Ready for combat, warriors file through the 16th Annual Viking Festival in Vista, California.
Today I headed up to Vista to enjoy the 16th Annual Viking Festival, which is being held this weekend in and around Norway Hall.
This very popular festival features everything Norse, including costumes, crafts, cultural demonstrations, live music on two stages, and a wide variety of spirited competitions. There’s a Viking Beard Competition, a Viking Horn Blowing contest, a Kids Fish Fling, a Guardians of Midgard Chest Game, and an epic All Weapons Tournament. Although I didn’t stay to watch, I learned that Saturday evening concludes with spectacular flaming axe throwing!
I arrived shortly after the gate opened, then wandered about taking it all in before the festival became extremely crowded.
Here come a bunch of photos!
The Vista Viking Festival continues on Sunday. If you’re in the area, you might want to head on over yourself! If you don’t care for big crowds, come early!
The very popular Vista Viking Festival attracts thousands of visitors every year.I was given a hearty welcome by these noble members of The Norwegian Fish Club, who meet in Vista’s Norway Hall and put on the festival.The Norwegian Fish Club serves as a forum for persons attached to Norway, its history or mythology. Officers and various members dress in Viking attire!Shortly after I entered the Viking Festival, I spotted this rather unusual longship!It appears I’ve entered Vikings territory!In addition to crafts and artwork, some of the vendors sell swords, axes and other weapons used by fierce Norsemen long ago.A basket full of plastic two-horned Viking helmets.Norway Hall in Vista is where locals gather to share unique culture and history from old Scandinavia.Food and entertainment are plentiful at the Annual Viking Festival.I hadn’t realized that Vikings ate hot dogs!The festival’s Northern Territory is where the Viking clans camp. Demonstrations and reenactments can be enjoyed by curious visitors.These folk show what life might have been like in parts of northern Europe during the Viking Age.A lady at work making Viking crafts.This friendly Viking gent welcomed me to his camp. Various groups actually camp in the park-like setting around Norway Hall during the weekend of the festival.Signs explained different aspects of Norse mythology, including Valhalla, a great hall in Asgard, where fallen heroes assemble and are ruled over by Odin.The singing group Damekor performs on the Loke Stage during the Viking Festival.Hair braiding could be observed everywhere. I was told the length of a Viking’s hair was often representative of their social status. Long, elaborate braids would be “sewn together” and tended by servants.Every sort of Viking armor, costume and dress could be found throughout the festival.One vendor was showing these very cool stained glass dragons.Another vendor had magic runes for sale.Another had a big inventory of very colorful mugs.These funny bearded mugs resemble thirsty Viking warriors!A metalsmith was at work in the festival’s Northern Territory.So was a woodcarver. This guy was fashioning a Viking bowl, or skål, based on actual archaeological findings.More armor and weaponry that might have been used by marauding Norsemen.Bread was being baked in two large outdoor earthen ovens.Visitors to the Viking Festival can purchase fresh bread, crumpets, scones and other goodies.This funny fellow was guarding a Staff Only festival entry.I believe this guy was making collectible Viking charms by pouring molten metal into small molds.One vendor had all sorts of fantastic, glittering figurines on display. I see a couple of dragons perched on geodes.Visitors to the 16th Annual Viking Festival in Vista walk through the Southern Territory.A Viking combat demonstration had just ended, and some festival visitors were talking to one of the participants.I enjoyed viewing an ongoing blacksmith demonstration at Odin’s Forge.Kids pose in a Viking longship for a fun photo.At the Weapons Range, visitors to the Viking Festival try their hand at archery, spear and axe throwing.Aiming for the dragon!And there’s a large beer garden, too. Cheers!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Brise Birdsong poses for a photo by a utility box in downtown San Diego. She had just finished putting on a base coat of paint.
I was walking through downtown San Diego this morning when I spied someone painting a utility box at the corner of Seventh Avenue and B Street. It turns out the artist is Brise Birdsong, whose often humorous street art has appeared in a few of my past blog posts! For example here and here!
Brise, also known as @breezy_bird, is a muralist and illustrator, whose work gives life to the children’s book The Lonely Little Bumbershoot.
She also creates pet portraits in her own unique style, and donates 10% of what she makes to animal shelters! For more info, check out her website here!
Very cool!
The same box in the afternoon, when I walked past again. Cool new street art is materializing in downtown San Diego!And here’s the other side of Brise Birdsong’s cool new street art! I can’t wait to see it finished!
UPDATE!
