UPCOMING EVENTS
Featured Events
FIND US IN THE COMMUNITY
JULY 2026
Backyard Composting Basics Webinar
Join Solana Center for this 1-hour webinar where you will learn the basics of traditional backyard composting. Using trial-tested advice, our experienced educators will teach you all you need to know to get started with a bin that fits your needs and lifestyle. Perfect for beginners.
In this webinar, we will cover:
What is composting and why it is so important
Various types of compost bin options and how to pick which one works best for your needs
What tools and materials you’ll need
Which items are compostable and which to avoid
How to build, maintain, and troubleshoot a compost pile
Composting benefits for your garden and living a greener life include:
Knowing where your food scraps are going and keeping them out of the landfill
Knowing exactly what went into your compost
Using compost in your garden to increase soil water retention, and as a result, saving money
Increasing soil microbiome & overall soil health for happy plants
Made possible through generous funding by the County of San Diego Public Works
Gardening Practices that Save Water Workshop
Prepare your garden for El Niño & take advantage of the extra rain!
In this workshop, we will cover:
Using mulch and compost to build healthy soil that conserves water and reduces erosion
Managing irrigation efficiently to reduce water use and cost
Soil types and gardening styles
Rainwater management basics: rain barrels, swales, and rain gardens
San Diego climate-appropriate planting
Learn how to create a less thirsty and more environmentally-friendly landscape that saves water and money! Join us at this workshop hosted by the Pine Valley Library, where Solana Center’s knowledgeable educators will teach you all you need to know to get started with a garden that fits San Diego’s semi-arid climate.
BEFORE REGISTERING, please enter your address here to check your residency. You can select the County of San Diego Residents ticket option ONLY if your jurisdiction boundary result is exactly “S.D. COUNTY.” All others must select the waitlist option.
Residents of unincorporated County of San Diego receive preferential registration. All others will be placed on a waitlist and apprised of space available 1-2 weeks before the workshop. All pre-registered attendees who are residents of unincorporated San Diego County will receive a FREE kitchen scraps container, courtesy of the County of San Diego.
We can bring PRE-ORDERED compost bins and supplies to the workshop! Residents of unincorporated County of San Diego can purchase a subsidized bin with proof of residency.
View available products here. Order deadline: Wednesday, September 23.
To place your order:
Make a purchase on our online store.
Forward your emailed order confirmation to [email protected] by 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 23, and let us know it is a pre-order for this workshop.
Talk to the educator after the workshop to pick up your order.
Space is limited; first come, first served.
A store purchase is not required to attend the workshop. During the workshop, we will provide resources about how to purchase supplies when you're ready to get started. Items will not be available for same-day purchase.
Special deals for unincorporated San Diego County residents:
Compost bin ($50 for unincorporated San Diego County residents, $122 for others)
Can O Worms Vermicomposter ($60 for unincorporated San Diego County residents; $150 for other residents)
This workshop is made possible through generous funding by County of San Diego Public Works
Thanks to our host, Pine Valley Library
Introduction to Manure Composting Webinar
Learn how you can save money and reduce pests by composting your livestock manure! Horses, chickens, goats, sheep, and more! Composting manure helps protect your local watershed, prevents pollution in waterways, and produces a fantastic soil amendment. Composting is easy and inexpensive and can help reduce flies, odors, and waterway contamination. Using composted manure on your garden and landscaping will also help enrich your soil and conserve water.
This workshop will cover:
The basics & benefits of composting
How to incorporate manure into compost piles
Scaling up or down compost pile size
Local regulations and requirements
Preventing odors and flies; and
Protecting local water sources
Benefits of manure composting:
Saves water and money (fewer purchased amendments)
Increases soil health and biodiversity
Prevents flies and odors; and
Protects waterways
Made possible through generous funding by the County of San Diego Public Works.
Find Us In Your Community July 2026
Saturday, July 25th
Pine Valley Days - 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Kendra Scott Give Back x Solana Center
Join us for a Kendra Scott Gives Back event benefiting Solana Center!
Shop in person at Kendra Scott UTC on June 20th at 4309 La Jolla Village Dr, Suite 2330, San Diego, CA 92122
Solana Center will be there from 2-4 pm. Please stop by and say hello!
Can't make it to the in-store event?
Please shop online by visiting https://www.kendrascott.com/ on June 20th and June 21st using coupon code GIVEBACK-LYLCV at check out.
Manure Composting For Backyard Farmers Workshop
Are you a backyard farmer with a flock of chickens or a small herd of goats, horses, llamas, or maybe a cow?
Learn how to properly dispose of your feathered or furry friends’ manure. Join us to learn how composting manure can benefit your garden, our waterways, your budget, and the planet.
