Tag: culture

Native American Heritage Festival in Escondido!

The First Annual Native American Heritage Festival was held this afternoon in Escondido’s Grape Day Park.

The free community event was hosted by the Native Youth Foundation and featured Native American culture, education, crafts, food, music and fun for the entire family.

The festival brought together tribes from around the Southern California region to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day. It was a celebration of Native voices shaping the future.

I came by in the late afternoon as the festival was kicking off. When I departed about an hour later, a good crowd had gathered for this inaugural event.

I enjoyed listening to the Campo Bird Singers, visiting various booths and eating crispy tacos.

What are some of the things I learned?

I learned the people in the next photo represent Volunteer Escondido. They’re neighbors who come together to help build a stronger community and enhance the quality of life for all!

You can visit their website here! Check out their event calendar and perhaps you can participate as a volunteer in their good work!

I was interested to learn from the next group of smiling people that there is a National Native American Hall of Fame!

The organization, with its headquarters in Oklahoma City, honors Native American achievements in contemporary society, from the 1860s to present day!

Visit their website here! There are various ways that you can support them!

Look! More friendly people at the next booth!

They represent the La Jolla Generations Program, a tribal youth program of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians.

They would be demonstrating basketmaking later during the festival!

In the late morning, the Campo Bird Singers were on stage performing traditional, sacred Bird Songs.

Lots of tasty food, including carne asada and Kumeyaay frybread!

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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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Under the Same Sun sculpture in San Ysidro!

UNDER THE SAME SUN – BAJO EL MISMO SOL

These unifying words–in English and Spanish–are suspended in the sky above San Ysidro.

During my last walk up San Ysidro’s Cultural Corridor, I noticed this public art for the first time. According to a plaque, the painted steel sculpture is dated 2023. It’s by artist Janelle Iglesias, who lives in San Diego. It was commissioned for the residents of San Diego by the Commission for Arts and Culture.

Where is the Cultural Corridor you might ask?

San Ysidro’s alley-like Cultural Corridor extends north along Cypress Drive from San Ysidro Boulevard to the trolley tracks near the Beyer Avenue station. Walk up it and you’ll see many colorful murals.

At the north end you’ll pass under these words. They remind us that we all live under the same life-giving sun.

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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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Beautiful ofrenda at San Diego History Center.

The San Diego History Center in Balboa Park, which is open free to everybody, has put up a beautiful ofrenda (altar) for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Their ofrenda appears a bit different from prior years, but it still honors and remembers figures from San Diego’s past. Oh–and San Diego’s famous town dog from the late 19th century, Bum, too!

Making a family ofrenda is a beloved tradition in Mexico. The beautiful altar in the San Diego History Center also contains traditional objects like marigolds, candles, papel picado and photographs of loved ones who’ve passed on.

A nearby table invites visitors to the museum to make their own tissue paper marigold. These hand-made marigolds can be added to the altar with a note containing the name of your loved one and a message.

You may also take your special marigold home.

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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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Día de los Muertos mural in San Ysidro.

This very beautiful Día de los Muertos mural was painted in San Ysidro in 2024. I saw it for the first time last weekend during a long walk.

The mural is filled with traditional Día de los Muertos imagery. It was painted by artists Berenice Badillo (@bbadillos) and Shirish Villaseñor (@shirishtheartist) on the long wooden fence at the north end of San Ysidro’s Cultural Corridor.

Curious? The art-filled Cultural Corridor stretches for a quarter mile along Cypress Drive, from San Ysidro Boulevard to the trolley tracks near the Beyer Avenue station.

Community organization Casa Familiar has been working to make the corridor more than a mere alley. It is a vibrant place that provides residents with physical and spiritual connection.

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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!

House of Lebanon lawn program in Balboa Park!

Today people were dancing, listening to beautiful voices sing, eating, and having a great time in sunny Balboa Park. They were participating in the lawn program of the House of Lebanon!

The House of Lebanon of the International Cottages saw a good crowd come out for their cultural event. At 2:30 the House of Lebanon San Diego Choir performed, and thereafter members of UC San Diego’s Lebanese Club taught anyone who was interested how to dance the joyful, traditional dabke!

