Tag: color

Colorful fair mural at Del Mar Fairgrounds!

A long tunnel at the Del Mar Fairgrounds allows visitors to walk under the race track, from the Grandstand to the infield. Those attending the San Diego County Fair often use it to walk from the Fun Zone to Family Funville.

Two very different murals cover the tunnel walls, one on either side. The first depicts fair activity through the years. The second, which I’ll cover in my next blog post, depicts horse racing at the fairground. According to various signatures, both long murals were painted by artist Tom Fagan over the course of several years.

The painted side you’ll see in this blog post show activities at the fair during its rich history. There are carnival rides, farm animals, garden shows, entertainment, food and fun!

After beginning in 1880, the fair moved to the Del Mar Fairgrounds in 1936 where it has been known at various times as the San Diego County Fair, the Southern California Exposition, and the Del Mar Fair.

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Students paint boxes outside Central Library!

Students attending e3 Civic High were painting an electrical box on a sidewalk next to San Diego’s downtown Central Library today!

The charter school is actually located within the Central Library. It serves grades 9-12 with a mission to “Engage, Educate, and Empower” students through a partnership with the library.

After looking at the young artists’ progress painting the San Diego skyline, I walked around the corner and found another box that is nearly finished!

A new City Workshops mural in City Heights!

I discovered this cool mural during my most recent walk in City Heights. I took photographs and wondered about it.

A little research shows the mural was painted several months ago at City Workshops, a shared woodshop at 3615 University Avenue.

According to their Instagram page, City Workshops offers dedicated individual bench areas and shared big machines like wood saws, routers, sanders, planers and laser cutters. They are now accepting long-term tenants.

Notice the many artist signatures in one of my photos.

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Sunshine and flowers in Solana Beach!

Here’s a bit of colorful art you might spy while walking down a sidewalk in Solana Beach. You can find it at 129 North Highway 101.

Solana Beach’s coastal sunshine brightens a landscape filled with many different flowers native to California. Flowers include Sea Dahlia, Leafy Daisy, Morning Glory, Fiesta Flower, Prickly Pear, Padre’s Shooting Star, Fiddleneck, Frankenia, Southern Pink, Fuchsia-Flowered Gooseberry, Matilija Poppy, California Rose and California Poppy.

The artist signature indicates this beautifully painted scene was created by Bailey Valdivieso.

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San Diego METRO Modern Quilt exhibit in Mission Valley.

The San Diego METRO Modern Quilt Guild has a great exhibit inside the Mission Valley Library. A colorful array of modern quilts represents the creative work of guild members.

The mission of the San Diego METRO Modern Quilt Guild is to help build and foster community based on the common interest of modern quilting.

What is modern quilting? It is a contemporary approach to quilt-making that favors minimalism, bold colors, and improvisational design over strict symmetry. Heavily inspired by modern art and architecture, it often features expansive negative space, high-contrast palettes, and “modern traditionalism”—the reinterpretation of classic quilt blocks.

The exhibit in Mission Valley features hangable works of art, blankets, handbags and wearable clothing. Check out some photos…

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Fantasy characters roam San Diego County Fair!

Take a look at these very colorful fantasy characters! They were spotted roaming about the San Diego County Fair, thrilling children and adults alike!

The San Diego County Fair’s theme in 2026 is Once Upon a Fair.

The Del Mar Fairgrounds in summer is where San Diegans go for boundless fun. This year the magical place has been infused with fantastic characters from human imagination and the pages of beloved books!

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San Diego Scottish Highland Games in Mission Valley!

The 50th San Diego Scottish Highland Games are being held this year in Mission Valley. After making Vista their home for many years, the annual festival has moved to the expansive SDSU Mission Valley river park, conveniently located next to the Stadium trolley station. The games will continue through Sunday. (Check out the above website for all the info.)

A huge crowd came out Saturday to enjoy the traditional games, not to mention the rousing pipe and drum competition, Highland dancing, sheepdog trials and the friendly gathering of several dozen Scottish clans.

During my visit I enjoyed watching amazing men and women compete out on a wide field. They were tossing heavy cabers, throwing hammers, putting braemar stones, and engaged in all sorts of astounding heavy athletics.

I love bagpipe music. So watching and listening to pipe and drum groups from around Southern California as they practiced and competed was quite enjoyable. The sound of bagpipes throughout the grassy park made me wonder if I’d been transported to Scotland!

Adults enjoyed a beer garden, families checked out vendors and watched the colorful Highland dancing, kids loved petting the fluffy heritage cattle. There was tons of fun for everyone!

I took the next photo from atop the elevated Stadium trolley station. You can see how big this event is!

We gather to remember where we came from, celebrate what has been passed down, and welcome those discovering Scottish culture for the first time.

At the Highland Games, heritage is not just something we study. It is something we hear, taste, wear, dance, throw, share, and carry forward.

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Flag Day colors in Balboa Park.

Today, June 14th, is Flag Day.

I enjoyed a leisurely Sunday afternoon in Balboa Park. Could I find anything related to Flag Day as I wandered about the park?

This year there seemed to be no special activities for the day, but I did observe the red, white and blue in various forms…

I knew there would be colorful red, white and blue inside the House of USA at the International Cottages! There was a friendly greeting, too!

I learned they’ll be having a lawn program for the Fourth of July.

Now resuming my walk into the Palisades area of Balboa Park…

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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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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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