Jon Foreman of the band Switchfoot goes into the crowd at the Sunset Cliffs stage at KAABOO Del Mar on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019.
(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Mother’s Day weekend will offer two appealing and decidedly different homegrown options for music fans eager to attend outdoor festivals.
From May 9-12, the 21st annual Gator by the Bay will offer an expanded roster of blues artists to complement its usual fare of Cajun, zydeco, country, rock, jazz and soul at Spanish Landing Park. Confirmed artists include C.J. Chenier, Marcia Ball, Sonny Landreth, Southern Avenue, Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie and Nikki Hill.
From May 10-12, the third edition of the Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival will take place at Embarcadero Marina Park North and Seaport Village. Its lineup will be announced in January. Given that the two previous editions of Wonderfront featured Gwen Stefani, Ben Harper, Zac Brown Band, Kings of Leon, Lainey Wilson and Busta Rhymes, the 2024 iteration seems likely to boast a notable roster of talent.
In the meantime, an air of mystery surrounds the return of the KAABOO Del Mar festival, which has been dark — and mired in multiple lawsuits — since its fifth edition concluded in 2019. On Sept. 12, KAABOO’s new operators reached an agreement with the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the festival to return in September, but declined to identify any investors or capital commitments. No dates or artists have been announced yet by Festival Licensing and Acquisition Corp., KAABOO’s new operators. They have also not given any indication if any of the estimated $500,000 owed KAABOO ticket-holders for the event’s canceled 2020 and 2021 editions will be refunded. Here’s hoping.
Gator by the Bay, May 9-12. Spanish Landing Park, 3900 N. Harbor Drive, downtown. gatorbythebay.com; Wonderfrotn Music & Arts Festival, May 10-12. Seaport Village, 849 W. Harbor Drive, downtown. wonderfrontfestival.com