Here it is finished!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
A series of columns at Liberty Station have recently been painted with expressive murals by Mexican-born artist Hugo Crosthwaite, who works in both Mexico and the United States. The murals, which are located next to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens and Liberty Public Market, are titled In Memoriam: Column A and Column B. I took some photographs during a recent walk around Liberty Station.
The murals touch one’s heart. A variety of emotions are depicted in the faces of people who live and move through our border city. There is happiness and pain, sadness and pride. There is fear and hope. These emotions are powerfully familiar, because at one time or another we all experience them.
A series of columns at Liberty Station have been painted by artist Hugo Crosthwaite.Hugo Crosthwaite, Column A and Column B, 2018.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
A new downtown mural reads: SMILE, you’re in San Diego. This happy message was painted by Phoebe Cornog, one of the creative directors of PANDR Design Co.
There’s a brand new, very colorful mural in downtown San Diego! It had me smiling today!
This public art was painted just days ago, on a high parking lot wall next to First Avenue, north of Broadway. It’s the same wall that features another mural concerning humility and nobility that I blogged about two years ago here.
The muralist is Phoebe Cornog, an artist who is also one of the creative directors of PANDR Design Co.
Very cool!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Legions of creepy clowns, ghosts, demons and undead are slowly gathering in a popular city park. I photographed them lurking among shadowy trees and spooky buildings, waiting to terrify nice, innocent, completely unsuspecting people who happened to be walking down the park trail!
As you might have guessed, this morning I took a stroll around the perimeter of The Haunted Trail, which is being built once again in the southwest corner of Balboa Park for Halloween!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Here’s even more colorful street art in City Heights!
I took these photographs before, during and after my recent walking tour of San Diego’s rapidly growing outdoor art gallery. I spotted this artwork along University Avenue, between I-80 and I-15. It’s an extremely diverse neighborhood, where many languages are spoken and many life experiences move together down shared streets.
If you’re unaware that San Diego has a drive-through art gallery, I urge you to check it out here!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
The SEAL Family Foundation, taking care of their families while they protect ours.
If you’re inclined to help military families, who face challenges that we civilians will never know, I’ve learned about an organization that is worth your consideration. The SEAL Family Foundation provides assistance to families of U.S. Navy SEALs.
Navy SEALs see frequent deployments, operating in places that are extremely dangerous. That means Naval Special Warfare (NSW) families can face a range of difficulties.
To learn more, and possibly provide a donation, visit the SEAL Family Foundation website here.
Old Point Loma Lighthouse at Cabrillo National Monument.
I had some more fun altering photographs to make them appear like oil paintings. I selected a number of images from my computer and applied GIMP’s Oilify filter to convert them into splendid works of art!
I also used GIMP’s Cubism filter once. With a couple easy clicks of the mouse, I created some cool impressionistic “paintings” of streets and buildings in downtown San Diego!
Here are my latest productions. Enjoy!
Fishing from the pier at Embarcadero Marina Park South.Sunset over Point Loma across San Diego Bay.View of the Hyatt Regency Marina near the Mission Bay Sportscenter.People wait to cross Mission Boulevard in Mission Beach.The Geisel Library Building at University of California San Diego.Fresh fish for sale at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market.Seagulls fly above San Diego Bay.Walking across the Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge toward Petco Park and the downtown Central Library.The beautiful Casa del Prado in Balboa Park.Lawn bowling in Balboa Park.A flower and window at the International Cottages in Balboa Park.St. Mary’s Chapel and Tower at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla.Junipero Serra Museum on Presidio Hill.Ballet folklórico dancer at Fiesta de Reyes in Old Town San Diego.The historic former Hotel Del Coronado Boathouse.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Someone watching the Swoop Freestyle FAI World Championship on San Diego Bay points to a competitor skimming across the water!
This afternoon I headed down to Embarcadero Marina Park South to watch the 2018 Swoop Freestyle FAI World Championship! What an exciting sport! Even with my little camera, I managed to get these fun photos!
Swoop Freestyle is a relatively new extreme sport. Competitors skydive, parachute toward the ground with increasing speed, then swoop right above the ground–in this case the blue water–while performing a variety of poses and tricks. The daring athletes swoop at speeds up to 90 mph! Successfully landing on the floating (and slippery) platform is one of the keys to a high score.
I was told this is only the second World Championship event–the first was in Copenhagen–and that this thrilling professional sport is still in its infancy. I can definitely see how it could blow up and become something really big!
