The La Mesa Holiday in the Village event is being held today. I swung by as it opened at noon. The free community festival goes until 9 pm.
I found singing groups, dancers, carolers, Christmas trees, holiday crafts, lots of food, elf hats, and many smiles!
Enjoy these photos…
Young members of Greene Tree Theatre sing together on stage during La Mesa Holiday in the Village.Greene Tree Theatre youth wow the audience with an energetic dance routine!Christmas trees and decorations can be found throughout La Mesa’s holiday festival.Holiday smiles!Plenty of popcorn!The Salvation Army Kroc Center had a booth.The King’s Carolers perform beloved Christmas carols during the holiday event.Snowmen inside wreaths.Beautiful winter scene at a vendor’s table.Caroling on Mt. Helix will take place next Saturday, December 9, beginning at 4 pm.Is that the Polar Express?Sentimental Journey performs on a second stage.Let’s get this party started!The holiday season is about joy!
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Poinsettias have appeared on street corners in downtown San Diego. Festive lights and banners along sidewalks anticipate another holiday season!
This morning I came upon a Downtown San Diego PartnershipClean and Safe worker planting poinsettias along Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter. He smiled for a photo!
Thank you to those who strive to keep our city clean and safe. Downtown residents like myself are especially grateful.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Enjoy these photographs of a walk through December Nights 2023 in Balboa Park!
I started east across the Cabrillo Bridge this afternoon, shortly after San Diego’s big holiday festival opened. I visited the Grinch tree at the Old Globe, then entered the Plaza de Panama where there is a stage and small ice skating rink. I strolled down El Prado, took a side trip to Spanish Village, then eventually found myself at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, International Cottages and Palisades area. You can see one fun photo near the end where I peeked inside the Comic-Con Museum.
December Nights is very crowded after dark, with families enjoying colorful lights, live entertainment on multiple stages, many Santa photo ops, a huge number of vendors, and lots and LOTS of food! My old camera doesn’t take good photos at night, unfortunately.
December Nights continues tomorrow–Saturday–from 11 am to 11 pm. At 6:30 there will be a free concert by world-famous local rock band Switchfoot at the organ pavilion. That should draw quite a crowd!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Five years ago, during the month of December, San Diego experienced several festive holiday events, including December Nights, a briefly resurgent Christmas on the Prado, and fun activities around the Holiday Bowl.
I took photographs of these events and shared them here on Cool San Diego Sights!
I also took a variety of walks around San Diego. You might recall photos of some surprising artwork, including a 180 ton teddy bear made of boulders! And I captured the beauty of sunrise at the South Bay Salt Works!
Coming up are links to blog posts from December 2018.
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Do you know San Diego has a Community Christmas Tree in Balboa Park?
Few seem to know.
It appears our city’s Community Christmas Tree will be ignored for a second straight year at December Nights. I walked past the tree this evening, and it’s surrounded by vendor tents, all but forgotten.
Some would say this is a scandal.
The tree replaced an earlier Community Christmas Tree that was planted behind the same iron fence in 1981.
The original tree eventually became overgrown and unsuitable for decoration. The beautiful new tree is thriving and certainly large enough for lights and ornaments.
I’ve spoken to various people about this situation (including people who should care), but no one knows anything. Most people, it seems, have very short memories or simply don’t want to be bothered. How sad.
Read more about San Diego’s Community Christmas Tree by clicking here or here.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Have you recently walked through downtown San Diego after dark? Brightly lit Christmas trees are now shining through windows!
Most of the large office buildings have put up a Christmas tree in their lobby for the holiday season.
I took a few photographs this morning before sunrise, while it was still good and dark outside. My short walk provides just a sample of what curious eyes might see…
Symphony Towers1200 Third Avenue501 West BroadwayAmerica Plaza
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
The San Diego Civic Youth Ballet has been an institution in Balboa Park since 1945. Their annual performances of holiday favorite The Nutcracker begin in early December. That’s quickly approaching!
A preview of several Nutcracker dances was offered this afternoon at Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
Most of the weekly Sunday organ concert was devoted to the youthful dancing. And it was quite good!
Light, graceful movement, as if on a cloud, shined up on the stage. The professionalism and poise of the young ballet dancers was remarkable.
Several times during today’s preview a connection problem with an iPhone caused the music to unexpectedly stop, but the dancers danced on, unfazed. When the music suddenly started again, it was as if the glitch had never happened.
These photos show how wonderful The Nutcracker is bound to be. The upcoming performances will be at the Casa del Prado Theater in Balboa Park. Get your tickets by clicking here!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Unfortunately, exhibitions in Gallery 21 typically last two weeks, and tomorrow is the final day of this one. But I figured I’d post a few photos anyway, to bring attention to a group of local professional artists who actively support the San Diego Museum of Art.
I moved in a circle through the gallery, peering at various types and styles of art, wowed by the talent of these great artists.
Friendly artist Ed Whitmore, who was manning the information desk, answered my questions about his own pieces–very unique, strangely organic works. He uses the controlled oxidation of iron, copper, and bronze metal effects paints, a process that quickly creates patina.
Check out one of his pieces…
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
San Diego’s incredibly popular December Nights event is less than a week away.
Holiday decorations are being set up throughout Balboa Park. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are anticipated next Friday and Saturday.
Will San Diego’s new Community Christmas Tree be forgotten again? Regrettably, it was forgotten last year. Read that sad news by clicking here.
The tree, encircled by a fence opposite the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, was planted about four years ago. It replaced an overgrown, spindly, misshapen Community Christmas Tree that could no longer safely support lights and ornaments.
The new tree has grown to be very beautiful. But, as I explained, it was forgotten last holiday season. Will that happen again this year? I hope not.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
A cracked stone stands in Encinitas, enfolded by a rock wall whose ends appear unfinished. Those who walk past might pause and wonder.
The vertical stone seems timeless–like an ancient monolith.
When I first saw this unusual monument near the intersection of Encinitas Boulevard and Vulcan Avenue, I wondered what it might be.
Plaques near the standing stone explained this was a Veterans Memorial, established by the City of Encinitas, dedicated on December 7, 2003. It soon will be National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, when this memorial will be twenty years old.
I took photographs of the Veterans Memorial, then sought more information. I found this blog that transcribes the various plaques, one of which I didn’t observe during my walk. It reads:
These memorial walls are meant to be reminiscent of ancient walls, the shapes referring to “the waving flag.” Both ends of the large memorial wall are left unfinished, representing the unfinished lives of those who have perished in the line of duty. The large monolithic stone water feature within the memorial, trickles water slowly as tears, speaking back to those who mourn.
The ultimate goal in the design of this memorial wall is to offer a sense of quiet sympathy to the visitor, reminding those of us who take so much for granted, just how much others have given in protecting our freedoms.
Here’s an article from 2003 that provides a good explanation of the memorial and its creator, Michael Ames Clark, from nearby Cardiff.
I was interested to learn the artist’s vision was made real by landscape architects Schmidt Design Group. They’ve created dozens of outdoor projects around San Diego over the years. Their redesigned Children’s Park in downtown San Diego opened a couple weeks ago.
During past architectural Open House events, I enjoyed tours of their Waterfront Park and Briercrest Park. To enjoy those tours, click the links!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Cool San Diego Sights! 