Tag: contests

Learn beach safety in Encinitas and win a prize!

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This Saturday, June 20, 2026, you have the opportunity to learn about beach safety in Encinitas…and win a cool prize, too!

Come down to Moonlight Beach in Encinitas and visit the Ocean Safety Awareness Booth out on the sand between 11 am and 2 pm. The booth is hosted by the Encinitas Youth Commission, Encinitas Marine Safety Division and AMR.

In addition to learning CPR and ocean safety facts, you can win fun prizes and enter a drawing for a FREE pair of AirPods!

While you’re there, why not spend an awesome day at one of San Diego North County’s great beaches!

Some photos from past years…

Photo courtesy Chet Kinzelberg.
Photo courtesy Chet Kinzelberg.

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Art contest, exhibit for San Diego seniors!

Are you a senior in San Diego who loves creating art? Do you know a senior who fits that description? Heads up!

Seniors age 60 or better are invited to enter the AgeWell Services Art Contest & Exhibit!

AgeWell is a program of the City of San Diego. Their services can be enjoyed at several community centers, including the Balboa Park Senior Lounge.

The Senior Lounge is where I saw this art contest notice today. (Thank you Mark for pointing it out on the bulletin board!)

Entries will be accepted May 1 to May 11, 2026 at the locations indicated on the notice. You can enlarge my photograph to read it. A public Art Exhibit including the contest entries will be on display at Park de la Cruz from May 18 to June 22.

For more info you can call AgeWell Services at 619-525-8247. Or email cool guy Skyler at SLemire@sandiego.gov!

Keep on creating!

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To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Oceanside hosts U.S. Open Adaptive Surfing Championships!

The 8th Annual U.S. Open Adaptive Surfing Championships officially opens tomorrow in Oceanside. The public can watch and cheer on the participants!

During the next four days, September 4th to 7th, 2025, physically challenged athletes will take to the surf north of the Oceanside Pier and vie for thousands of dollars in prizes in different surfing competition categories. The event is brought to the city of Oceanside by the Stoke for Life Foundation and the U.S. Open ASC Competition Committee.

Last year 96 adaptive athletes from 18 countries from around the world competed, and this year it should be bigger than ever!

You can find more info, plus the U.S. Open Adaptive Surfing Championships daily schedule, by clicking here.

Today during a walk I spotted tents set up on the beach. I missed a special opening parade because I didn’t know about it. Near the pier I noticed workers getting everything ready at the announcer stand.

After walking out on the pier, I observed one of the athletes catching a wave while prone on a surfboard. He was practicing for the competition.

Good luck to everyone!

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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.

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Win a community quilt in Old Town San Diego!

Would you like to win a beautiful handmade quilt? You have that chance if you enter the raffle at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park!

A colorful community quilt was made with the help of volunteers, visitors, and California State Park staff, who sewed together a checkerboard of different patches, including many that are hand illustrated. The quilt will be raffled on the Fourth of July. (A variety of fun outdoor activities will be enjoyed by park visitors on Independence Day, too!)

You can view the quilt inside the park’s Robinson-Rose House Visitor Center, which is where you purchase the raffle tickets. One dollar buys a single ticket; five dollars gets you six tickets.

It appeared to me today that people have a decent chance to win this amazing quilt. The small glass jar containing tickets was perhaps a quarter full.

The cool thing is proceeds from the raffle will help fund the activities of the volunteers at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park!

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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.

Feel free to share!

Free art contest for San Diego seniors!

A free art contest and exhibit for seniors in San Diego will be accepting submissions in a few days!

The City of San Diego’s AgeWell Services Art Contest & Exhibit will welcome artwork in these six categories: Acrylic, Mixed Media, Oil, Pastel, Watercolor and Drawing. Participants in the free contest must be age 60 or better.

You still have plenty of time! One entry per person will be accepted between April 11 and April 28, 2025.

Drop your creation off at the Cathy Hopper Friendship Center, PDLC Community Center, Balboa Park Senior Lounge, Bay Terraces Senior Center, or the San Ysidro Teen Center. For the days and times each location is open, see the above photograph of the contest flyer.

