This holiday season, the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park features beautiful Christmas trees in its spacious atrium. Not only has the 15 feet high Christmas tree made of blooming red poinsettias returned, but several smaller green trees twinkle nearby.
The more traditional Christmas trees were decorated by the San Diego Floral Association and are an extension of their Festival of Trees, a favorite December Nights attraction inside Room 101 at the Casa del Prado.
One of these trees I really like. It’s filled with old images from San Diego history!
I took a few photographs…
Kate Sessions’ Christmas Tree of 1915.Panama California Exposition San Diego, California 1915.Streetscape in front of the Hotel Del Coronado.Dearest Kate, Here is a picture of your “Blank Canvas.” Your plants are growing beautifully. Your friend, Anna Marston. (Photo of the Marston House.)Botanical Building in Balboa Park.
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Preparations have begun for San Diego’s free, epic December Nights event this weekend. Workers and volunteers were in various parts of Balboa Park, erecting structures, stringing holiday lights, and building the huge Christmas Story Tree that is a beloved tradition at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
I walked through Balboa Park a little before sunset and photographed some of the activity. Today is Monday. December Nights in 2024 runs this coming Friday, December 6 from 3 pm to 11pm, and Saturday, December 7 from 11 am to 11 pm. Over 300,000 visitors are expected!
As I crossed the Cabrillo Bridge, I noticed red ribbons on lamps now line El Prado…
Here’s one of the holiday decorations that will welcome thousands of pedestrians who cross the bridge into the park…
The Old Globe’s “Grinch tree” had its lighting ceremony last month. As usual, it will be a popular family destination during December Nights.
A cheerful candy cane striped structure went up today in the Plaza de Panama. Lights strung outward from its top will create a magical scene after dark.
At the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, the joyful hub of December Nights, volunteers and members of the Christmas Story Tree organization were putting together the towering tree,
Learn about the Christmas Story Tree by visiting its website here. A choir, that is made up of many local churches and community members, and an orchestra tell the story through familiar Christmas hymns and carols along with a narrator. They could use donations and more volunteers!
A spotlight structure goes up in the rear of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
When I walked through the International Cottages, I saw two of the cottages were busy getting ready for December Nights. I didn’t get a photo of boxes being carried into the House of Mexico, but the following photo was taken outside the House of Germany.
This Breakfast With Santa notice was posted outside the Municipal Gymnasium. Toys For Tots says: Come meet Santa and have breakfast on Saturday, December 14th at 9 am.
I learned the interior of the Municipal Gymnasium will become Santa’s magical North Pole home, much like last year. The building will close on Wednesday to begin its transformation!
Meanwhile, as I listened to the sound of bouncing basketballs, I found some fun stuff on the gym’s bulletin board…
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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.
Many of the studios in Spanish Village Art Center in San Diego’s Balboa Park are ready for the holiday season! Other artist studios will be getting ready soon!
I walked through Spanish Village late this afternoon and found wreaths, ornaments, and other fun decorations inside studios, on doors and in windows!
Need a unique Christmas gift for a special person? This is the perfect destination!
Peeking into Studio 41 the day before Thanksgiving.Come on into Studio 34.Wreath near art outside Studio 23, Southwestern Artists Association.Santa says Believe when you step into Glass Blowing Studio 19.Holiday wreath on yellow door of Studio 18, the Spanish Village office.Wreath and silver stockings hang on door of Studio 10.Welcome to a snowy forest scene.At Studio 6, which jolly old elf is the REAL Santa Claus?A beautiful little Christmas tree in Studio 2.Studio 2 has several white snowy wreaths with red cardinals!Come visit colorful Spanish Village Art Center during the holidays. Make sure to drop by during December Nights!
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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.
An extraordinary concert was held this evening in San Diego. World-famous local rock band Switchfoot performed during December Nights at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. It was holiday concert that will be remembered for a very long time.
Switchfoot performed many of their hits, including Meant to Live and Dare You to Move, plus several of their new Christmas songs, such as California Christmas and Scrappy Little Christmas Tree. And there was Feliz Navidad and What a Wonderful World and Silent Night.
Thousands in the pavilion listened, sang along, waved their illuminated phones like candles.
Jon Foreman, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, came down into the audience as the concert began. His voice lifted. And that’s when the light began to shine through.
From the very first note to the last, the band opened doors to that inner light that shines through eyes during Christmastime.
It was the light that tells us we were meant to live for so much more. It was the light that tells us to live our short lives to the very fullest. It was the quiet light that waits in all of our hearts for a door to open.
