San Diego FC is playing its first home game Saturday.

Why it matters: The newest MLS team is expecting to set a Snapdragon Stadium attendance record at the 35,000 seat venue.

Driving the news: SDFC faces St. Louis City SC — a highly-successful expansion team that in 2023 tallied 17 wins (an inaugural season record) and a playoff berth.

• San Diego put the league on notice last week with an exhilarating 2-0 win over reigning MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy to open the 2025 season.

Between the lines: San Diego is primed for this team's arrival, which will have an economic and cultural impact.

• This city had been an expansion target for the MLS since the league started in 1996, MLS commissioner Don Garber said when the club was announced as the league's 30th franchise in 2023. Now that it's here, city leaders proudly proclaimed March 1 as "San Diego FC Day."
• And with a fandom already built by Wave FC and Loyal SC, San Diego could embrace a new identity as "a soccer-mad city driven by everyday people's hope for greatness and connection," per San Diego Magazine.

Here's what you need to know ahead of Saturday's matchup:

The game kicks off at 7:30pm, but the party starts at 3:30pm with tailgating and the SDFC FanFest, featuring music, food and interactive experiences outside the stadium.

• Tickets are still available but demand has pushed prices to $125+, and it could sell out.

If you go: An MTS bus and trolley (Green Line) stop at the stadium. They're offering discounted fares, plus special giveaways and raffles.

• Parking lots open at 2:30pm, and you can buy parking passes online or on-site.

Who to watch: Keep your eye on the team's biggest stars — forward Chucky Lozano (No. 11) and right winger Anders Dreyer (No. 10), who scored both goals in SDFC's first win.

How to watch: If you can't make it to the game, Maverick's Beach Club in Pacific Beach, Mr. Tempo in Gaslamp and Fairplay in North Park are hosting watch parties for every SDFC game.

• The game is streaming on Apple TV.

Pro tips if you go

It's officially Carlsbad Flower Fields season.

Driving the news: The annual floral attraction that draws more than 250,000 visitors each spring opens Saturday, and has a new art exhibit with large glass butterfly sculptures.

• Buy tickets online ($27) in advance to see the millions of vibrant ranunculus blooms at the 55-acre farm through May 11 (Mother's Day).

10 legit low-key kickbacks this weekend

A proposal to increase San Diego's minimum wage for tourism workers is moving forward and setting up a familiar standoff between the city's labor groups and business community.

Why it matters: Tourism is one of the city's largest industries, representing 1 in 8 jobs in the county.

Driving the news: City staff will now write an ordinance to raise the minimum wage for hotel and event center workers and janitors in the tourism sector to $25 per hour, after a City Council committee voted unanimously Thursday in support of the proposal from Council Member Sean Elo-Rivera.

• That vote followed more than an hour of public comment that split sharply along labor-business lines, repeating a dynamic from nearly a decade ago when the city approved a general minimum wage increase.

Friction point: Leaders from the region's business community spoke against the proposal, arguing a 45% increase for one economic sector would hurt San Diego's status as a tourist destination, lead to reduced hours for affected workers, and still hit local consumers.

• They were answered by county labor union representatives, who pushed the committee to decide whether they stood with workers or their bosses.

Zoom in: The San Diego County Lodging Association commissioned a study from Oxford Economics that concluded the increase would reduce regional sales by $333 million, eliminate 4,398 jobs, and reduce federal, state and local tax revenue by $57.8 million.

Yes, but: A presentation by Elo-Rivera's office argued similar efforts in Long Beach and Los Angeles, the region's occupancy rate — among the highest in the country — and bullish industry growth forecasts all indicated the industry couldn't handle the increase.

What's next: Elo-Rivera said he expects a draft of the ordinance to return to the committee in June before potentially moving to full Council approval.

Read what powerful regional leaders had to say

🏗️ Downtown apartment builders say expected 25% tariffs on aluminum and steel entering the country will make San Diego housing even less affordable. (Union-Tribune)

🚙 Activist Shane Harris has launched a petition urging city leaders to maintain free meter parking on Sundays. (X)

🥼 California pitched CARE Court as a way of forcing people with untreated psychotic conditions into treatment. San Diego, among the first counties to launch the program, made it voluntary. (Voice of San Diego)

🎉 Congrats to Sue T. for recognizing Harper's Topiary Garden on Union Street in Middletown.

The intrigue: The front yard work of art features more than 50 plant sculptures designed by a local resident known as "Edna Scissorhands."

• The large shrub figures — including whales, bunnies and elephants — are inspired by the homeowners' travels around the world.

Pro tip: Park on the street and take fun photos, but be respectful and don't walk into the garden.