Ask someone who lives in Carlsbad to name the Village's best-known corners, and two will probably come up. One is the 1927 Carlsbad Theatre at 2822 State Street. The other is the shipping-container plaza at Carlsbad Village Drive and State, with its plank decks, artificial turf and outdoor seating. This fall, both are on hold.
The theatre has new owners but no tenant or permits yet. The plaza has a Planning Commission recommendation and is waiting for a City Council hearing. In the meantime, this year's new places opened nearby, on Roosevelt Street, Grand Avenue, Carlsbad Village Drive and Oak Avenue. To read the Village in fall 2026, start with what's still unsettled on State Street and then look at what grew up around it.
The Theatre Has Owners and a Plan Still Taking Shape
On September 29, The Coast News reported that a group of local investors had bought the Carlsbad Theatre. The ownership group is Carlsbad Theatre LLC, led by Kipp Gstettenbauer. The building opened in February 1927 with a showing of "It," the Clara Bow film that made the phrase "it girl" popular. It hasn't had any programming since 2019 and was for sale for most of that time.
Early plans call for a restaurant and bar with live entertainment. The group says it plans to work with the Carlsbad Community Theatre and with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad's Village Clubhouse on Roosevelt Street. The next steps are getting permits and finding a tenant to build out the space. Final plans are still a work in progress.
"Our goal is to bring real energy back to this corner of the Village — a place where people can grab dinner, have a drink and catch a show, all under one roof — and honor the historicity of the building," Gstettenbauer said.
Residents have been pushing for this for a while. Save the Carlsbad Theatre formed in 2023 to look for ways to preserve the facade and other cultural pieces of the building. That year, organizers Nate Larson and Ken Kebow wrote to the City Council about the theatre's value to the community and the condition it was in. City Manager Geoff Patnoe told the paper that staff had already been exploring preservation options at the Council's direction. No opening date has been announced, and the marquee still says the venue is available.
The Corner at Village Drive and State Is Waiting on Council
Right now the northwest corner of Carlsbad Village Drive and State Street is home to a Choice Juicery and a Crackheads, both operating out of modified shipping containers. The proposal for the site, called Carlsbad Village Square, would replace them with a four-story building. The plan has been in the works for more than a decade. In 2018 the City Council turned down a five-condo version on the same 0.17-acre lot, finding it incompatible with the one- and two-story buildings around it. The revised plan, submitted in March 2025, has seven condominiums over ground-floor retail. One of those units would be deed-restricted for a low-income household.
In early August, the Planning Commission voted 6-1 to recommend approval. Commissioner Kiley Fitzgerald voted no because the plan has no parking for people with disabilities. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that some residents spoke against the project, saying it would hurt the Village's "quaint atmosphere." The site is within half a mile of the Carlsbad Village Coaster Station, so state law would let the developer skip all parking. The applicant plans to include nine resident spaces anyway, eight of them in four garages with hydraulic lifts that stack one car above another.
The vote was a recommendation, and the Council has the final say. The city's agenda indexes for the September 1, 15 and 29 Council meetings include no Village Square hearing. The next general Council meeting on the city's list is October 6, and its agenda hadn't been posted as of this writing. Neither newspaper has reported a last day for Crackheads or Choice Juicery. The Coast News reports that plans for the ground-floor tenant are still unfinished, and that the project team has talked about possibly keeping a restaurant or café on the site. For now, the containers are open.
Where This Year's New Places Actually Opened
With both State Street landmarks in limbo, the year's new businesses opened on the surrounding blocks.
| Business | Address | What it is | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Boarding Home | 300 Carlsbad Village Dr., Suite 103 | Board-game café and game shop | Grand opening announced for May 23 |
| Barons Market | 2800 Roosevelt St. | First Carlsbad store for the grocer | Neighbor soft opening June 25, public opening late June |
| Carlsbad Village Books, with Marla's Coffee | 640 Grand Ave. | Bookstore and coffee in a former pub space | Opened July 2 |
| Café Dawny | 2805 Roosevelt St. | Café with a New Zealand tradition | Featured by the Village Association in March |
| Amor y Magia | 505 Oak Ave., Suite C | Restaurant from the team behind Same Same | Site still says "Opening Soon" |
Barons Market and Café Dawny are across the street from each other on Roosevelt, on the same street as the Boys & Girls Clubs clubhouse the theatre's owners plan to partner with. Amor y Magia is the one to keep watching. In May, San Diego Magazine reported it was aiming for mid-June. As of the end of September, its website still says it is opening soon and reservations aren't open yet.
The Fall Calendar Uses Both Corners Anyway
Even with both corners on hold, the season's events run along State Street and Grand Avenue, past both of them:
- Wednesdays, 2:30 to 7 p.m. The State Street Farmers Market still lists its longer hours, where State Street meets Grand Avenue.
- Thursday, October 8, 5 to 8 p.m. Taste of Carlsbad Village. Tickets went on sale September 4.
- October 16 through November 19. "As You Like It" at the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Theater, part of New Village Arts' 25th-anniversary season.
- Saturday, October 31, from 11 a.m. Halloween in the Village, with trick-or-treating at businesses and activities around the Village.
- November 1, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Carlsbad Fall Village Faire along Grand Avenue and State Street. The Chamber says bike valet won't be offered in 2026, so plan your ride or check the Chamber's page closer to the date.
The Street Work You'll Run Into Before Either Corner Is Decided
The city's own projects have firmer timelines than either corner. That makes them the most predictable changes to everyday routes this fall.
Barrio traffic calming. Underground utility work started in July 2026. The plan includes a traffic circle at Pine Avenue and Harding Street, plus crosswalks, stop signs and pedestrian beacons. Completion is expected in early 2027. Mario Torero is designing public art for the traffic circle. The city expects to present a concept in late 2026 or early 2027, and no installation date has been set.
Beach stairs and sidewalk. The project replaces the beach stairs on Carlsbad Boulevard between Hemlock and Pine avenues and widens the sidewalk between Cherry and Pine. Phase 2 is scheduled for fall 2026 through spring 2027.
Grand and Madison. A new all-way stop is in. The city says it should make the intersection easier to cross on foot and let some red curb be turned into parking.
Village lighting. Energy-efficient pedestrian lights and upgraded tree lights are planned for State, Roosevelt, Madison and Washington streets. Construction could start in late 2026.
EV chargers. Chargers for 10 more vehicles were going into the parking lot near Carlsbad Village Drive and State Street, near the container plaza, with completion expected in September. The city hasn't posted that they're done.
The rail trench. The Carlsbad Village Double-Track Trench is still in preliminary engineering and environmental review. The state has allocated $20.8 million to it across fiscal years 2026–27 through 2028–29, and a draft environmental document is projected for July 2027. No construction completion date has been posted.
Here's where things stand. The traffic circle at Pine and Harding is expected to be finished in early 2027. As of the end of September, the theatre has no announced opening date, and the Village Square vote hasn't been scheduled. The farmers market is still on State Street on Wednesday afternoons, and the containers at Village Drive and State are open for business.
If you own property near the Village and want to know how a new theatre program, a mixed-use building at Village Drive and State, or a finished trench could affect your block, Connie Sundstrom follows these hearings and can walk you through what each decision means for your property. Work With Connie.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
