Classic books celebrated at San Diego County Fair!

Once Upon a Fair is this year’s theme at the San Diego County Fair. What exactly does that mean? The fair in 2026 is celebrating reading books–and popular fiction and the classics take center stage!

The fair’s theme exhibit is filled with the wonders that readers find in books. The Wizard of Oz, Winnie the Pooh, Charlotte’s Web, Treasure Island, Harry Potter, Jules Verne, fairy tales we all know, Peter Rabbit, Superman, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes . . . visitors encounter all the great characters and timeless stories generations have come to love!

There is reading aloud story time for the very young ones. There are opportunities for visitors to contribute their own writing. Everywhere you turn you’ll find tributes to famous authors and illustrators. Renowned authors with a San Diego connection are recognized. Visiting libraries is encouraged. The shelves of your local library are like open vaults where endless treasures await.

It was exciting to observe children running from display to display, breathlessly recognizing the books they had come to know. One large, playful section of the theme exhibit is dedicated to La Jolla’s own Dr. Seuss.

It was awesome!

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Adopt an avocado tree and help a small farm!

Perhaps you saw these guys on television news. When I noticed them at the San Diego County Fair yesterday, I recalled their unique offer. Any member of the public can adopt an avocado tree on a 34-acre organic Hass avocado farm in Bonsall, California!

Years ago, when you drove up Interstate 15 north of Escondido, the steep hillsides would be absolutely covered with avocado trees. Not so much anymore. As the Heal the Earth website explains: San Diego’s avocados are celebrated as the best in the world for their creamy texture and rich flavor—but that heritage is disappearing. Local acreage has dropped by nearly 47% since 2008 as rising water costs and wholesale pressures force family farms to close… Meanwhile, 90% of U.S. avocados now come from imports, crowding out local growers.

These friendly people have developed a solution that helps local avocado farmers. You can adopt a tree at Wild Acres Farm!

You’ll learn all about your unique tree, including a photograph and updates on it growth. Most importantly, you’ll receive shipments of hand-harvested organic avocados from your tree! I was told you can visit your tree on the farm, too, and harvest avocados by hand. By supporting a direct-to-consumer connection between farm and table, you’re keeping San Diego’s organic avocado tradition alive—while enjoying the world’s finest organic avocados, shipped fresh from our groves to your home.

Cool idea!

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Fun Zone at the San Diego County Fair!

The San Diego County Fair is always tons of fun for the entire family. The Fun Zone features so much pure, unadulterated fun, however, that the sanest, most self-controlled visitor might be tempted to go completely berserk!

I headed up to Del Mar today. The free shuttle from the train station dropped us off at the fair’s West Gate, which leads directly into the Fun Zone. My camera got busy right away!

So many cool, colorful sights! I arrived in the late morning shortly after the fair opened, so the crowds hadn’t grown too much yet. What most caught my eye were the flashy graphics splashed on the carnival rides and games.

Walk through the Fun Zone and you’ll encounter superheroes, rock stars, dinosaurs, race cars, pirates, spooky ghosts, circus animals, friendly carnies challenging you to knock over bottles or shoot a basket to win a big prize, not to mention sugary, fatty treats galore!

Is it possible to have too much fun?

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Splatoon Raiders trolley for Comic-Con!

Check it out!

The second trolley wrap for San Diego Comic-Con 2026 promotes the new Nintendo Switch game Splatoon Raiders!

Cool graphics will greet Comic-Con goers this year who happen to take this trolley car.

The Splatoon game launches July 23, 2026, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. Players take on the role of a “mechanic” working with the musical trio Deep Cut to explore the Spirhalite Islands, hunt for treasure, and battle Salmonids from a customizable “hideout ship” hub.

Sounds fun to me!

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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

Bold, colorful mural at Hustle Tattoo.

Tattoo parlors often attract attention with bold, colorful murals. That’s certainly the case with Hustle Tattoo in City Heights, at 4503 University Avenue.

Skulls, flowers, a butterfly and a parrot have been painted on the exterior of the shop by @hannasmurals.

Remember my recent blog post about a football player scoring at a City Heights bus stop? I found that a few steps away down the sidewalk! A lot of “hustle” on this city block!

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Alamo Flags is ready for America 250!

Walking through Seaport Village this morning, I can definitely see the Alamo Flags shop is stocked up and ready for America’s 250th anniversary!

Our nation’s big birthday bash is coming up soon!

Lots of flags, banners and shirts featuring Statues of Liberty, bald eagles, fireworks, patriotic red, white and blue…

Freedom 250 banner on San Diego courthouse.

A banner has been hung outside the Edward J. Schwartz United States Courthouse in downtown San Diego. It celebrates the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.

Freedom 250 is proclaimed among images of four Founding Fathers. You can see the banner up high overlooking Broadway.

Can you believe Independence Day is now less than a month away?

Godzilla trolley wrap for Comic-Con 2026!

The first San Diego trolley wrap for Comic-Con 2026 is now running! It debuted yesterday and I saw it this morning while walking downtown. It features Godzilla!

An article on the sdccblog describes how this wrap promotes Godzilla figures and toys.

There will be a whopping 45 trolley wraps this year, with 15 unique designs. Yes, it appears Comic-Con is going to be epic in 2026, with Marvel in Hall H, a big Star Trek reveal, and more!

Stay tuned as I discover more fun stuff in the days and weeks ahead!

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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

Juneteenth Art Project at San Diego library.

On the Eighth Floor of the Central Library in downtown San Diego, the public can contribute to the Juneteenth Art Project!

A large tabletop covered with paper welcomes creative people. Everyone is encouraged to sketch or draw positive images or messages inspired by Juneteenth, which is coming up later this month.

Here is some of what I observed this afternoon…

Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association building.

This picturesque building stands in downtown San Diego’s historic Chinatown, the Asian Pacific Thematic Historic District. It’s the 1911 Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association building.

According to this webpage : The building site at 428 Third Avenue has an association with the Chinese community going back to the early days of Chinatown. In 1883 the land and structures were removed and a Taoist temple was built. On 1880’s Sanborn maps, this building was constructed and occupied by the Gee Goon Tong (Chee Kung Tong), known for helping to plot Dr. Sun Yet-Sens’s revolution and founding of the Republic of China.

Curious? Follow the above link for much more history.

A historical plaque near the entrance is now barely readable…

The original tenants of the two-story, Oriental theme structure were the Gee Goon Tong, famous for their help in plotting the 1912 revolution, which formed the Republic of China. The Benevolent Society was founded in 1920 as an outgrowth of the Tong, to serve the Chinese community.

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