With two days to go until December Nights, activity in Balboa Park was in high gear today!
I enjoyed another walk through the park with my camera, catching much of the action. There isn’t much time to finish the immense preparation.
December Nights, one of the largest holiday festivals in the United States, will take place Friday December 5th from 3 to 11 pm, and Saturday December 6th from 11 am to 11 pm.
Make sure to give yourself extra time for traffic and to find parking. Better yet, use public transit or one of the free shuttles. You can find the “Getting to December Nights” webpage by clicking here.
Festive red ribbons are now on the Cabrillo Bridge lamp posts.A sign and wreath bids Welcome to December Nights at Balboa Park’s west entrance.Huge crowds will stream into December Nights by foot, passing the Museum of Us and the archways of the California Quadrangle.Workers getting strings of holiday lights ready in the Plaza de Panama.Cheerful lights will be strung everywhere!Sadly, I suppose San Diego’s Community Christmas Tree encircled by its historical fence will be forgotten again. (I’ve spoken to multiple people about this over the years, but nobody seems to know or care.)The Community Christmas Center’s traditional Nativity scenes are set up already. They must have done that during the last couple days.I saw the enormous Christmas tree on the Spreckels Organ Pavilion stage being assembled!One might say the Organ Pavilion will be at the center of December Nights, with many special holiday performances.Barricades being readied in the Palisades area of Balboa Park, where there will be plenty of December Nights activity, too!Signs are up at the various parking lots.San Diego Parks and Recreation workers were all over the place, cutting grass and making everything perfect.I noticed one of the fences on the west side of the Lily Pond has been removed, now that this section of the new Central Gardens outside the Botanical Building is ready.Getting the annual San Diego Floral Association Festival of Trees ready in Room 101 of the Casa del Prado. There will be a special free preview on Thursday December 4, from 4 to 7 pm!These smiling Balboa Park Garden Stewards were on their way out to beautify the park when I happened by with my camera!Hanging stars at the Museum of Photographic Arts inside the Casa de Balboa!
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Balboa Park is “decking the halls” in preparation for December Nights! Families visiting the park this coming Friday and Saturday will enjoy cheerful holiday sights and sounds and tastes, and yesterday I saw how preparations are underway!
That’s a big wreath in Spanish Village above. Below, ornaments already hang from the trees around the patio…
Spanish Village Art Center will host Holidays in the Village during December Nights. There will be hot cocoa, crafts, Junior Theatre performances, and jolly Santa, too!
There’s a festive wreath on the rear of the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad train…
The stage inside the Casa del Prado courtyard is being resurfaced in preparation for youth performances during December Nights…
Big candy canes have appeared in the House of Hospitality courtyard…
The San Diego History Center has multiple Christmas trees and many poinsettias. Their “Bataan Café” will be serving AleSmith Brewing Company beer during December Nights.
There will be food galore at the International Cottages during December Nights. Many of the cottages are already decked out for the Holiday Season.
Here’s a Christmas tree among piñatas in the House of Mexico cottage…
An angel in the House of Mexico cottage…
Christmas tree in House of Panama cottage…
A small Christmas tree in House of USA cottage…
A tiny winter scene inside the House of Germany cottage…
In the House of Finland cottage, a member was creating Sydänkori heart baskets, perfect for hanging on Christmas trees…
Most Balboa Park museums will be open free to the public in the evening during December Nights.
I found this beautiful Christmas tree inside the San Diego Automotive Museum…
Fill up the Toys For Tots box at the San Diego Automotive Museum!
Jewels of the Season has again filled the Timken Museum of Art with hand made jewel-like ornaments and bright, twinkling splendor!
The Whoville General Store featuring oodles of green Grinch merch is now open at the Old Globe!
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The San Diego Civic Youth Ballet will be performing The Nutcracker on December 10 to 21, 2025. The public was able to experience a free preview of the show this afternoon at the Sunday organ concert in Balboa Park!
The audience was amazed at the poise and grace exhibited by the young ballet dancers as they glided across the hard concrete stage. The dancers earned a huge ovation! If the selected dances in this preview are any indication, The Nutcracker will be sensational!
It was great hearing San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez providing much of the accompanying music. A world-class musician brought Tchaikovsky’s beloved holiday classic to life.
As always, the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet’s holiday performances will take place in the Casa del Prado Theater in Balboa Park. Find out more and purchase tickets by clicking here.
We also learned that 2025 is the 80th Anniversary Season of the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet!
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I captured these sunrise photos early yesterday, while walking through Balboa Park’s Marston Point. I was on my way to watch the start of the Thanksgiving 5K charity “Run For Hope.”
Marston Point lies at the southwest corner of Balboa Park, at the south end of the West Mesa. When there are low broken clouds to the east, the sun rising beyond the trees and distant mountains can be very dramatic.
As you can see, airplanes descending at sunrise toward San Diego International Airport are an additional cool sight!
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The 24th Annual Father Joe’s Villages Thanksgiving Day 5K is being held this morning. It raises funds to help the homeless in San Diego. It’s called the Run For Hope.
Runners (and walkers) converged in Balboa Park for an annual event that draws thousands of participants. I was told there are over 10,000 this year!
The energy was incredible. Families, friends and social groups had come together. Turkey hats and costumes could be seen everywhere in the crowd. I even found Dude Vader wearing feathers, and some smiling Pilgrims!
Before the Thanksgiving 5K began, a huge mass of people streamed over the Cabrillo Bridge from the center of Balboa Park where a festival is being held. They would start the race on the west side of the bridge, then take a course circling the park to the north.
