A series of special concerts is coming up in downtown San Diego. Music lovers need to take notice!
Intersections: Soundscapes of Identity and Connection will offer audiences unique and memorable experiences. Concerts feature Daneen Wilburn, one of San Diego’s most compelling vocalists; Allan Phillips, an Emmy Award-winning composer, producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist; and Peter Sprague, an acclaimed guitarist and composer. The concerts will be enjoyed in the state-of-the-art Guggenheim Theatre at UC San Diego Park & Market.
Andrew Waltz, Director of Arts Management at UC San Diego Park & Market, has provided the following:
I’m really excited to share the 2026 season of Intersections: Soundscapes of Identity and Connection at UC San Diego Park & Market.
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about putting this season together is seeing a kind of arc emerge across the three performances: expression, exchange, and transformation.
We start with Daneen Whitley Wilburn, whose incredible voice and storytelling are deeply rooted in gospel, soul, jazz, and her own lived experience. There’s something powerful about music that starts from such a personal place and then connects with an entire room.
Then Allan Phillips takes us much further afield, bringing together Afro-Indigenous traditions, African and Latin influences, Brazilian rhythms, jazz, reggae, funk, and more. His work is a great example of how music travels, crosses borders, and grows through cultural exchange.
And we close with Peter Sprague & Friends, taking on the music of Paul Simon and hearing those familiar songs in a completely different way. I love ending the season there—reminding us that music we think we know can still surprise us when a great artist brings a new perspective to it.
I’ve also really appreciated building this season with Daneen, Allan, Peter, Kamau Kenyatta, and Yale Strom. There’s a real alignment among this group—not just creatively, but in the way they approach collaboration. Everyone has brought ideas, curiosity, generosity, and genuine excitement about what the series could become. That energy has made shaping these three very different concerts a lot of fun.
For me, that’s one of the best parts of this work: collaborating with people who are exceptionally good at what they do, but who are also open, engaged, and willing to build something together.
Three performances. Three very different musical journeys. From expression, to exchange, to transformation.
I can’t wait to share it with an audience.
You can learn more and purchase tickets by clicking the following links:
San Diego band 8 Track Highway filled Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion with classic 70s and 80s rock ‘n roll music this evening, and the concert was free! Do you know about the concert series Twilight in the Park?
During the summer, Tuesday through Thursday, a wide variety of musical performers entertain all comers for free up on the stage of the historic Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Concerts last one hour, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
It’s the 45th anniversary of Twilight in the Park. Can you believe it? They’re providing 28 concerts this year–right through the end of August.
Offerings include everything from Jazz to Blues to Zydeco to Classic Country to Musicals to Oldies to Funk, to songs by the Beatles, the Pretenders, Santana and much more! You can see the upcoming schedule (and perhaps help them out with a donation) by clicking here.
This year Twilight in the Park is partnering with Save Starlight, the organization working to revitalize the Starlight Bowl amphitheater in Balboa Park. Their mission is to repurpose San Diego’s abandoned historic Starlight Bowl, restoring and modernizing the facility under community collaboration into an inclusive and innovative interaction of arts, culture, and education for all.
With the help of the San Diego community, Save Starlight has been making progress toward their goal.
I’ve supported the organization over the years. I have great memories of the Starlight Bowl from my youth.
One way you can help revive the Starlight Bowl is by becoming a Legacy Donor. Among other perks, you’ll get a personalized star on the Walk of Fame and a commemorative plaque on the Donor Wall! And you’ll help bring one of San Diego’s most iconic outdoor venues back to life!
To learn more about Save Starlight and many different opportunities, visit their website here!
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San Diego Taiko performed today at the WorldBeat Cultural Center’s 34th Annual Global Earth Day Festival. I happened to arrive when they were drumming. Perfect timing!
I happen to love Japanese taiko drumming. If the powerful, deep beats, and the stirring complex rhythms don’t accelerate your heartbeat, I’m not sure what will! Taiko gives me a feeling of uplift and joy. The smiling performers were obviously loving it, too!
Many in the audience stood up and joined a dance!
The WorldBeat Cultural Center vibrated with percussive energy!
I see the group has taiko workshops and welcome people who’d like to learn the art.
On their website, there’s also a section about the Folk Club of San Diego. Members study traditional Japanese folk songs that feature song, dance, taiko, and other traditional Japanese instruments.
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A KPBS film crew was in Balboa Park this afternoon. Why? Up on the stage of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, three San Diego musicians were performing for a series now in development by KPBS!
