Talented floreador Miguel Bautista performs rope tricks in Balboa Park during Cinco de Mayo!
Today was the first time I’ve gone to a big, festive Cinco de Mayo celebration in Balboa Park. What fun!
In the early afternoon I wandered down El Prado to absorb the general flavor of the event, but I spent most of my time watching cultural performances in the Plaza de Panama. The day’s highlight in my opinion was the noontime equestrian parade and rope handling entertainment.
I’ve included some fascinating info in my photo captions!
The festive 2018 Cinco de Mayo celebration in Balboa Park was the scene of great pageantry and life today!Many traditional Mexican costumes, crafts and entertaining activities filled the Plaza de Panama.Ballet folklorico dancers with the community group La Fiesta Danzantes de San Diego entertain a crowd in Balboa Park during Cinco de Mayo.Buoyant traditional Mexican music is provided by City Heights Mariachi, an ensemble that welcomes all ages. They are actively seeking trumpet players!Many people in diverse and colorful garb were in the audience.The noon Equestrian Procession is entering the Plaza de Panama! The group is called Escaramuza Charra las Golondrinas.Riders on horseback wear various traditional costumes. The caballero carrying the American flag is in the gala dress of a charro.Circling in the Plaza de Panama so that all can enjoy.The equestrian group’s floreador performs elaborate rope tricks for the crowd.Great agility and showmanship on display.Performing more amazing rope tricks up on the back of his horse!This cool lowrider was out in the plaza. It’s a 1958 Chevy Del Ray Sedan Delivery painted with flames!Several Balboa Park museums and organizations had tables in the plaza where kids could create Cinco de Mayo-themed artwork.Many food trucks were lining El Prado!When not on the main stage, City Heights Mariachi did some more entertaining along El Prado.At one o’clock there was a Traditional Dress Showcase with models wearing regional attire from different Mexican states.The various traditional Mexican dresses were from the Olga de la Vega private collection.I believe this was said to be a dress from the Michoacán region. The shawl is an important aspect of the attire–it is used to send social signals.Dress from the Mexican state of Guerrero, if my notes are correct. Images in the fabric include flowers and jaguars.Abundant color and pageantry filled the Plaza de Panama during the 2018 Cinco de Mayo celebration in Balboa Park!
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Funny sign in a shop window: If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
As I walk semi-randomly about town, I’m always looking for amusing or uniquely interesting scenes.
Here are some fun photos…
We have coffee from Peru! But we also really really wanted to paint a llama on the sign.Budweiser banner shows Will Ferrell in a Padres baseball uniform. You stay classy San Diego!A top hat perched oddly atop a lamppost on the Cabrillo Bridge.Lots of exotic destinations. Grab and Go Subs seems to be the nearest.A street art chicken spray paints graffiti on a restaurant door.Riding a rodeo fish with wine glass raised high.
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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 large Reading Cinemas building on Fifth Avenue is being renovated. Once reopened, the interior will be radically altered.
Early yesterday morning I walked through the Gaslamp Quarter. As usual, I was amazed at all the ongoing renovation of buildings and businesses up and down Fifth Avenue.
It isn’t unusual for restaurants and nightclubs to come and go, but several projects are in progress that will upgrade long-time San Diego destinations.
The two projects that I observed were a radical transformation of the building that used to be home to the now closed 15-screen Reading Cinemas, and an expansion and redesign of the Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop.
The old Reading Cinemas building is being converted into a luxury movie theater and two restaurants. The developer is part owner of the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The Gaslamp’s new 8-screen Theatre Box will host film festivals, San Diego Comic-Con events, and be within steps of a tasty new Sugar Factory restaurant (which includes a candy store with superhero themes) and a Landshark Bar and Grill (part of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville food and hospitality empire).
A somewhat confined Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop down the street is being expanded and made much more roomy and inviting. When completed, it will once again welcome visitors to the Gaslamp Quarter with a tempting array of delectable, mouth-watering treats!
Fifth Avenue south of Broadway is the hub of San Diego’s popular Gaslamp Quarter.Workers beautify a building that will be home to a luxury theater and two new restaurants.One of several Gaslamp destinations undergoing renovation. Many downtown establishments strive to be attractive and upscale.The iconic Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop will also see various changes.Square footage is being increased and counters repositioned. The interior will be less crowded, more inviting.A graphic on a construction fence designed to make people drool! All these Ghirardelli treats and more will be returning to the Gaslamp!
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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!
Having an amateur photoblog is loads of fun. My eyes are constantly moving about, searching for and anticipating interesting images.
Cool San Diego Sights helps me to perceive what I otherwise might not. Unusual reflections, shadows, hues, angles, spatial relations, minute details: an object’s complex, often momentary essence.
Before sunset today I walked along the Embarcadero, just north of the Broadway Pier. Glass buildings along the waterfront were shining. A jumble of bright reflections produced all sorts of fascinating contrasts.
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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!
Biking north along the east side of Mission Bay, heading toward De Anza Cove.
On Saturday I walked slowly along the east side of Mission Bay on my way to the Shaka Fest. Many were out enjoying the sunshine.
This is living in San Diego.
Resting in the shade of a tree.Shooting hoops outdoors with friends.Chasing a Frisbee.Walking near the De Anza Cove boat launching ramp.Some boaters come in from a pleasant Saturday out on the water.A sailboat in a corner of gentle blue Mission Bay, the largest man-made aquatic park in the United States.Enjoying the grass.The magic of Mission Bay.Heading down a path with the dog.Plaque on a park bench. In memory of Bettelu who love the walk (thru life).Enjoying another day of San Diego sunshine.
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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!
People gather around chalk art created on boards for the 2018 Mission Federal ArtWalk in Little Italy.
Here come more cool photos that I promised you!