If you couldn’t participate, but you’d like to make a donation to Father Joe’s Villages, click here for their website.
Some fun photos…
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A sculpture was recently installed at the Museum of Us in Balboa Park. You can see the new artwork when crossing the Cabrillo Bridge, about to enter the west archway of the California Quadrangle. Look up toward the second floor’s outdoor balcony!
The sculpture is titled The Economy of the Absurd. It was created by Marcos Ramírez ERRE, an artist from the Tijuana and San Diego region who has created large-scale public works since the 1990s. It’s part of the newly opened Museum of Us exhibition Race: Power, Resistance & Change.
The museum’s About the Exhibit page explains: The exhibition Race: Power, Resistance & Change shares stories of how the construction of race has shaped laws, institutions, and daily life in San Diego and the broader multinational region.
As a plaque on the balcony near The Economy of the Absurd explains: This sculpture is composed of hand tools, assembled into a rising form within a steel frame that resembles the local U.S. Mexico border wall.
A number of other plaques are also located on the balcony, including one featuring the poem Refund by past San Diego Poet Laureate Paola Capó-Garcia. It is all part of the overall exhibition.
When I spied the new sculpture yesterday while walking through Balboa Park, I had to go check it out!
Here I am proceeding out onto the Museum of Us balcony…
(Photographs of views from the balcony before installation of this exhibit can be found by clicking here.)
Visitors are encouraged to contribute to a digital map. The map is of cultural centers and programs across San Diego’s diverse communities. You can participate by clicking here!
Imagine my excitement when I found that one of the plaques, concerning the public mural in Lemon Grove of the “Lemon Grove Incident,” features two photographs that I took for Cool San Diego Sights and a mention of my website!
Finally, here’s the short poem Refund…
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If you’re a NASCAR fan, you probably know that very special races are coming in 2026 to Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado. But did you know an equally special NASCAR exhibit recently opened at the San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park?
The exhibition is titled NASCAR: Design and Innovation. A bunch of incredible vehicles are on display in the museum, just in time for the coming races across San Diego Bay!
I visited the Automotive Museum today and was blown away. Not only can you peer into a variety of different race cars, but you can learn about the evolution of NASCAR racing, including advances in vehicle design and technology.
A large part of the exhibition celebrates old Cajon Speedway, and remembers those who raced stock cars in San Diego’s East County years ago, from the oval track’s opening in 1961 until it closed in 2004.
I personally started paying attention to NASCAR a while back because seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmy Johnson grew up in El Cajon. Perusing the exhibit, I noticed a reference or two to his legendary career.
The coming street races at NAS North Island will celebrate the United States Navy’s 250th anniversary. The event, running from June 19 to 21, 2026, will feature a 3.4-mile, 16-turn circuit with unique features like “Carrier Corner,” where racing occurs between two docked aircraft carriers! The big weekend will include races for the Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and the NASCAR Cup Series.
Should be exciting!
A few photos from my museum visit today…
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Balboa Park’s new Botanical Building Pergola is rapidly rising!
Three weeks ago I noticed the beginnings of construction. This newly created pergola, which will stand near the west end of the Botanical Building, recreates one of twelve pergolas that were originally in Balboa Park during the 1915 Panama-California Exposition.
You can see my previous photographs and learn more about the project by clicking here. Now compare!
Nearby, workers are continuing to install the Central Gardens that will surround the Botanical Building.
I must say the pergola structure appears larger–longer and taller–than I imagined it would be.
When finished, the shady, restful Botanical Building Pergola should be another beautiful and practical landmark in Balboa Park!
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Today the first ever House of Somalia lawn program was held among the International Cottages in Balboa Park. It was a big, fun cultural celebration!
The House of Somalia is a new member of the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages. They are the first nation in the group to represent Africa!
The House of Somalia’s first annual lawn program brought out a good crowd. People happily mingled while enjoying a variety of food, goods, crafts, and very lively entertainment up on the stage.
Representatives from the Somali Museum of Minnesota and their troupe of Traditional Dancers came all the way to San Diego to participate in the celebration. I was interested to learn the Somali Museum of Minnesota is North America’s only Somali-focused museum.
Beginning around 2 pm, after some short speeches, including glowing words by WorldBeat Center founder Makeda Cheatom, the dancers took the stage.
The dancers began by performing the Dhaanto, which mimics the movements of a camel. Many other folk dances would follow, all of which were very expressive. I believe the one with much spinning was the Jaandheer. You had to be there to experience the energy and sense of joy.
It was an outstanding inaugural lawn program for the House of Somalia!
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If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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The gallery is filled with so many different types of silk art, I was truly surprised when I visited today. I saw wall hangings, quilted pieces, wearables, silk collages… All very colorful!
There are over 35 members of the San Diego Silk Guild (a chapter of Silk Painters International), so it isn’t surprising that many forms and styles of silk art are on display. Most pieces can also be purchased.
One of the friendly artists, Natalie Ilarraza, was present this afternoon and provided an explanation of different silk painting techniques. Step inside the gallery and prepare to be wowed!
The free exhibition continues in Gallery 21 through November 30th, 2025. Hours are 11 am to 4 pm.
A few examples:
Cherry Blossom, by Jeanette Amen. Gutta resist and acid dyes on 18 mm habotai silk.Garden Wall, by Karen Malin. Botanical print on silk, quilted, silk covered buttons.Betty Boom, by Karen Anderson. Silk dyes on 8 mm habotai silk.
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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 X.
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