There have been no formal decrees, no mayoral proclamations, but for all intents and purposes this week should be hailed as Switchfoot Week in coastal North County.

The five-piece band, whose members still live locally but hit the road in early June to kick off their summer touring season, is returning home for an extended weekend in coastal North County. The band members' four days off the road of course will include a lot of music, but they'll also catch a wave or two while in town -- all of which will be for a good cause.

The band will host the fifth annual Switchfoot Bro-Am surf and music extravaganza this weekend, which opens June 25 with a sold-out VIP reception and silent auction in La Jolla and concludes June 27 with a surf competition and free concert at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas followed by an evening after-party at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.

The events will benefit the San Diego and Oceanside chapters of StandUp for Kids, a national nonprofit outreach organization started in San Diego that is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk, homeless, and street kids.

"Yes, it's going to be Switchfoot Week in San Diego," drummer Chad Butler said with a laugh.

Butler grew up locally with band singer-songwriter-guitarist Jon Foreman and his brother and bassist, Tim Foreman.

"It's going to be busy with the auction, the concert and the Bro-Am, but it's worth the effort. We live in such an affluent city yet there are a lot of kids who fall through the cracks," Butler said. "We want to raise money and awareness for these kids who haven't necessarily received the love and attention they deserve."

A number of well-known local acts have committed to playing during the Bro-Am, including Tristan Prettyman, Timmy Curran, and the New Archaic. A number of pro surfers, including Rob Machado, also will be there.

"It started as a small event five years ago," said Butler during a phone interview while on the road with the band in Ohio. "Now the whole community comes out. One of the best things is we get to teach some of the StandUp kids to surf and play music. We're trying to give back to the kids who haven't grown up with the same support like we did."

Once the sun sets over Moonlight Beach, the party moves to Solana Beach.

"That night at the Belly Up, everybody and anybody who plays music will be there," Butler said.

The Belly Up event features performances by the Fiction Family, Jon Foreman's side project with Nickel Creek's Sean Watkins, as well as Alex Woodward, Molly Jenson and Stripes & Lines.

"Even the pro surfers who will be at the beach during the day will jump up and play at night," Butler said.

And, packed between the auction and the Bro-Am is a concert June 26 where Switchfoot will be joined by 15,000 or so family, friends and longtime fans in Del Mar. Butler said the band recently wrapped up production on a new album tentatively titled "Hello Hurricane" and it's incorporated several new songs into a set that includes favorites spanning the band's 12-year career.

The album, which features 12 songs and has been 18 months in the making, was recorded at the band's new studio in Encinitas. Butler said it's the longest stretch they've ever taken to make a record.

"It's incredible to work in our own studio instead of having to go to L.A.," he said. "Being close to home, we can meet at the beach in the morning, then head over to the studio to work. I think this is the strongest group of songs. It's new sonic territory for us."

Translated, Butler said that means it sounds like a Switchfoot album, but it's a hybrid of styles.

"We play songs we believe in, and these are songs that mean something to us," he said, adding there's another key element to a song making the album cut. "They also have to translate well onstage. We've performed some of the new material live and it's gone over well."

About six months ago the band members decided to enlist an unlikely candidate to help produce the new album. Mike Elizondo, who has produced Eminem, Maroon 5, Natasha Bedingfield, is the album's executive producer and reworked several songs.

"He's from Dr. Dre's camp, and even though he has worked on all these big projects, he's a really humble guy," Butler said, adding that Elizondo is an amazing bassist. "As a rock band, we'd deconstruct a song then bring in a new element rhythmically. It brought a new edge to the songs."

One song, "Needle in a Haystack," originally had a '70s Led Zeppelin feel to it, Butler said. Elizondo added drum programming and updated it for a completely different sound.

"If you listen to the first version and this version, now it's so different," said Butler, noting that Switchfoot was introduced to Elizondo by Nickel Creek's Sean and Sara Watkins. "It was really fun to work with him. I grew up playing to hip-hop records. I tried to emulate what they were doing. As a white kid growing up in suburban San Diego, I was trying to figure out these hip-hop beats and samples. And now I'm playing electric and acoustic drums."

So is there an autographed pair of Chad Butler drumsticks up for silent auction tonight?

"I'd have to give them away," he laughed. "It's so great to be at home though. We'll be cranking up the summer touring season right after that. But at least I'll be able to be in my own bed and wake up and go surfing for one more weekend."

Switchfoot concert

When: 7:30 p.m. June 26

Where: Grandstand Stage, San Diego County Fair, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar

Tickets: Free with paid admission to the fair, $7-13; $22-$33, reserved seating; $99, dinner package; $10, parking

Info: 858-755-1161 or sdfair.com

Web: switchfoot.com

Switchfoot Bro-Am

When: June 27: 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., surf contest; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., music

Where: Moonlight Beach, 400 B St., Encinitas

Admission: Free

Info: switchfoot.com/bro-am

Switchfoot Bro-Am After Party

When: 9 p.m. June 27

Where: Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach

Admission: $15

Info: 858-481-8140 or bellyup.com