The local musicians were Divina Jasso, James Spaite and Shua. I listened to the first two. They had amazing voices. These photographs show Divina Jasso.
I was told that the music series, whose official name is not yet determined, will be available on the podcast The Finest. Here’s the link to The Finest. Videos of these performances will also be available on YouTube and elsewhere in the future.
Right now, the nascent music series is operating a bit like a pop-up. Today’s performance was unannounced. The audience in Balboa Park simply walked up–like me!
Very cool!
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Who was that in Balboa Park today, rehearsing their upcoming December Nights rock concert? It was Organ-ism, the Organ Pavilion Rock Band!
People wandering through the park settled onto the pavilion’s benches to enjoy the awesome practice session. How does the Spreckels Organ sound when accompanied by drums and electric guitar? It rocks!
Funny how the huge Christmas tree on the stage was simultaneously being tested, opening and shutting for no apparent reason. The tree will be more central to other traditional December Nights performances.
The free rock concert will be held on Friday, December 5th at 4:00 p.m. in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. The music? Classic rock favorites!
If you enjoy holiday music, you’ll want to take a seat in the pavilion on Saturday, December 6th at 2:40 pm. That’s when San Diego Civic Organist, Raul Prieto Ramírez, will perform holiday and all-time favorites.
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It’s November 9th. It’s still considered early November, right? In any event, I enjoyed a fun and very unique walk through Balboa Park today.
I found evidence Veterans Day is almost here–now just two days.
Before we know it, Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season will be here, too!
Enjoy some photos of interesting sights…
First up, the San Diego Potters’ Guild was having their Semiannual Patio Show in Spanish Village Art Center this weekend. While people watched, one guild artist was demonstrating the use of a potter’s wheel.
Next, some photos of the badly deteriorated Convair Sea Dart mounted in front of the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
Time is running out to see this very rare, experimental supersonic seaplane. It’s going to be replaced in front of the museum by an F-14A Tomcat fighter jet, as soon as the latter is restored at the museum’s annex near Gillespie Field.
The replacement won’t be just any ordinary F-14A, either. It will be the very plane used in the filming of Top Gun: Maverick!
Next, the free two o’clock Sunday concert at the Spreckel’s Organ Pavilion was a Veterans Day Celebration.
San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez played Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, various rousing John Philip Sousa marches, the United States Armed Forces Medley, and, yes, some good old Bach.
Toward the end of my walk, I stumbled upon something rather unique! A row of chess boards was set up in the Plaza de Panama, and a Chess Grandmaster, Two-Time National Champion was competing against multiple random people at one time!
I learned the Chess Grandmaster is also candidate Patrick Wolff, who is running for California Insurance Commissioner. His people were filming the proceedings for their campaign’s social media.
This is something you don’t see every day!
Chet, who plays guitar in Balboa Park, was causing the Grandmaster to pause and think a long while!
Lastly, I saw the Old Globe’s Dr. Seuss Christmas tree was getting ready for its annual lighting this evening. I didn’t have a reservation for the free event, however. Maybe next year…
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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.
Two terrifying guillotines have been placed in a downtown San Diego park! I spotted them this morning at Lane Field Park as I walked along the Embarcadero!
Are heads about to roll?
Turns out these props, and others, are part of a scary event that will take place tomorrow, Halloween day. It’s called the Graveyard Festival!
There will be six stages with lots of music, DJs, dancers and costumes galore. I’m not sure how they’ll fit all that in a relatively small park. Should be interesting. I suppose I’ll have to walk by to check it out!
Very scary monsters were welcomed to Balboa Park today. The terrifying creatures were kindly helped onto the stage of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
Vampire, spiders, skeleton, spooky ghost–all will be entertaining a big crowd this evening.
The fearless humans who take the stage with these monsters will provide a Phantom of the Opera concert at 6:30 pm! (If you read this in time–today is Saturday, October 25th–perhaps you’ll have time to make the concert.)
Just some fun photos that I took during my afternoon walk through Balboa Park.
Enjoy!
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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.
A great free concert will be held in San Diego this coming Saturday, October 25, 2025. Just in time for Halloween, The Phantom of the Opera in Concert will be performed in Balboa Park at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion!
The 75 minute concert will begin 6:30 pm, but you might want to arrive early for the best seats. The concert will feature soprano Laynee Dell and tenor Cole Tornberg and include popular music from Phantom of the Opera and spectacular organ solos with spooky projections on the front of the Pavilion!
Audience members are encouraged to come in costume! You’ll be able to get your photos taken with the artists on stage!
This very special concert is presented by the Spreckels Organ Society.
How awesome!
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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.
