Bird Rock's annual BirdStock Music Festival drew an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 people to La Jolla Boulevard on Sept. 19. The free festival raised roughly $40,000, organizer Arianna Opsvig told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
That total is more than double the $15,000 raised in 2025, when Bird Rock Elementary School was the sole beneficiary. This year, the money will be split evenly between Bird Rock Elementary and the La Jolla Coastal Conservancy, a nonprofit that works to preserve shoreline parks in La Jolla. Each stands to receive about $20,000.
Revenue came from beer garden tickets, VIP packages, a dunk tank, a craft bar and donations.
The festival, held on the 5500–5700 blocks of La Jolla Boulevard, featured live music, shopping, a pet adoption zone, a pet costume contest, mini-golf and face painting. Opsvig, along with fellow volunteers Kelsey Martin and Merisa Titlow, organized the event in partnership with the Bird Rock Community Council (BRCC).
At the BRCC's Tuesday, Oct. 6, meeting, Council President Joe Parker said the festival was "very busy" but appeared to run smoothly. He praised the volunteer team. But he acknowledged that not all feedback was positive.
"Some people said it doesn't feel like a Bird Rock event anymore, meaning that it had gotten too big," Parker said, adding that some attendees parked in residents' driveways.
BRCC Treasurer Barbara Dunbar, who also represents the Bird Rock Maintenance Assessment District, said organizers handled cleanup well. Some landscaping along La Jolla Boulevard was damaged, but Dunbar said she "was surprised there wasn't a little bit more" given the crowd size.
Meeting attendee Joyce Snell offered a different take, calling BirdStock "an exciting event" that wrapped up early.
Opsvig, Martin and Titlow revived BirdStock in 2022 after the original festival went dormant following its 2010 edition. The event has grown each year since, making 2026 its fifth edition.
The Bird Rock Community Council meets at 6 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month. Details are available at birdrockcc.org.
