This afternoon, Danza Azteca Calpulli performed at the Annual San Diego Balboa Park Powwow, which is typically held on Mother’s Day weekend.
The colorful Aztec Dancers might delight the eyes, but those watching were reminded that their dance is spiritual–it’s a prayer.
The smoke of white sage blesses participants, purifying minds and hearts.
In a circle the dancers step to rhythmic drums and at intervals spin. The dance feels like a collective heartbeat, and the turning seems like the circle of life.
Perhaps I don’t know any better, but that’s the feeling I get. I like to quietly watch and listen.
You need to experience it yourself to develop your own feeling.
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A very special event was held today in San Diego’s Pantoja Park. A monument to downtown’s original founder, William Heath Davis, Jr. (aka Kanaka Davis) was unveiled during a beautiful ceremony!
The monument is in the form of a bronze bust. During the ceremony many leis were hung around its neck by organizations instrumental in creating the historical monument. Representatives were from Ahahui Kiwila of San Diego, Kaha I ka Panoa (Hawaiian Civic Clubs), Hui o Hawaii of San Diego, Pacific Islander Festival Association and The Samoan Association San Diego. Other organizations at the event who helped to make this monument a reality included the Gaslamp Historical Foundation and the Asian Pacific American Coalition.
William Heath Davis was born in Hawaii and eventually made his way to early San Diego. With a vision of the future, great courage and much energy, he strategically created the initial version of “New Town” on San Diego Bay, where downtown is today. Read his history here.
Traditional Hawaiian dance was performed during the ceremony, and numerous speakers expressed pride in having a monument to Davis placed in Pantoja Park–the city’s first park, not far from where he himself lived. Two of the speakers were descendants of Davis.
The event brought many members of the local Asian and Pacific Islander community together. As caretakers of their culture and creators of the monument, they now have this visible tribute to San Diego’s past for younger generations to see. As one speaker said, We Are Here. The Spirit of Kanaka Davis Lives On.
Toward the end of the ceremony an impersonator of William Heath Davis spoke. He recalled the life of one of San Diego’s most important historical figures.
I took photos of more history being made…
UPDATE!
During a later walk in the park, I took a good photo of the historical plaque…
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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.
Have you ever experienced the WOW (Without Walls) Festivals, put on every year by the La Jolla Playhouse? If not, you’ve missed out on some super creative art installations and theatrical performances.
The WOW Festivals over the years have been held at different venues in San Diego, including Horton Plaza Park, Liberty Station, and the Rady Shell. This time, like last year, everything is taking place inside the UC San Diego campus. Many of the unique (and sometimes rather weird) performances are free, and it all begins tomorrow!
WOW 2025 will run Thursday April 24 through Sunday April 27. Find everything you need to know, including the event schedule, by clicking this La Jolla Playhouse link.
Curious what sort of stuff goes on at these festivals? You’re in luck! I’ve taken loads of photographs over the years!
The House of Iran had their lawn program today at the International Cottages in Balboa Park. Their cultural program is held every year on the Sunday following the Persian New Year, which is called Nowruz. Nowruz occurs on the day of the vernal equinox, which is the first day of Spring.
Speeches and introductions during the event were largely in Farsi, which made it difficult for an English speaker like myself to understand all that was going on. I did understand that the program celebrated thousands of years of Persian history and culture.
There was the awarding of scholarships to young people and a thank you to the San Diego Police Department. There was Afsoon Johnston, a world champion wrestling medalist whose family fled Iran. There was a tent serving tasty, freshly made kabab, and a big crowd clapping to lots of happy dancing and music!
You can see some of traditional costumes. You can also see how members of the audience took to the stage to dance!
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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.
Look what I discovered today! The San Diego Square Dance Association is hosting their 75th annual Fiesta de la Cuadrilla in Balboa Park!
The lively “round dancing” was taking place inside the Balboa Park Club building’s huge ballroom. Not only was the energetic dancing fun to watch, and the dance calling with a Western twang fun to hear, but there were exhibits off to one side of the room that concerned the fascinating history and culture of square dance!
As you can see from my photographs, beautiful square dance dresses and a variety of interesting artifacts filled many tables.
Thanks to Wendy for inviting me into the big event for a peek! Everybody participating was definitely having a ton of fun!
If you’d like to learn more about square dancing in San Diego and this popular event in particular (which continues on Sunday, March 23, 2025), click 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.
A joyful celebration of culture and history was enjoyed this afternoon in Southeast San Diego. The Friends of the Malcolm X Library: Living Art Experience honored Black History Month with dance, music, poetry, a fashion show, plus local artists and a live painting demonstration. Refreshments were included!
