Weir Beer has partnered with Cali-RAD to host Cali-RAD Fest 2026! High Quality beers, seltzers, and good times at a “Summer in the 90’s” themed brewery. Weir Beer also has non-alcoholic beverages available.

Weir Beer is located at:

1250 Keystone Way
Vista, CA 92081

This event has been a long time coming for Vista locals, Christian, and his son, Micah. Micah has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and his love for California reggae was the catalyst for their idea to have a charity reggae event in support of their fight against Duchenne. At the same time as bringing awareness and support for Duchenne, they also wanted to provide a platform for local reggae artists/musicians to have their music discovered. The end goal? For bands to get exposure and grow, which will help Cali-RAD Fest grow, which will bring awareness to Duchennne, which will lead to a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. After 5 years of dreaming, Micah and Christian’s idea to have a charity event finally became a reality.

On August 27th, 2022, Cali-RAD hosted its first annual Reggae Fest at the Boochyard at Local Roots in Vista, CA. This family-friendly fundraiser event where attendees of all ages were welcomed to enjoy live music from well-known reggae bands and local musicians! Not only was there music, but the event also included San Diego food vendors, retail vendors, art and jewelry vendors, a raffle, and a silent auction.

We aim to make Cali-RAD Fest 2026 even better than the first four festivals and we hope that you can join us on this special day.

ABOUT DUCHENNE

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a devastating muscle disease in children. Historically, most boys who have Duchenne do not survive beyond their late twenties. Most commonly, diagnosis happens between 3-6 years old, ambulation is lost between the ages of 10-12, and breathing and feeding devices are needed in the late teens to early 20’s. The simplest of tasks (like dressing, washing/brushing hair, brushing teeth, etc.) become difficult and in the later stages, heart and breathing muscles begin to fail. Nearly 15,000 boys are living with the disease in the United States alone and over 300,000 worldwide. The disorder knows no cultural, economic, or social boundaries. Muscular dystrophies are a group of genetic disorders characterized by muscle weakness. Duchenne is the most common and severe form, caused by loss of dystrophin, beneath the sarcolemma. The molecular mechanisms of the disease have been extensively investigated since the discovery of the gene in 1986.

Initial signs of cardiac dysfunction caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy are usually detected during adolescence. However, decreased physical activity, even if wheelchair-bound, can allow better tolerance of decreased cardiac function.

The good news is that new gene-based therapies have recently emerged with noted advances in using conventional gene replacement strategies, RNA-based technology, and pharmacological approaches. In particular, antisense-mediated exon skipping has shown encouraging results and holds promise for the treatment of dystrophic muscle.