Tag: culture

Altars for Day of the Dead in City Heights.

Many beautiful altars for Day of the Dead were set up today in Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park for the 26th Annual City Heights Día de los Muertos.

The altars (ofrendas) were the centerpiece of the community event, which also included entertainment on a main stage, tasty food, and crafts and play activities for kids. Lots of smiling families were out enjoying the sunny San Diego day!

Neighbors circulated through the park, viewing the altars, reliving precious memories. Departed loved ones looked out from photographs. There was the traditional pan de muerto, papel picado, favorite objects of those who’ve passed, candles and crosses.

Even cool lowriders parked along the nearby sidewalk contained altars!

You can learn more about the ofrenda and its traditions here.

According to cultural descriptions of the celebration, the smell from the Marigolds helps guide the dead to the ofrenda, and the petals are often picked and spread in a pathway to lead the way.

The thought occurred to me that perhaps it’s the other way around. The altars with their many marigolds lead us who are alive to the dead.

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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

Beautiful new Iranian art installed in Balboa Park!

A live art installation that visitors could view during the past few days in Balboa Park has been completed!

The artwork, brought to life by the San Diego Museum of Art and renowned Iranian-born artist Mohammad Barrangi (@mohammad.barrangi), decorates a section of wall outside the museum’s courtyard, near the entrance to Panama 66. As I understand it, this work will remain on display through October.

I took these photos early this evening. You can compare them to photos I took the past two days as the art was being created by clicking here. You’ll also see a smiling photograph of the artist!

During the live installation, Mohammad demonstrated the reverse print transfer process while creating a diptych inspired by Iranian history and visual traditions. You can see a short video of him working on this artwork here.

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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)!

Day of the Dead at House of Mexico cottage!

Day of the Dead displays are beginning to appear in San Diego. I observed an amazing example today at the International Cottages in Balboa Park.

Inside the House of Mexico cottage, a large Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, altar has been created. There are sugar skull decorations, and papel picado, and marigolds, and candles, and framed photos, and pan de muerto, and a variety of beautiful Catrina figures, large and small.

Día de los Muertos is a beloved Mexican holiday that remembers family members and ancestors who’ve passed. Their spirits return to mingle with the living.

In San Diego, it’s an early November tradition that many love.

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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)!

The Enchanted Tail performs magic in Balboa Park!

Young kids excited about an opera, cheering the characters, cheering the actors? It must be magic!

This afternoon the San Diego Children’s Choir joined Opera4Kids at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. Accompanied by San Diego Civic Organist Raul Prieto Ramírez, the children’s Apprentice Choir sang two fun pieces, then added to the lively opera with their voices.

The Enchanted Tail is a wonderful production of Opera4Kids. It’s a sort of mix of traditional fairy tale with that classic O. Henry short story The Gift of the Magi. It’s about a woodsman and princess who, cursed by an evil witch, can’t use their voices to sing. Through human kindness and the unselfish sacrifices of both characters, they resolve a seemingly intractable conflict and regain their voices.

This was the second time I’ve seen The Enchanted Tail and I loved it even more than before! (I suppose I’ve grown overly sentimental.)

Want to introduce your kids to fun, infectious opera? Opera4Kids has another Balboa Park performance coming up on November 5th, 2023. Check that out here.

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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)!

Cool photo memories from October 2018.

Five years ago, during the month of October, so much was going on that Cool San Diego Sights was overflowing with photographs!

Anyone interested in technology, or archaeology, or dance, or sailing, or visual arts, or architecture, or the history of San Diego had many diverse places and events to experience!

Get ready to travel back in time to 2018!

Here come a dozen memories…

Click the following links for many photographs:

Paintings by Kadir Nelson exhibited in San Diego.

Dancers portray the homeless in San Diego.

Photos outside 2018 Maker Faire San Diego!

Unfolding Humanity appears at Maker Faire!

Rowing For the Cure on beautiful Mission Bay.

Photos of Massing of the Colors in San Diego.

Beautiful works of glass art in Balboa Park!

Historical exhibit features archives at City Hall.