Switchfoot opened that door.
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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)!
Enjoy these photographs of a walk through December Nights 2023 in Balboa Park!
I started east across the Cabrillo Bridge this afternoon, shortly after San Diego’s big holiday festival opened. I visited the Grinch tree at the Old Globe, then entered the Plaza de Panama where there is a stage and small ice skating rink. I strolled down El Prado, took a side trip to Spanish Village, then eventually found myself at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, International Cottages and Palisades area. You can see one fun photo near the end where I peeked inside the Comic-Con Museum.
December Nights is very crowded after dark, with families enjoying colorful lights, live entertainment on multiple stages, many Santa photo ops, a huge number of vendors, and lots and LOTS of food! My old camera doesn’t take good photos at night, unfortunately.
December Nights continues tomorrow–Saturday–from 11 am to 11 pm. At 6:30 there will be a free concert by world-famous local rock band Switchfoot at the organ pavilion. That should draw quite a crowd!
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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)!
Do you know San Diego has a Community Christmas Tree in Balboa Park?
Few seem to know.
It appears our city’s Community Christmas Tree will be ignored for a second straight year at December Nights. I walked past the tree this evening, and it’s surrounded by vendor tents, all but forgotten.
Some would say this is a scandal.
The tree replaced an earlier Community Christmas Tree that was planted behind the same iron fence in 1981.
The original tree eventually became overgrown and unsuitable for decoration. The beautiful new tree is thriving and certainly large enough for lights and ornaments.
I’ve spoken to various people about this situation (including people who should care), but no one knows anything. Most people, it seems, have very short memories or simply don’t want to be bothered. How sad.
Read more about San Diego’s Community Christmas Tree by clicking here or 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)!
San Diego’s incredibly popular December Nights event is less than a week away.
Holiday decorations are being set up throughout Balboa Park. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are anticipated next Friday and Saturday.
Will San Diego’s new Community Christmas Tree be forgotten again? Regrettably, it was forgotten last year. Read that sad news by clicking here.
The tree, encircled by a fence opposite the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, was planted about four years ago. It replaced an overgrown, spindly, misshapen Community Christmas Tree that could no longer safely support lights and ornaments.
The new tree has grown to be very beautiful. But, as I explained, it was forgotten last holiday season. Will that happen again this year? I hope not.
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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)!
Christmas Tree ornaments in the House of Mexico cottage.
Many of the International Cottages in Balboa Park are already getting ready for the holidays. And others cottages will soon be decorating. December Nights is less than two weeks away!
I poked my nose into most of the cottages today searching for Christmas and seasonal decorations. These photographs represent what I found.
Hand-crafted holiday gifts inside the House of Sweden cottage.Hand-painted Christmas ornaments available inside House of Italy’s cottage.Beautiful candles and greenery inside the House of Hungary cottage.The House of Scotland Pipe Band will be performing during December Nights.Santa and elves at work inside the House of Denmark cottage.A uniquely beautiful wreath inside the House of Ukraine’s cottage.Here comes Santa Claus inside the House of Finland’s cottage!
As I walked around, I noticed other parts of Balboa Park are getting ready!
The big poinsettia Christmas Tree that is coming to the San Diego History Center has its framework set up. Santa, his sled and reindeer are already taking to the sky between the Plaza de Panama and the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. And the the religious nativity scenes have been set up in back of the pavilion. No Gingerbread House yet!
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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)!
Creativity is always welcome at December Nights in Balboa Park! I could clearly see this, as I periodically checked out some tables hosted by San Diego’s very cool Comic-Con Museum.
Everybody and anybody was invited to grab some paint and help color in a community mural. Actually, there appeared to be multiple murals, as you can see in my photographs.
I walked around the big December Nights event both Friday and today, and watched as the murals took form.
Check it out!
UPDATE!
I saw a completed mural at a later visit to the museum…
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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It’s easy to explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on this website’s sidebar. Or click a tag. There’s a lot of stuff to share and enjoy!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Enjoy these photos taken in Spanish Village Art Center during December Nights!
Balboa Park’s colorful Spanish Village is one of my favorite spots in San Diego at any time of year, but during the Holiday Season, it really shines!
Without further ado, here are photographs that I captured today, the first day of 2022 December Nights. I wandered through Spanish Village before dark–before the crowds really grew!
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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!
It’s easy to explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on this website’s sidebar. Or click a tag. There’s a lot of stuff to share and enjoy!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Cool San Diego Sights! 