Tag: culture

French Market returns to San Diego bayfront!

The French Market returned to San Diego’s bayfront this afternoon. The fun cultural event, organized by the French-American Chamber of Commerce of SoCal, was held outdoors at Lane Field Park. Its purpose was to celebrate French culture, flavors and innovation right here in San Diego, and to promote vibrant Franco-American business ties and cultural exchange.

I swung by to check it out!

Several vendors and organizations had canopies on the grass, and there was live music provided by Chloe Perrier & the French Heart Jazz Band, too!

Without further ado…

Versailles Café & Pastries had tasty crepes topped with strawberries and chocolate!
The Alliance Française de San Diego offers French classes in La Jolla and Vista, and organizes social gatherings. Their French Literature & Arts Festival is coming October 2-4, 2025 in San Diego. More here.
The San Diego French American School, in La Jolla, offers bilingual education from preschool through 8th grade.
The mobile and online Clotilde French Bookstore had many books at their table!
Author Claude Koehl’s book, The American Way of Life: The Foreigner’s Perspective, helps people understand cultural differences, using humor.
Some smiling authors!
Six Years of Absence is a novel based on French Sergeant Alexandre Rolland’s harrowing experiences during World War II. Written by Alain Rolland, his son.
A good time in sunny San Diego.

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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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Exhibit will find San Diego’s Lost Neighborhoods.

A new exhibition is coming to the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park. It’s called San Diego’s Lost Neighborhoods.

The exhibit is now being installed in the museum, and will have its Opening Reception on September 25, 2025. The new exhibit is being produced in collaboration with the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art.

San Diego’s Lost Neighborhoods will concern communities in the city that have been substantially changed due to freeway construction, development and other causes. Over the years, these changes have forced some long-time residents and businesses to move.

Yesterday I peeked into the San Diego History Center gallery that will contain the displays.

Time sweeps us all along, and people who have the means like to reshape their world. Change happens for better, or for worse. That’s history.

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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!

Song and butterflies in the Zoro Garden.

Did you miss the Zoro Garden Theater Festival today? No worries! The festival continues tomorrow, Sunday, August 17, from 2 pm to 5 pm. The free cultural event, produced by the City of San Diego, takes place at the Zoro Garden in Balboa Park.

The program today began with three powerful singers. They each sang about the journey of life.

Of struggle. Uncertainty. Freedom. Happiness.

I and others in the audience sat in the sunken stone grotto–what today is called the Zoro Butterfly Garden–and listened while butterflies flitted above and around us.

The butterflies seemed to move with the singing. I saw as many as six Monarchs at one time, dancing before us in the pleasant breeze, in the San Diego sunshine.

Later on there would be poetry readings and a play. I was told some of these same performers will return on Sunday.

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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!

Guam Artist Collective displays their creativity!

The Guam Artist Collective exhibited some of their work today in San Diego. The public could meet four of the collective’s artists in Balboa Park’s Hall of Nations during the House of Chamorros Hafa Adai Festival!

The Guam Artist Collective seeks to recruit more members in San Diego and beyond. The Guam Artist Collective showcases the vibrant talents of 10 passionate Guam-based artists, celebrating the island’s unique artistic culture.

If you’re curious to learn more about the Guam Artist Collective, here’s their Instagram page.

I also found two pages concerning the group and their 19Forgotten exhibition, where you can see some fine examples of their work. Here and here.

Neeko David had his great art posters on display.
Zard Apuya Art fills this table.
Magnets are used by Kenneth Paulino Jr. of Kottura Innovations to create animated videos concerning Chamorro legends.
Jenna Aguon Makaka-Bali Tres, a tattoo artist, shows some of her artwork in Balboa Park’s Hall of Nations.

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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!

The joyful Hafa Adai Festival in Balboa Park!

“Hafa adai” is a warm, friendly hello in the Chamorro language. It was also the name of a festival held today in San Diego!

The Hafa Adai Festival took place on the lawn of Balboa Park’s International Cottages. It was a joyful celebration filled with dance, food, crafts and culture, organized by the House of Chamorros.

The Chamorro people are indigenous to the Mariana Islands. Many with Chamorro ancestry live in Guam and the Northern Marianas. And more than a few live here in San Diego, too!

The House of Chamorros program today included an Opening Ceremony (complete with National Anthems and a beautifully sung traditional blessing), the Imahen Taotao Tano Dancers, and much more. I departed after the latter performance–too much else to do in the park!