Half a dozen colorful works of chalk art were displayed at the 2018 Mission Federal ArtWalk in Little Italy. Piazza della Famiglia isn’t the ideal place to create chalk art, so the pieces were rendered on boards.
Every work of art was great! See for yourself!
Gold and Yellow Roses, chalk art by Cecelia Linayao.A colorful chalk art Salvador Dalí, by artist Chris Brake.A chalk art lion representing the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, created by Lorna Prijoles.Young child kisses a happy wrinkled woman. Heartwarming chalk art by Brenda Mora and Jessie Reyes.A striking chalk art face by Meg Canilang.Another superb chalk art piece by young local phenom Lidia Vasquez.Half a dozen beautiful works of chalk art could be seen in Piazza della Famiglia at the 2018 Mission Federal ArtWalk!
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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!
Hundreds of artists had their work out on the streets of Little Italy at the 2018 Mission Federal ArtWalk.
Early this afternoon I walked down from Cortez Hill to enjoy the 2018 Mission Federal ArtWalk in Little Italy. What fun!
Hundreds of artists had their colorful work out on display along several Little Italy streets. I enjoyed meandering about and letting my eyes feast on life wherever they happened to turn. I was happy to unexpectedly meet some people that I know. I also grabbed a tasty bratwurst with lots of onions and mustard!
Another perfect day in San Diego! Smiles, warm sunshine, an easy stretch of the legs, plus the treat of fantastic, inspiring art!
A crowd of art aficionados converge on San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood.The big annual Mission Federal ArtWalk is a time to relax, enjoy life, and feel some creative inspiration.Enjoying art, food and friendship.
Little Italy’s new Piazza della Famiglia featured a stage plus cool chalk art, which I’ll blog about shortly!Some of the artists were kicking back and talking to potential buyers. Others were concentrating at a canvas creating new work.Little Italy, in downtown San Diego, is a lively place where culture thrives.This guy broke a string as I walked up. He smiled for the camera anyway!People were invited to work on this interactive mural sponsored by Artist and Craftsman Supply.They also had a table nearby for anybody who’d like to create their own art!
More musical entertainment in Piazza Basilone.
Joy and creativity abound at the Mission Federal ArtWalk in Little Italy!
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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!
Canoes head out into Mission Bay during the 5th Annual San Diego Shaka Fest, a celebration of Hawaiian culture, arts, and athletics.
Yesterday I walked along the east side of Mission Bay. For a few minutes I lingered at De Anza Cove to take in the rich color and Hawaiian vibe at San Diego Shaka Fest.
Many youth were racing outrigger canoes out on the water, and entertainment on the grass included dance and music.
Here are some photos. Read the captions to learn more!
The San Diego Shaka Fest at De Anza Cove is hosted by the Nā Koa Kai Canoe Club. There was a outrigger canoe regatta, stand up paddle race and Polynesian entertainment!Many youth would participate out on the water.Some stand up paddle boards are ready on the sand.A team walks their outrigger canoe out into beautiful Mission Bay.The SUP Race Course in Mission Bay heads down to Fiesta Island.Hundreds of visitors to the event enjoyed entertainment and an assortment of vendors.Lots of crafts and colorful clothing could be found at Shaka Fest.Hawaiian music and dance in sunny San Diego!Whether family by blood or friends by choice, we are ohana.
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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!
As evening approaches, people slowly gather by the Balboa Park lily pond to watch for bats. The event was organized by the San Diego Natural History Museum.
This evening I joined a small group of people by the Lily Pond in Balboa Park searching for bats!
The San Diego Natural History Museum held the dusk event as part of the 2018 City Nature Challenge. The worldwide challenge–which is being held in almost 70 cities– encourages ordinary citizens to use their smartphones to record as many local flora and fauna as they can over a 4-day period. Images are submitted via the iNaturalist APP for identification! (If you want to see San Diego County’s totals thus far, here’s the link.)
Anyway, I arrived at the Lily Pond before sunset and was greeted by a couple of friendly experts representing the San Diego Natural History Museum. I was shown some cool equipment, videos and specimens, then stood by as a super sensitive microphone was turned on in order to detect the high frequency ultrasonic chirp-like noises produced by echolocating bats!
While we waited and the sky darkened, I learned a few fascinating facts. I learned that the bats most common in Balboa Park are the Mexican free-tailed bat, the hoary bat, and the western red bat. I learned some bats are solitary, and feed where insects aren’t abundant enough to support large colonies of bats. I learned bats drink by rapidly skimming above a body of water– which has been observed at the park’s lily pond. I learned some bats can fly as fast as a hundred miles per hour and as high as 10,000 feet! I also learned bats often feed around lights where flying insects gather, often live in the dead fronds of palm trees, and absolutely love hanging out under bridges.
Did we see or detect any bats? None were seen in the darkness, but the microphone did record the acoustic signature of a nearby Mexican free-tail!
When bats fly about and use echolocation, a sensitive microphone detects the high frequency sound and software produces a sonogram. Different bat species can be recognized by their unique acoustic signatures.Demonstrating a powerful directional microphone, which is mounted on a long pole.A friendly volunteer who travels around the county observing and recording bats points to several preserved specimens. The one indicated is a Mexican free-tailed.Several people have gathered to learn about bats shortly before dusk. A curious duck listens in.Bats often live in the dead clustered fronds of palm trees. I see a passing gull and a nearly full moon above the Casa del Prado.Darkening palm trees above the Timken Museum of Art in Balboa Park. Perhaps some bats are hanging out in these.Pointing at the cool bat-detecting instrument. As darkness fell, we recorded one Mexican free-tailed bat, but apparently it was too cold this evening for much bat activity.
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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!
Cool San Diego Sights! 