I was interested to read the dabke descends from Phoenician dances thousands of years old.

The happiness that comes from joining hands and moving together is evidently timeless!

Chicken Shawarma Wrap, Kafta Kabob Wrap, Chicken Shawarma Fries, Fattoush Salad, Hummus with Pita, Spinach Pies, Knefe in a bun, Lebanese Coffee…

Yum!

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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!

Amazing artists at 2025 Chula Vista ArtFest!

I can’t believe how many great artists came out this afternoon to the 2025 Chula Vista ArtFest! The annual event, which celebrates local artists from South Bay, was held in the outdoor courtyard of Chula Vista City Hall.

A big crowd gathered to meet artists and view some live painting. Most of the creators I saw had a table overflowing with completed works for sale.

The festival also featured representatives from the City of Chula Vista, community organizations, art-related vendors, live music on a stage and plenty of food.

I met many of the artists, and was wowed by their amazing creativity. As you’ll see, one of the artists was winner of a super prestigious Eisner Award!

Consider supporting these artists by clicking links to their websites or social media.

First, let’s meet some smiling people working for the City of Chula Vista. They were providing information that helps residents care for the environment.

On Saturday, October 18, you can join others in your community to Beautify Chula Vista!

Learn more about this great volunteer activity by clicking here.

Now a few fun photos before we meet some artists…

First artist is Tanisha McCullough, aka Nini, a super talented youth who loves to create portraits in oil paint!

Here’s her Instagram page.

The next creator, Tony Washington, won a 2024 Eisner Award at Comic-Con! He’s also a New York Times best selling artist!

His professional accomplishments, which include work in comic books, animated movies and video games, will blow your mind. See them here!

Next artist I met was Ed Roeder. Check out some of his awesome pop culture stuff!

He and his wife, both artists, operate the website Castle by Design.

Next is cool self-taught artist T. Jay Santa Ana. He’s fascinated by Time, Space, and Line… an expressionist and a surrealist experimenting in a framework of abstractions.

Here’s his website.

If you’ve followed my blog for any amount of time, you know artist/muralist Shirish Villaseñor! She’s so prolific, I keep running into her!

Her website is here!

Next artist with a heart is Melissa Salgado, aka Melicha. Her work has been in many exhibitions.

Learn more about her art at her website.

Next artist, David Lo, was working on this Joker artwork. He paints lots of cool stuff, including an Iron Man I really liked!

See his Instagram page here!

Here comes artist Iz Inocencio! I also saw him last weekend at the FilAm CreatorCon at the Chula Vista Library.

He’s an educator–some of his young students swung by and I took a photo for them!

I see on his Instagram that I’ve photographed some of his National City street art. He’s had other art displayed in the Chula Vista Library.

Here’s his website!

Next cool artist (you might see him often in Balboa Park) is Keith Mitchell, aka MARYIEDWITHCHILDREN. I love his super dynamic abstract art.

Here’s his Instagram.

Here’s artist Attiba Royster. He’s an illustrator, designer, and creator of pop culture and horror art!

Learn all about him at his website.

@GRASSHOPPERCV.OFFICIAL was airbrushing shirts and stuff at Chula Vista ArtFest.

Last, but certainly not least, is Chicana artist Isabel Garcia (@artbyisbl) from Southeast San Diego. She was just as nice as the first time I met her, years ago! Still going strong!

Check out her website here!

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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!

Tour of San Diego Civic Theatre renovations!

Special tours were enjoyed by the public today of San Diego’s newly renovated Civic Theatre.

The tours were part of the Civic Theatre’s 60th Anniversary Open House Event, which also featured live music, food and more good stuff outside the building in Civic Center Plaza.

I enjoyed a tour and took photos as our group went along.

The renovation concentrated on the theater’s front of house areas. I was told no substantial changes were made in the auditorium.

The work was accomplished during two 4-week periods, and has filled the gleaming Civic Theatre with new tile, new carpeting, new concession areas, new furniture, even new trashcans! The old very red interior is now brighter with sunny, beachy colors that better reflect San Diego.

Even the vertical “bars” on the building’s exterior have been painted in a way that makes its appearance more distinctive.

