Bird Rock's free BirdStock Music Festival returns Saturday, Sept. 19, with five stages of live music along La Jolla Boulevard. The fifth annual event adds more than 70 artisan vendors, BMX performances and a new VIP tequila-tasting deck.

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 5500 La Jolla Boulevard, according to the La Jolla Town Council calendar. A section of the boulevard will be closed for the event.

This year BirdStock adds a second charitable beneficiary. Proceeds will support both Bird Rock Elementary School and the La Jolla Coastal Conservancy, which has led shoreline improvement projects at Whale View Point and Coast Walk Trail.

"We're thrilled to … now support both Bird Rock Elementary School and La Jolla Coastal Conservancy," organizer Arianna Opsvig said in an Aug. 31 report by lajolla.ca. "Anyone who accesses the coast will be able to benefit from BirdStock moving forward."

BirdStock is free to attend.

Last year's festival drew thousands and raised about $15,000 for Bird Rock Elementary, according to the same report. The school is in the middle of a $25 million modernization project that began in June 2026 and is expected to finish by March 2029, according to Times of San Diego.

Co-chair Merisa Titlow, who has organized BirdStock alongside Kelsey Martin and Opsvig since its first year, called the festival a "positive, happy place" for the neighborhood in the lajolla.ca report. Titlow described BirdStock as a fall staple that has become "a big thing that people really connect with."

New additions for 2026 include BMX and skateboarding performances on a half pipe with three professional shows throughout the day, sponsored by Wayfarer Bread. A VIP viewing deck sponsored by Dos Azul will offer tequila tastings and shade.

The festival also features an OktoBIRDfest beer garden, a shaded lounge, kids' activities and dog-friendly vendors. After BirdStock closes, live music continues at Beaumont's Eatery in Bird Rock.

BirdStock remains grassroots and volunteer-led despite its growth. More information is available at birdstockmusicfestival.com.