerable and worldwide tradition, and the Spring Busker Fest is San Diego’s very own celebration of it and its practitioners.
Free and family-friendly, the Busker Fest brings performers from all over to show off their skills and compete for the coveted People’s Choice Award. This year’s contestants include (to name but a few):
- Beat Medicine, a drum ensemble
- Daniel Israel, whose show includes a straitjacket escape from atop a seven-foot unicycle
- Qassandra, a dancer, aerialist, and acrobat
- Jesus Gonzalez, a San Diego improvisational musician
- Aaron Impossible, who performs juggling, rope-walking, comedy, and more in his unique Mission Impossible parody
- Small Kine, a reggae trio
- Duo Ecstatic, featuring husband-and-wife acrobatics and electric guitar
- Amelie Simpson, a 15-year-old singer-songwriter from San Diego
- The Junkyard Dance Crew, putting on a fast-paced hip-hop dance show
- El Gato (of the group SM Familia) in a one-man band performance
You’ll get to cast your very own vote in the People’s Choice Award for whichever of these talented buskers most catches your eye and/or ear.
While the festival’s free, tips—the classic busker earnings—are encouraged for the performers!
Street Performer Classes at the 2020 Spring Busker Fest
Young and old attendees of the Spring Busker Fest alike can learn a few moves and grooves themselves courtesy of the fun classes offered during the weekend as part of the “Busker Kid Zone.” They include introductions to ballet and hip-hop dance by Gwen Wagner, a Kids Yoga workshop by Raya Yoga, the Drum Dialogues drum circle led by Matthew Love, and juggling instruction by Nathaniel Allenby of Cirque Quirk.
The Busker Kid Zone will also feature a show by the That’s Handtastic Hand Puppet Company among other delightful spectacles.
Enjoy Luxury Accommodations in Downtown San Diego at the Sofia Hotel for the 14th Annual Spring Busker Fest
Call the Sofia Hotel home for the 2020 Spring Busker Fest, and you’ll find yourself just a hop, skip, and a jump from the dazzling acrobatics, fine musicianship, and ample comedy going down at Seaport Village along the San Diego waterfront. You can even use one of our loaner bikes—Urban Cruisers—to get there (as long as you abide by the three-hour maximum limit)!
Meanwhile, when you’re not taking in the outdoor performances at the Busker Fest, you’ll love your chic Downtown San Diego guest room or VIP suite at the historic Sofia, not to mention on-site dining at Currant and easy access to the Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy, and other top-draw neighborhoods in America’s Finest City.
Come join us this weekend for the Spring Busker Fest!