The community room at the Valencia Park/Malcolm X Branch Library was filled with energy as the free, family-friendly event got underway. Words from the stage expressed gratitude to our Creator, and the audience was encouraged to remember our ancestors and think of those who would follow us after we leave this world. Lift Every Voice rose from many voices.
A fun fan dance followed! It seems half the room participated!
I enjoyed looking at the art, crafts and clothing displayed at various tables. I took several photographs during this wonderful, very colorful event.
Reginald Green, an instructor for Veterans Art Project (VETART), had a table full of artwork. He works out of VETART’s ceramic and glass studio in Vista.
VETART provides a process-intensive arts encounter proven to help Veterans and Active Duty (some with post-traumatic stress, TBI, and MST) find their voice and work through the life-changing process of transitioning from military to civilian life.
Some more photos…
Christie’s Place was present. As their website states: Love Grows Here.
Christie’s Place is the only agency in San Diego whose mission is dedicated to serving women, children and families whose lives have been impacted by HIV/AIDS.
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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.
One reason I like to walk through Seaport Village on a weekend is the live music. There’s always a great local band performing on stage in the Lighthouse District. Today it was The Tradesmen.
The best thing is how random people descend onto the outdoor “dance floor” and completely let loose: moving to the music, swaying, arms lifted skyward, prancing about dizzily without inhibition. What a blast!
I paused for a while during my Embarcadero walk, to tap my toes to Boot Scootin’ Boogie.
No, you couldn’t make me dance like that in front of everybody. I’m chicken.
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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.
If you love color, culture, food and fun, you should head over to Balboa Park tomorrow, Sunday, February 16, 2025. The second day of the Chinese New Year Fair, hosted by the House of China, will be taking place at the International Cottages!
I walked through the free festival today and photographed a wide variety of cool sights. In addition to the vendors of ethnic food and unique gifts, and the colorful cultural entertainment, the Hall of Nations features artists who are showcasing traditional Chinese art, including calligraphy, brush painting and gourd decoration. I found plenty of references to the Year of the Snake!
There’s something new and exciting to see everywhere visitors turn.
Sunday the entertainment lineup runs from 11 am to 4 pm, with lion and dragon dances and dancing by various groups, plus fashion models, music and more!
These three young journalists were at the event. Write, write, write! Start a blog! Be curious! Be persistent! Be passionate! You never know where your efforts might lead!
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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.
San Diego Tết Festival 2025 is being held all this weekend at Liberty Station. The cultural event celebrating Lunar New Year is free and a whole lot of fun! It’s the Year of the Wood Snake!
The big annual festival is a production of the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance. (In past years, this Tết Festival has been held in Mira Mesa. I went in 2017 and posted photos here.)
As the festival began late in the morning today–Saturday–excited families converged on the wide grassy field of NTC Park, drawn by tons of food, vendors, community organizations, kids activities, photo opportunities in the Cultural Village, a petting zoo and carnival rides. The main attraction, however, was the entertainment up on the main stage.
To begin the entertainment, Naruwan Taiko brought out their drums and boomed thundering, joyful energy out into the audience. This was soon followed by the day’s Opening Ceremony. Sea Cadets were introduced in front of the stage, a color guard advanced, and the national anthems of Vietnam and the United States were sung powerfully by a talented young lady.
A traditional Invocation and Prayer Ceremony followed. Elder members of the Vietnamese community made offerings and prayers for peace.
Then came politicians on stage, then firecrackers to one side, then Hoa Nghiêm Lion Dance! Much more would follow after I departed. (Would you believe it, five different lion dancing groups perform during the epic three-day festival!)
If you’d like to go to the big festival, here’s their website with all the information!
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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.
The big festival is taking place in City Heights at Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park. It’s presented by the Little Saigon SD Foundation.
According to the Vietnamese calendar, the Year of the Snake begins on January 29, 2025.
As always, this annual Tết Festival is full of positivity and happiness. There’s plenty of diverse entertainment provided by community groups. There are karate demonstrations, dancers on the main stage, mariachis and the Fern Street Circus. There are several lion dance performances by both Southern Sea Dragon & Lion Dance (they posed for a group photo) and Lucky Lion Dance.
As Lunar New Year traditions demand, there are loads of backdrops providing photo opportunities, and tons of food!
I walked around the festival around noontime today and snapped these colorful photographs.
Today–Saturday–the free, family-friendly event continues into the night. Then there’s more fun on Sunday. For the hours and entertainment lineup and more, check out the event 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.
Cool San Diego Sights! 