For even more information, you can phone AgeWell Services at 619-525-8247.

Feeling inspired?

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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.

Feel free to share!

Creative Halloween pumpkins at Hard Rock Hotel!

The Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter has an awesome Halloween display inside their lobby!

The hotel’s different departments have each “carved” a pumpkin. Their creative efforts fill a large table, and guests are invited to vote for their favorite. The winning department receives a trophy!

I checked out all the great pumpkins this morning. Some are really scary. Some are pure fun. (I like the pumpkin with a spa facial.)

Here come the photos…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.

Lemon Grove Art and Photo Contest!

Do you live in Lemon Grove? Do you love to create original art or take photographs? The Lemon Grove Art & Photo Contest is now accepting entries at the Lemon Grove Library!

I learned today that the free contest has just opened. So you’re hearing about it early. The public is invited to submit entries to the library by mid-August. The theme of the contest is What does Lemon Grove mean to you?

Entered works of art and photographs will be displayed inside San Diego County’s Lemon Grove Branch Library through August 31, 2024, and winners will receive a valuable gift card! I was told there will likely be multiple winners!

Whether you’re young or old, why not go for it? You can learn more and get your entry forms at the library’s front desk, where friendly staff members will be glad to help you. Do you know families that lives in Lemon Grove? Pass the word!

(By the way, the beautiful graphic on the above flyer is from a mural that was painted recently by the library’s entrance. I’ll be posting photos of this colorful new mural next!)

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.

Surf, rock and smiles at Switchfoot Bro-Am!

The Switchfoot Bro-Am was held today on Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. The popular surfing and live music Beach Fest celebrated its 20th anniversary!

Back in 2005, internationally famous rock band Switchfoot, whose members grew up in San Diego surfing and making music, held their first Bro-Am on the beach. They started Bro-Am to help local, at-risk youth, and lift them up.

Since then, the surf competition and musical offerings have grown. I saw thousands out enjoying the day today, sunbathing on blankets before the main stage, wandering about the sand, playing, watching surfing action, and checking out the booths of various charities that benefit from this wonderful event. I saw folks from Rady Children’s Hospital, Feeding San Diego, the Monarch School and the Challenged Athletes Foundation! (Just a few.)

At heart, Bro-Am is about celebrating kids. They represent our future. And lots of kids were out on the sand, having a blast!

The Rob Machado Bro-Junior surf competition was for younger athletes. A second smaller stage featured youthful performers from the School of Rock.

I didn’t hang around long enough to hear Switchfoot perform–as I left for the Coaster train station to head back home, the great group Jettee was up on the main stage rocking the beach!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.

Artistic Discovery at San Diego History Center!

An exhibition of student art recently debuted at the San Diego History Center. This outstanding artwork caught my eye today during my visit to Balboa Park!

High school students from California’s 50th Congressional District submitted these fine pieces to the An Artistic Discovery nationwide visual art competition. Winners are recognized in their district and in Washington, DC, where winning works are displayed in the Capitol Building.

I enjoyed each and every one of these pieces, and you might, too, should you step into the ever-wonderful San Diego History Center!

Here are several examples…

Self Comparison, Emily Lu, Grade 11.

Niente, Victoria Baltzer, Grade 12.

Lady of Shalott, Joshua Alper, Grade 12.

Life in the Mountains, Jazon Zhang, Grade 11.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.

Crazy ski competition in Balboa Park!

Balboa Park was the peculiar venue for a big ski competition today!

Who needs snow when the House of Finland holds its annual lawn program at the International Cottages and provides skis? Grass works fine!

The afternoon Hiihtokilpailu (which is Finnish for ski competition) saw several teams (four athletes each, sharing two long skis) racing cross-country style (without ski poles). I watched the crazy spectacle.

One team couldn’t get out of the starting gate, two had calamitous, spontaneous collapses, and the fourth had major trouble turning around. One machine-like team named the Engineers would go on to win the big Final. (Fortunately, all contestants were awarded cookies.)

These photos of the silly “skiing” contest might make you chuckle.

I probably would’ve fallen over, too!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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 (formerly known as Twitter)!