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Get Your Stoke On

Where else can mere mortals shred with surf gods? The 14th annual Luau & Longboard Invitational, a major fund-raiser for the UCSD Moores Cancer Center, tears up the La Jolla shoreline at Scripps Pier August 19. Surf legends team up with amateurs to vie for trophies, starting at 7 a.m., then take part in the Expression Session exhibition. Linger for the luau at noon. And don’t miss the Survivor Beach pre-event August 5 at 8 a.m., where the public is invited to demonstrate support for cancer research and awareness while attempting a new Guinness World Record for the longest line of surfboards: from Scripps Pier to La Jolla Shores. 858-822-0023; longboardluau.org or survivorbeach.org.

Red,White and Bluegrass

The Summergrass music festival, presented by the San Diego Bluegrass Society, brings some of the biggest names in bluegrass to Vista’s Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum August 24-26. Headlining acts include Bluegrass Etc.; the U.S. Navy bluegrass band, Country Current; Fragment; and John Reischman & the Jaybirds. When bands aren’t performing, there’s still plenty to keep your toes tapping: instrument raffles, music workshops (for kids, too), on-site camping, lots of food and vendors. 858-679-4854; summergrass.net.

Out of the Vox

Modern dance company BodyVox brings its high-energy, athleticism and creative choreography to the Stephen & Mary Birch North Park Theatre for an August 24 performance as part of the La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest lineup (August 3-26). The Portland, Oregon, company has choreographed for the Academy Awards show and in music videos for Sting, U2 and John Fogerty. 858-459-3728; ljms.org.

Truth Through a Prism

Rashomon reflects on the difficulty of discerning absolute truth using the conflicting stories of multiple witnesses. David Ellenstein directs Fay and Michael Kanin’s interpretation of the Japanese fable, through August 12 at North Coast Repertory Theatre. 858- 481-1055; northcoastrep.org.

Live Tracks at the Track

Play the ponies and stay for the free concert on Fridays at the Del Mar Racetrack. The perennially popular Four O’Clock Fridays lineup includes Violent Femmes (August 3), Pinback (August 10), Cake (August 17), Pete Yorn (August 24) and Angels and Airwaves (August 31). The Cult performs in the infield on August 4; Ziggy Marley headlines the August 25 Reggae Festival. 858-755-1141; dmtc.com.

Talk of Salk

An alfresco coastal setting. Striking architecture. World-class musicians. Symphony at Salk boasts the perfect confluence of elements. This year’s concert and dinner is August 25 at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences in La Jolla. Playwright and composer Hershey Felder, who most recently performed George Gershwin Alone, is the featured artist. Guest conductor Thomas Wilkins leads the San Diego Symphony. Gourmet box supper at 6; concert at 7:30. Tickets are $175. 858-453-4100; salk.edu.

Dino Might

Leaping thunder lizards! The mighty dinosaur has its day——shared with the paleontologists who unearth the bones and clues to how these behemoths lived and died——in the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’s latest Imax film, Dinosaurs Alive! If the roars from the recreated past aren’t enough, take in “Listen Here! Making Sense of Sound,” the newest exhibit at the Balboa Park institution. 619- 238-1233; rhfleet.org.

Witch Way Do We Go?

Gillian must choose between love and her magical powers in John Van Druten’s comedy, Bell, Book and Candle, bewitching the Old Globe’s Cassius Carter Centre Stage August 4 through September 9. 619-234-5623; theoldglobe.org.

That’ll Be the Day in Escondido

Move over, Lawrence (Welk)——rock rolls into North County’s Welk Resort Theatre, where The Buddy Holly Story paints the picture of an early icon of rock ’n’ roll, through September 2. 760-749-3448; welktheatre.com.

Used and Abused? Hardly!

Everyday items and ceremonial objects are celebrated in “The Beauty of Use——Mingei International Museum at 30,” marking three decades of the Balboa Park museum’s dedication to the beauty inherent in the ordinary, whether adorned or starkly unaffected. Gleaned from the permanent collection, the display includes clothing, furniture, masks, doors and more. 619-239-0003; mingei.org.

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