Our picks of this week's events

ART

For the kids

The New Children’s Museum San Diego first opened in 1983 in La Jolla. A decade later, the facility moved Downtown but quickly outgrew the warehouse space. In 2002, the museum closed its doors and began work on the new Rob Quigley-designed building at 200 West Island Ave. From noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 4, the brand-new Children’s Museum celebrates with a grand-opening block party. Mayor Jerry Sanders will provide opening remarks, followed by kid-centric fun and games, including a romp through the opening exhibition, childsplay; performances by the San Diego Youth Symphony Brass Choir and Jean Isaacs Dance Theater; and a parade at 1 p.m. Organizers encourage families to ride the trolley. www.thinkplaycreate.org or 619-233-8792. Free.

For the music: Mandolin virtuoso David Grisman headlines this year’s Adams Avenue Roots & Folk Festival, but there are plenty of other big-name local artists among the more than 40 musical acts that’ll be vibrating the molecules in Normal Heights this weekend, including Gregory Page, Anna Troy and Yale Strom. The festivities, which, as always, involve food, a kids zone, art and more non-musical shenanigans, take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 3, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 4. www.adamsaveonline.com or 619-282-7329. Free.

CINCO DE MAYO

A return

Last October, board members of Centro Cultural de La Raza named Stephanie De La Torre executive director. The switch in leadership came not long after a seven-year boycott of the Centro by community members came to an end. Both events marked a change in direction for the Chicano art and culture venue and a re-focusing on new exhibits and programs. Following on the heels of a top-notch art show, the Centro presents a Cinco de Mayo Celebration at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 4, featuring San Diego’s most padre (“cool” in Mexico City speak) Chicano bands. Jazz master Bill Caballero will lead the Chingazo Revue, a collaborative effort by Chunky Sanchez, Quino and Agua Dulce. www.centroculturaldelaraza.org or 619-235-6135. $10-$15.

La palabra: We recently had the great pleasure of sipping wine and eating cheese with SDSU professor and author William “Memo” Nericcio. Our new buddy has quite a way with words—he nearly had us squirting wine out of our nostrils—so it’s safe to assume that the discussion of his book, Tex(t) Mex: Seductive Hallucinations of the “Mexican” in America, will be entertaining. Nericcio will be joined by former Taco Shop Poet Tomas Riley from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 5, in Room H117 at Mesa College for a spoken-word performance titled Barrio Baroque. That evening, at 7 p.m., the crew heads to Casa Familiar, 147 W. San Ysidro Blvd., for fronteraVerse, a presentation about border issues by Riley and poets Irene Castruita and Michael “Cheno” Wickert. 619-920-1713 or www.redcalacartscollective.org.

FILM

More outdoor

This is the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Summertime in San Diego is officially in full effect when Cinema Under the Stars kicks in, starting this year with an al fresco screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the romantic-comedy classic that reminds us of the delicious charm of New York socialites. Enjoy the big, brown, almond-shaped eyes of Audrey Hepburn while kicking back in the “zero-gravity” lounge chairs at three screenings starting at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 1, and continuing Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3. The outdoor theater is located at 4040 Goldfinch St. in Mission Hills. 619-295-4221 or www.topspresents.com. $12.50-$13.50.

ART

’Til death

Haven’t heard of Manny Farber? Thank goodness we’re here to catch you up. Farber calls Leucadia home, but his art hangs in houses and prestigious galleries across the United States. First grabbing the public’s notice as a film critic in the 1940s, Farber didn’t pick up a paintbrush until 1974 and has been steadily gracing the world with his offbeat still-life style ever since. Now a youthful 91 years old, he hasn’t come close to quitting. His solo show, New Drawings, opens from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 2, at Quint Contemporary Art, 7739 Fay Ave. in La Jolla, and features different views of his garden, all of which were completed during the last year. www.quintgallery.com or 858-454-3409.

Friend me: Wolfgang Hastert, a filmmaker and lecturer in the visual arts department at UCSD, is married and has a kid, but that doesn’t stop him from surfing the Internet for personal ads. It’s not what you think, though. The hours online are part of the research for his film Click Me, a documentary about the trials and tricks of trying to find the perfect mate online. Hastert’s new project about social networking sites like MySpace will be on view in Tom is Your Friend, a video and photo series opening at Seminal Projects, 2040 India St. in Little Italy, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3. Works by Claude Zervas and Darius Kuzmickas will also be on display www.seminalprojects.com.