Midnight bicycle ride through San Diego DOWNTOWN — The San Diego Council of Hosteling International will hold its 37th annual Midnight Madness Fun Bicycle Ride through scenic San Diego at midnight on Saturday, Aug. 21. The 18-mile route is primarily flat and starts at the San Diego County Administration Building at 1600 Pacific Highway before winding through Harbor Island, Shelter Island, Old Town and downtown. Each registered cyclist will receive a T-shirt, chances to win prizes and safety support along the route. Alaska Airlines and REI will sponsor a costume contest for the more zany participants. The entry cost is $30 before or $35 the night of the event, and proceeds will help support education and outreach programs for the non-profit organization Hosteling International. To register for the ride or to find out more, visit www.sandiegohostels.org. —DEBBIE HATCH Surf’s up for Luau and Longboard Invitational LA JOLLA — La Jolla’s Scripps Pier will come alive with the aloha spirit Sunday, Aug. 22 at the 17th annual Luau and Longboard Invitational, sponsored by the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego. Surf legends, business leaders, cancer survivors and community members will gather at the pier at 7 a.m. for the longboard invitational, where one professional surfer joins each sponsored team of four surfers to compete for trophies. Any surfer can earn a spot on a team, plus two luau tickets, by raising $2,500 for cancer support. This year, about 100 surfers will compete on 20 teams. At 11:30 a.m., the sound of a ceremonial conch shell will signify the beginning of the luau for ticket holders. Guests will be treated to a traditional Polynesian buffet, music and dance performances, and live and silent auctions for unique surf memorabilia. The surf competition is open to the public and luau tickets are $150. For more information, visit www.longboardluau.org or call the Moores UCSD Cancer Center at (858) 822-1328. —JENNA FRAZIER Surf Club Surf Shop celebrates 30 years PACIFIC BEACH — Surf Club Surf Shop, 952 Garnet Ave., will celebrate its 30th anniversary this weekend, said owner Jeff Kinney, who opened the shop in 1980. “I’ve seen a lot of surf shops come and go and Jeff is still here,” said E.J. Moore of La Jolla, who has been shopping at Surf Club since 1983. The store originally sold mostly surfboards and now carries a popular selection of apparel and surfing supplies such as leashes, wax and wetsuits. “I thank the stars that I’ve just stuck true to what I do,” Kinney said. Even through a tough economy, Kinney has stuck with what he does best and that is selling fun. “I’m staying put,” Kinney said of his future plans. “I’ll change when change is necessary.” Some items at the store will be reduced by as much as 30 percent and prizes will be raffled off during the store’s anniversary sale this weekend. For more information, visit www.surfclubsurfshop.com. —DEBBIE HATCH Inaugural Free to Breathe event to raise funds for lung cancer POINT LOMA — The inaugural Free to Breathe 5K Run/Walk will be unleashed around the NTC Promenade’s cultural district at Liberty Station on Saturday, Aug. 21 to raise funds to support the fight against lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of both women and men in the United States. The event begins at 7 a.m. at NTC Park on Farragut Road and is sponsored by the National Lung Cancer Partnership (NLCP). Participants may enter the day of the event for $25. The entry fee includes a T-shirt and access to more materials to further strengthen fundraising support. Visit www.freetobreathe.com for more information. — Joseph Greenberg UCSD professor to shed light on vampires LA JOLLA— UCSD Literature Professor, Lisa Lampert-Weissig, will present her take on the fascination with vampires on Tuesday, Aug. 24 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Geisel Library on the UCSD campus. From “Twilight” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to “Dracula” and “True Blood,” vampires — or at least the idea of vampires — hold great allure for many. Lampert-Weissig, resident vampire expert at UCSD, has examined the obsession with vampires in popular culture and literature, past and present. Lampert-Weissig will discuss “A Vampire of One’s Own: Twilight and the Classics” in Geisel Library’s Seuss Room. In her talk, she will examine the themes of forbidden desire, free will and equality as presented in the “Twilight” books, “Paradise Lost,” and “Frankenstein.” Her talk, sponsored by UCSD’s Social Sciences & Humanities Library, is free and will include refreshments. Lampert-Weissig’s talk coincides with “Guilty Pleasures,” an exhibit in the Social Sciences & Humanities Library celebrating the fun, and quick reads that many find pleasurable, especially during the summer months. For more information on the exhibit visit: http://libguides.ucsd.edu/guiltypleasures. Schools to receive makeovers On Aug. 21, 1,500 volunteers will spread out across San Diego County to serve at 30 school campuses in need of attention. Volunteers will be painting, weeding, restoring buildings and performing various other tasks directed by school staff. This School Beautification Day is a part of the Season of Service, a countywide volunteer movement involving some 400 local churches, businesses and civic agencies through San Diego CityFest with Luis Palau. Each school’s administration decided on the projects needed, and in most cases even received grants for the materials. Many of the schools have been given government grants for supplies, but not for labor. Through the Season of Service, that need will be met by at least 1,500 people, from church members to members of the Naval Fleet. A troupe of Girl Scouts will also be present to help. For more information about the School Beautification Day and San Diego CityFest with Luis Palau, visit www.sandiegocityfest.com. SATURDAY, AUG. 21 Pacific/Mission Beach • Surfrider Foundation Beach Cleanup, 9 to 11 a.m., Pacific Beach Drive and Ocean Boulevard, (858) 792-9940 Point Loma/Ocean Beach •?Summer Movie Mania, sunset (between 7:30 and 8 p.m.), Liberty Station, viewers’ choice (voting now under way) selection of “Rocky,” “Back to the Future” or “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” bring blankets and lawn chairs, for more information visit www.libertystation.com, free La Jolla • Book sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., La Jolla Library, 7555 Draper Ave.; all books will be on sale at two for $1; (858) 454-2552 Downtown • Craig Shoemaker, 8 p.m., Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., for tickets call Ticketmaster, (800) 982-2787, $25 SUNDAY, AUG. 22 La Jolla • The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus Chamber Choir will perform “Forty Shades,” 2 p.m., Torrey Pines Christian Church, 8320 La Jolla Scenic Drive; the 90-minute concert features music from the group’s recent trip to Ireland; (858) 822-3774, free, donations accepted MUSIC VENUES Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, (619) 224-1556: • Friday, Aug. 20, 8 p.m., Bill Maher, $73 • Sunday, Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m., Crowded House, $70 BEACH AREA LIVE MUSIC • Superunloader: 9 p.m., Friday, Aug. 20 at The Tiki House, 1152 Garnet Ave. Cover TBD. 21 and up • Steph Johnson: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 20 at Tango Del Rey, 3567 Del Rey St. All ages. Cover TBD. www.myspace.com/stephjohnsonband • Dirty Sweet: 8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 21 at Soundwave, 3125 Oceanfront Walk. $12. 21 and up. www.myspace.com/dirtysweetmusic • Izzy & the Kesstronics, Sunday, Aug. 22 at O’Connell’s, 1310 Morena Blvd. 21 and up. Cover TBD. www.myspace.com/izzyandthekesstronics