You can see photos of the Civic Theatre taken five years ago during an architectural tour here.

The old interior, with its lavish reds, made the place seem like a satiny European palace, or that last room in Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. Yes, this is an improvement!

We’ve entered the remodeled lobby. The island that used to be the ticket booth is now an inviting place where theatre-goers can order food and drink. (Tickets are now purchased at the outdoor box office in Civic Center Plaza.)

Now we’re heading upstairs toward the Mezzanine level. Those white onyx columns were wrapped with beautiful gold-colored metalwork during the renovation.

This handsome concession nook has brand new tiles, inside and out.

That’s the amazing Grand Salon with its enormous chandelier ahead. The display on the left (also in my very first photo) shows how things appeared before the renovation. Yes, it was very red!

Beautiful new tables and chairs match the new carpeting. The place even smells new!

Looking down into the Grand Salon. Grand is the appropriate word!

Now we’ve headed up to the Balcony level.

You can learn more about this absolutely amazing chandelier here.

Fashionable new “sconce” lights are evident, too, as we head down stairs to the Dress Circle level.

And here we are at the Dress Circle level, entering the Grand Salon. Beadwork above that smaller chandelier is new, created by a local artist. All the ottomans are new, too.

Beautiful new ornamental touches above the elevator.

More amazing than ever…

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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!

House of Somalia showcases their culture!

Last Sunday, members of the House of Somalia in Balboa Park greeted visitors inside the Hall of Nations. They were pleased to showcase traditional crafts and artifacts that represent Somalia.

The House of Somalia is the first African house to join the International Cottages in Balboa Park. Like about a half dozen other nations, they don’t yet have a cottage, but perhaps they might at a future time.

The table in the Hall of Nations contained a variety of beautiful drums, cups, sandals, beads and other cultural objects. Both members were super nice when I asked if I could take photographs!

To see the Hall of Nations hosting schedule, click here. Next Sunday it will be the House of Lebanon.

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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!

House of Germany’s festive lawn program!

Enjoy a few festive photographs that I took in Balboa Park today.

The House of Germany was having their lawn program at the International Cottages when I walked through the park, so I paused, grabbed a bratwurst on a roll with sauerkraut, ketchup and mustard, and sat down to listen. (At about two thirty the beer was already sold out!)

I’m not sure who these musicians were, but I saw on the House of Germany’s flyer pertaining to the program that four different groups would provide entertainment.

Before resuming my afternoon walk, I ventured into the House of Germany cottage and viewed interesting educational displays.

The summer lawn program season is approaching its end. Check out the HPR International Cottages website here to see fun events that remain!

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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!

Waka poems as art at Japanese Friendship Garden.

Waka poems are a type of poetry in classical Japanese literature. A waka poem is unique in that it consists of 31 syllables.

An exhibit at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park contains examples of waka from Japan’s Heian period (794 – 1185) written in kana script. Each composition is beautiful, not merely as a poem, but as a visual work of art.

The exhibition is titled Love Letters from the Heian Period — Emotions in 31 Syllables.

A sign in the garden’s Exhibit Hall explains: “Among the aristocracy of the time, romantic relationships often began through the exchange of waka… Since men and women had limited opportunities to meet in person, emotions were conveyed through poetry…”

Learn more about this exhibition at the JFG website here.

I was completely unaware of this type of poetry before visiting the garden today. Spellbound, I stood before the examples on display and read translations of each Japanese poem.

The English translations do not contain 31 syllables, obviously, but they definitely convey feelings indicative of romance. I noticed these wakas often employ metaphors taken from nature.

Here are a few of the translations:

There are many villages where the cuckoo bird sings. It’s a bird that I find attractive, but I don’t feel close to it. I like it, but it’s not mine, so I feel a bit jealous. Poet: The Tales of Ise

I won’t allow you to meet me, even if you imitate the crow of a rooster before dawn. Poet: Sei Shōnagon

I was dying to see you, but after I met you I want to live forever. Poet: Fujiwara no Yoshitaka

Should my heart waver and betray our love, then even the impassable waves of a tsunami would cross over the mountains. In other words, I would never be unfaithful. Poet: Author unknown.

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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!