NCTD service alert: Free Ride Day. Wednesday, Oct 7. FREE rides on COASTER, SPRINTER, BREEZE, FLEX and NCTD+ Celebrate California’s Clean Air Day by riding FREE all day on COASTER,… NCTD details
Free rides Wednesday, Oct 7. NCTD's Clean Air Day: COASTER, SPRINTER and BREEZE are free all day on the normal weekday schedule, no PRONTO card or fare needed. NCTD+ is free 6am to 8pm with promo code FREERIDE. LIFT, MTS and Amtrak Rail 2 Rail are not included. Text PJ your trip.
Official: NCTD service alert: FREE Ride Day, Wed. Oct. 7; also reported by 10News · The Coast News. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Soda Bar shows, the next 30 days
Tue Oct 6
- 7:00pm YHWH Nailgun
Down: the 3:55pm Coaster to Santa Fe Depot (4:37pm), then MTS 215 from Santa Fe Depot at 4:48pm to El Cajon Bl & 35th St (5:19pm), about a 2-minute walk. Home: board MTS 215 at El Cajon Bl & 35th St by 8:41pm to reach Santa Fe Depot for the last scheduled Coaster north at 9:20pm.
Mon Oct 12
- 7:00pm Soulfly
Down: the 3:55pm Coaster to Santa Fe Depot (4:37pm), then MTS 215 from Santa Fe Depot at 4:48pm to El Cajon Bl & 35th St (5:19pm), about a 2-minute walk. Home: board MTS 215 at El Cajon Bl & 35th St by 8:41pm to reach Santa Fe Depot for the last scheduled Coaster north at 9:20pm.
Fri Oct 16
- 7:30pm Tyler Ballgame
Down: the 4:55pm Coaster to Santa Fe Depot (5:37pm), then MTS 215 from Santa Fe Depot at 5:50pm to El Cajon Bl & 35th St (6:20pm), about a 2-minute walk. Home: board MTS 215 at El Cajon Bl & 35th St by 10:05pm to reach Santa Fe Depot for the last scheduled Coaster north at 10:40pm.
Shows from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek listings; start times as listed, so check the venue for doors. Trains, buses and trolleys are scheduled times (NCTD and MTS schedule data); walks are straight-line estimates from the stop. Check NCTD and MTS for service alerts. No extra post-show service is assumed.
How the trip works
Soda Bar is at 3615 El Cajon Boulevard. For each show, this page checks both downtown Coaster stops, Old Town and Santa Fe Depot, against every MTS bus and trolley that stops near the venue, and picks the latest Coaster from Encinitas that still gets you to the door 45 minutes early, plus the latest ride that makes the last train home. From NCTD: parking is free at most COASTER stations and a COASTER Regional Pass includes a free transfer to MTS.
Sources: Ticketmaster, SeatGeek, NCTD and MTS schedule data, OpenStreetMap.
Show-night help
Dinner picked up before you catch the train, a forgotten ticket brought to the station: PJ does one-stop errands for $35 a stop in Solana Beach, Del Mar and Cardiff (things, not passengers). Text PJ. More by train: downtown shows · Padres at Petco · Snapdragon · Viejas Arena · The Observatory North Park.
Need a human?
This page is built every morning from public data by SideGuy, run by PJ, a local in Solana Beach. If something looks off, or you want a hand with your plans, text PJ at 858-461-8054. A real person answers.
Local help, free to read: make your fix plan · senior benefits checkup · lower your SDG&E bill · Medicare Extra Help · the next 90 days. Plans start as low as $25.
Questions people ask
Can I take the Coaster to Soda Bar?
Yes, with one transfer. For YHWH Nailgun on Tuesday Oct 6 (listed start 7:00pm): the 3:55pm Coaster to Santa Fe Depot (4:37pm), then MTS 215 from Santa Fe Depot at 4:48pm to El Cajon Bl & 35th St (5:19pm), about a 2-minute walk.
How do I get home from Soda Bar by train?
board MTS 215 at El Cajon Bl & 35th St by 8:41pm to reach Santa Fe Depot for the last scheduled Coaster north at 9:20pm.
Where is Soda Bar?
3615 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego.
Know someone who needs this?
Something changed here? Text PJ and we'll update this page.
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