I lingered for perhaps an hour and watched much of the First Round action. I’m no expert when it comes to Swoop Freestyle so you’ll have to please forgive my obvious lack of knowledge. I did see dramatic crashes, wild, careening maneuvers, Superman swoops, and some amazing, absolutely miraculous landings atop the floating platform!
Technically brilliant swoops and perfect landings raised a loud cheer from the enthusiastic crowd!
Take a look at these photos and you’ll get an idea of what the event was like…
Here comes another competitor. Helicopters took parachutists high above the water, and the crowd shielded their eyes from the sun to see them descending.Vying for the World Championship of Swoop Freestyle, this competitor approaches the floating platform, just off Embarcadero Marina Park South.One of the athletes is cheered by the crowd after making their dramatic swoop!A banner at the event shows the weekend schedule. The amazing Masters of the Sky wowed lots of excited Swoop Freestyle fans.I was told Swoop Freestyle athletes came from 13 separate countries to vie for the World Championship.Testing a parachute in a section of the park where Swoop Freestyle contestants prepared and boarded a helicopter.Lots of fans in attendance had a special interest in skydiving. They came to watch this unique sporting event from far and wide.Some people were enjoying a VIP section.Here comes another canopy. In mere seconds there will be another daring swoop!Members of a Rescue Team were out on the water, but during the time I watched, they weren’t needed.Crash! This competitor let everyone know he was okay right away.Here comes another swooper!Flying with feet skimming the water’s surface, approaching the floating platform. I don’t recall the result of this swoop.Will this swooper make it to the platform? Some contestants, unfortunately, miscalculated and came up short.More great Swoop Freestyle action out on San Diego Bay.Sometimes two swoopers would come in simultaneously. There was a lot of exciting, intense drama!After sitting on a hard rock for a long time, I wandered around to stretch my legs. Here’s the entrance to the VIP section.Several sponsors and vendors had booths around the park, including Skydive San Diego.Here come a couple of paragliders doing a demonstration during a break in the Swoop Freestyle competition.Paragliding slowly toward the platform. I always enjoy watching paragliders soar along the cliffs above the beach at the Torrey Pines Gliderport.The live music guys were taking a break when I walked by, but did a rocker pose for my camera!There was a fun demonstration by two daredevil water jetpack guys.Entertaining the crowd!Flying through the air without a parachute!Now that really looks like Superman! Where’s the cape?Three guys demonstrated zooming through the San Diego sky in wingsuits. They looked to me like flying squirrels. Unfortunately, I got my photo after their chutes deployed.Here they come. Splash.A couple helicopters were flying back and forth across the bay during much of the event. The Swoop Freestyle competition is about to resume.Here comes one swooper. This competitor angled in really close to the crowd.Flying inches from the water.Here comes another. As you can see, it was a typically perfect San Diego day for the event.Swooping on in. I think this contestant was too far from the platform and came up short.Here comes another Swoop Freestyler. Nice form!A perfect landing! This guy received a high score and with his performance became a contender for world champion.Excitement at a great athletic achievement!Some fans were waving a national flag for one of the Swoop Freestyle international athletes.As the crowd watched the action, behind the scenes the athletes were preparing parachutes and getting ready for their competitive jump.A huge tent contained lots of parachutes. I’m not sure if these were drying out, awaiting use, or what.Will this be the next World Champion of Swoop Freestyle?Heading off in a helicopter to take another flying swoop.Here’s a distant action photo into the sun from a spot near the Hilton, behind the San Diego Convention Center.Didn’t quite make it onto the platform! Close but no cigar!But he still gave me a smile and thumbs up!Excitement is nonstop at the 2018 Swoop Freestyle World Championship!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Sign in a window of The Bell Marker on Broadway. 24 Hours In a Day. 24 Beers In a Case. Coincidence?
Walk randomly about San Diego and you’ll inevitably stumble upon a few odd, humorous sights…
If you’re driving an inverted car past Jack in the Box near Hazard Center, this stop sign might make sense.An unexpected Kiwi Crossing street sign in Little Italy.This might be the most dirty, decrepit, ramshackle house in downtown San Diego. One day it’ll likely vanish in a cloud of dust.A miniature garden in Tuna Harbor. One potted plant.A funny sight hanging out in Little Italy. Jay Leno!A very peculiar figure creeps along a downtown sidewalk.Another odd figure on the back of a vehicle.An East Village shop uses The Force to compel would-be shoppers.It’s over three months until Christmas, and I already see a candy cane in one window!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Cool San Diego Sights! 