In this presentation, you will learn how to protect your local watershed and safely compost herbivore (plant eaters) manure. Close the food chain cycle in your own backyard! By putting the waste of your farm animals to use in your garden, you will take advantage of nutrient-rich amendments that are created on your own property. Composting is easy and inexpensive, and will help your plants thrive while conserving water.
We will cover the following topics:
The basics and benefits of composting
The importance of proper manure management
How to reduce pests, health hazards, and water contamination
How to compost manure safely
How to get started at home
This course is made possible through generous funding by:
Thanks to our host:
Find Us In Your Community This May
5/2 - Water Conservation Garden Bee and Butterfly Festival - 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
5/2 - Campo Days 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
5/16 - East SD County Jr. Fair - Lakeside - 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
2026 Zero Waste Textile Expo
Join us! Sunday, March 22nd, 2026 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Encinitas Community Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive, Encinitas, CA 92024
Cost: FREE
Join Solana Center for a free community event focused on education and the impact of clothing and textile waste. Participants will learn about the urgent need to move towards more sustainable models in fashion, connect with sustainable vendors, shop from local makers, and take part in a clothing swap.
At our clothing swap, all items are free. Participants are welcome to give and not take, and vice versa. For those donating to the swap, you can bring clothing, shoes, and accessories (i.e., purses, hats). Limit is up to 2 grocery-sized bags total per person. Also, please make sure items are clean, wearable, and not stained/torn; those items will be turned away.
Sponsored by Lazy Acres Natural Market, Funded in part by The City of Encinitas, in partnership with San Diego Fix It Clinic.
RSVP to receive reminder emails for the event. RSVP/Tickets are not required and will not be checked. All attendees will be asked to check in upon entry.
FIX IT CLINIC Registration: https://events.humanitix.com/sdfixitclinic_textiles
Slow Fashion: Sustainable Style - (SOLD OUT)
Join us to hear from two local experts in sustainable textiles, Positive Phee and Sew Loka!
The presentation is FREE and will run during our Zero Waste Textile Expo from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Space for this presentation is limited, so be sure to reserve your seat in advance.
All of the seats have been reserved for this presentation, but stay tuned because seats may reopen if people have to cancel.
Vendors
Shop sustainably and learn from the following vendors during the expo:
OutspireX - Offering ultralight and upcycled adventure gear created from retired paragliders.
Muxu Creations - Selling products that are made using only preexisting textiles: Patches made from reclaimed cotton with watercolor designs printed using water-based ink, zipper pouches crafted from swatches, art reproductions on reclaimed cotton, reworked denim jackets, start-to-finish jackets made from quilts, blankets, and other preexisting textiles.
Positive Phee - Stop by the Positive Phee booth! Pick up a Sip & Style 2026 gift card and get a preloved clothing item of your choice as a thank-you for supporting circular fashion.
Material Happiness - Textile and fiber art creative reuse store including a selection of mending supplies, patch bundles, and kits. They will also share educational materials about mending and upcycling.
Goodwill Industries of San Diego County - Offering a DIY craft: make a reusable bag out of donated t-shirts along with education on Goodwill’s process for handling textiles and the importance of repurposing your textiles. They will also have small textile items for sale, as well as information on a couple of ongoing textile studies at their San Ysidro facility.
Be Creative Zone - Guiding the crafting zone with hands-on demonstrations of the process of making rugs from old socks.
Algenesis/BLUEVIEW - Showcasing BLUEVIEW plant-based and biodegradable footwear, with information on where attendees can purchase products.
Best Coast Bags - Selling bags, napkins, potholders, and other textile housewares from old jeans, upcycled shirts, fabric scraps, etc.
CA Originals by Kathryn – Selling locally handmade clothing & accessories made from vintage, recycled, natural fiber textiles.
City of Encinitas - Providing general sustainability information from the City of Encinitas Sustainability Division
Visions Museum of Textile Art (VMOTA) - Visions Museum of Textile Art celebrates and advances contemporary quilting and textile art through exhibitions that explore cultural traditions, contemporary relevance, and innovative creativity.
Gather Sewing Collective - A member-based sewing collective. Their studio is thoughtfully placed in Mission Hills, San Diego, designed to be an inclusive space for collaboration and creativity.
SoCal Fibershed - Fibershed encourages community building and connections between textile artists, designers, fiber farmers, processing mills, suppliers, and retail businesses.
URSIJAE - URSIJAE was founded by Jay Pisarek, a designer committed to sustainability and the belief that upcycling needs to be a key piece of the fashion industry.
More vendors and offerings coming soon!
San Diego Fixit Clinic
Bring clothing or textile items that need mending and work alongside skilled volunteers. Advanced registration is encouraged; walk-ins are welcome, subject to space availability.