La Jolla Historical Society announces the Growing Together calendar 

The La Jolla Historical Society has announced the 2026 lineup for Growing Together, a free, family and youth-focused community event series designed to unite La Jolla’s major cultural institutions through creative, accessible programming.

Presented in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, and Murals of La Jolla, Growing Together expands on the success of existing initiatives across partner institutions, connecting them under a shared vision to portray how La Jolla is a welcoming cultural destination beyond its beaches. Each program is designed to create a festive, inclusive environment that encourages exploration, creativity, and community connection.

“Growing Together demonstrates what’s possible when our institutions come together around a shared commitment to access to the arts and a collaborative vision,” says Lauren Lockhart, Executive Director of La Jolla Historical Society. “These events invite families and young people to experience La Jolla’s rich arts and culture scene in new ways and inspire connection through hands-on participation.”

The Growing Together series continues on Sunday, May 3, in collaboration with Murals of La Jolla and hosted at the La Jolla Historical Society. This immersive, community-forward event invites families to explore La Jolla’s outdoor gallery through a self-guided mini-murals tour featuring 3 to 4 murals, complete with a downloadable map, scavenger hunt, music at some of the stops, and interactive “passport stamps” for kids along the way.

Back at the La Jolla Historical Society, guests can enjoy shaded, hands-on activity inspired by the murals, an artist-guided workshop, and a collaborative community mural. Along with Murals of La Jolla, La Jolla Historical Society is also working with Songs4Smiles, a nonprofit run by  students from the San Diego Youth Symphony, to provide live music to eventgoers. Lawn games and tacos for purchase round out a fun, creative afternoon designed to connect families with art, place, and each other.

Hosted at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, this Growing Together program will be presented as part of the institution’s Teen Art Fridays series. Designed as a free after-school program for middle and high school students, the event will offer guided, hands-on art experiences that encourage creative exploration, connection, and engagement with La Jolla’s cultural landscape.

A second Teen Art Fridays collaboration returns later in the summer, continuing the partnership between La Jolla Historical Society and the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. The August event will further expand opportunities for teens to explore creativity through workshops and artist-led instruction in a welcoming, youth-focused setting.

Growing Together will partner with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego for a fall program designed to engage families through contemporary art and hands-on creative experiences at the museum.

The Growing Together series will conclude the yearlong initiative in November with a second Murals of La Jolla collaboration, offering another opportunity for families and visitors to experience public art through interactive activities that blend visual art, music, and community storytelling in La Jolla’s public spaces.

All Growing Together events are free and open to all ages. Events take place onsite at the La Jolla Historical Society campus at 780 Prospect Street, La Jolla, CA 92037. Together, the series reinforces La Jolla’s identity as a vibrant and cultural destination — one where families, youth, and visitors are invited to explore, create, and connect.

La Jolla Historical Society celebrates the history and culture of the coastal region through interdisciplinary programs, exhibitions, and research that challenge expectations and foster meaningful connection. Balancing contemporary and historic perspectives, LJHS operates as a distinctive historic house museum that develops projects crossing disciplinary boundaries and exploring the relationship between culture and society in collaboration with guest curators, artists, architects, and other cultural producers.