Learning about archaeology in San Diego!

Sailing . . . kite boarding . . . racing on the bay!

An amazing Wyland mural cruises into San Diego!

Photos of North Park’s Day of the Dead festival!

A dark, disturbing look at art Beyond Reason.

Frank the Trainman mural Train of Wisdom.

An architectural landmark in University Heights.

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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)!

Photos from amazing Pacific Islander Festival!

During this weekend, San Diego’s big annual Pacific Islander Festival was held at Ski Beach in Mission Bay.

Thousands turned out to celebrate the traditional cultures of the indigenous peoples of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. It’s the largest, most attended Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander festival in the United States!

As you can see from my photos, a huge audience sitting on the grass enjoyed San Diego’s warm sunshine and lots of traditional island dances, costumes and music. There was a fantastic selection of food, vendors everywhere, and, most interesting to me, an assortment of booths boosting tourism with fascinating cultural displays.

All those islands–all their culture–all that vibrant life– There was so much to absorb during my visit!

Did you miss this amazing, free, family-friendly event? I hope these photographs inspire you to go next year…

Does the above watercraft appear familiar? It’s a model of the ocean-going outrigger canoe Sakman.

Perhaps you recall seeing Sakman years ago during its stay in San Diego. See a couple of photos here.

I learned a documentary film is being produced titled Sakman: The Legend of The Flying Canoe. It follows the creation of the Sakman Che’lu, a 50ft. vessel built by a group of retirees in San Diego, CA. Despite being first-time builders and sailors, they courageously recreate this magnificent canoe, 6,000 miles away from their island home. Check out the film’s website here!

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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)!

Setting up the colorful Catrinas of Old Town!

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is already getting ready for Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos. Today I noticed that bigger than life Catrinas in beautiful dresses were being set up on barrels outside Fiesta de Reyes and Barra Barra!

I watched as a Catrina’s calavera (sugar skull) was removed from one figure, then attached to a second. Need to match those colors!

I was told that for Día de los Muertos, there will be a total of 51 Catrinas and skeletons set up at Fiesta de Reyes and Barra Barra!

I was also told that the celebration of Día de los Muertos in Old Town this year will be bigger and better than ever! The State of California’s Arts in Parks program is inviting local artists, culture bearers, chalk artists, piñata artists, traditional craftsmen and musicians to play a role!

I can’t wait to go! It’s a little over a month away. Meanwhile, lots of very fancy Catrinas will be greeting visitors to Old Town!

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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)!

House of Germany gets Balboa Park dancing!

Today’s lawn program at Balboa Park’s International Cottages was high energy!

The House of Germany began their annual cultural program with instrumental music and an adult and children’s choir. The two choirs ended their part of the program by singing Edelweiss together. As you might expect, many in the audience sang along.

The audience grew and grew, and by the time the German American Societies Children’s Dance Group came on stage to dance, many on the lawn were ready to join them!

Oh, and the authentic German bratwurst with sauerkraut (and lots of ketchup and mustard) was delicious!

The German Theater Group San Diego, a sub group of the German American Societies, is based in El Cajon. Check out their website here!

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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)!

The Sound of Music comes to Balboa Park!

Those in San Diego who love The Sound of Music, rejoice! The timeless musical will be playing in Balboa Park next Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater!

I was sitting on a bench at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion reading a book this afternoon when the full cast unexpectedly assembled on the stage for a photograph!

My camera got busy, too!

This uplifting Sound of Music production involves members of the Santa Sophia Catholic Church in Spring Valley. Everyone up on the stage wore a big smile!

If you want to enjoy next weekend’s performance, check out their website by clicking here.

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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)!

Mexican Independence Day celebrated in Little Italy!

This evening, Mexican Independence Day is being celebrated in Little Italy. Cultural performances, including lots of colorful folklorico dancing, can be enjoyed in front of San Diego’s Mexican Consulate. A good crowd had gathered for the event shortly after it began, as you can see in my photographs!

If you read this in time, the Mexican Independence Day celebration will continue on the 1500 block of India Street until 9 pm tonight!

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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)!