I did take these photographs which I hope you’ll enjoy. One couldn’t stop smiling at this joyful event!

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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!

Meatball sandwiches and opera in Balboa Park!

Two professional opera singers performing Italian songs outdoors in Balboa Park? That’s what we got today during the House of Italy lawn program at the International Cottages!

We also got meatball sandwiches (which were really, really good) and spumoni!

I was surprised when I recognized one of the smiling singers: Victoria Robertson. She also performs with Opera4Kids! I’ve enjoyed two Opera4Kids productions at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in the past few years. See my photos here and here!

Today I learned something else. Both of today’s amazing opera singers, Victoria Robertson and Rosario Monetti, have opened a new coffee shop and wine bar in Hillcrest. It’s appropriately called Divo Diva! They’ll be singing together in a dinner show concert later this month. Visit their website here!

A few more fun photos from today’s House of Italy lawn program…

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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!

Rehearsal of Chicago the Musical at Rady Shell!

I got super lucky today. I was walking near the Rady Shell on downtown San Diego’s waterfront when I heard singing voices. I turned toward the San Diego Symphony’s beautiful outdoor venue and discovered Chicago the Musical in Concert was rehearsing for tomorrow’s evening performance!

I sat for a while–one cool thing about rehearsals at The Shell is the public is free to watch politely up close and listen. All I can tell you, anyone going to Chicago the Musical in Concert on Friday is most likely in for a treat!

All That Jazz… Cell Block Tango… Mr. Cellophane… All of the jazzy voices are amazing. I seriously thought I was at a Broadway production.

When I looked at the vocalists’ bios just now, I see that, indeed, they’ve performed in many world-class productions in the most prestigious venues!

Learn all about Chicago the Musical in Concert, and perhaps purchase tickets, by visiting the Rady Shell’s 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!

Hidalgo exhibit opens at House of Mexico.

A new exhibit opened yesterday at the House of Mexico cottage in San Diego’s Balboa Park. The history and culture of the Mexican state of Hidalgo is celebrated with displays of art, crafts, dolls, fashion, photographs and more!

Hidalgo is a small state in central Mexico, located directly north of Mexico City. It is known for its mining history. Hidalgo has its own unique attractions, including local traditions, picturesque towns and architecture, thermal springs, and beautiful natural landscapes. The objects on display inside the House of Mexico’s cottage help to show why Hidalgo is a popular tourist destination.

Friendly members of the House of Mexico welcomed me to their cottage and happily explained what I was seeing. But you must see all the color yourself! Just head over to Balboa Park’s always fascinating International Cottages.

I was told the House of Mexico welcomes new members. Anyone can join. Even I was invited! You can visit their 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!

A mysterious musical instrument in La Mesa!

Does anybody out there know the history of the Anatole Accompanist Harp? An internet search provides no information whatsoever.

On display inside the La Mesa History Center‘s McKinney House museum is an unusual musical instrument. It is labeled: The ANATOLE ACCOMPANIST HARP – 1915 – Invented by S.B. Shiley – An early resident of La Mesa

I toured the museum yesterday and failed to learn more about this unique harp. Perhaps I should have asked around some more.

Presumably, S.B. Shiley is the artist Sylvester Benjamin Shiley, who passed away in San Diego in 1924.

I know some of my readers are very knowledgeable about local history and culture. If you can add any information about this mysterious Anatole Accompanist Harp or its inventor, please leave a comment below!

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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!

Lightning, thunder, and a Spreckels return!

Were you one of the lucky few who experienced the organ concert of a lifetime four years ago? That was the night internationally renowned organist Ahreum Han played the Spreckels Organ with thunder booming and lightning flashing in the sky everywhere!

Well, you have the opportunity to hear Ahream Han again. And I suggest you don’t miss another sure-to-be amazing concert!

The 37rd San Diego International Organ Festival continues this evening, July 28, 2025 at 7:30 pm in Balboa Park.

The Spreckels Organ Pavilion will experience much better weather, but the thunder and lightning coming from the fingertips of one exceptional organist, native of Seoul, South Korea, will certainly dazzle. Ahream Han promises fireworks, from Johann Sebastian Bach to Scott Joplin.

My energy might be a bit drained from Comic-Con, but I’ll certainly be there.

Lovers of the finest music in the world–don’t miss this!

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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!