Tag: downtown

Shelbi Bennett to exhibit at Brokers Gallery.

Perhaps, like me, you’ve wondered about the art gallery located next to San Diego’s downtown Fifth Avenue trolley station. Sometimes I’ll peer curiously at the windows when I walk past.

Today the door was wide open!

Inside, what did I find? Singer/songwriter/artist Shelbi Bennett and some of her beautiful artwork, which is being installed in the gallery for an exhibition that opens on April 1, 2026!

Brokers Building Art Gallery is the name of the place. According to its website, the gallery traces its roots to a grassroots artist collective that has existed in San Diego for over 40 years. Originally housed in the historic Brokers Building at Fourth Avenue and Market Street in the Gaslamp Quarter, the gallery functioned as a rare, artist-run cultural space embedded directly within the city’s commercial core.

I learned the Brokers Gallery as it exists today hosts many events, including the monthly Open Mic Night, culture nights, live music, and rotating art exhibitions. Check out their event page by clicking here.

It was a pleasure to briefly meet Shelbi Bennett, who I recognized from her past performance on KUSI television. Fine works of art she has created were going up on the gallery wall!

If you’d like to visit her Instagram page, here it is!

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Fun photos at Opening Weekend Block Party!

Enjoy some fun photos taken early this afternoon at the East Village Opening Weekend Block Party! The 2026 MLB baseball season has begun and our San Diego Padres have high hopes.

Lots of fans were wandering up and down several blocks of J Street just north of Petco Park. There was live music, dogs dressed like Padres fans, cool lowriders in a row, food, kids making swag chains, a spray paint artist, and even a wiffleball derby!

Too much fun!

Opening Day morning excitement downtown!

It’s the morning of Opening Day for the San Diego Padres, and the excitement has begun!

Reporters are in the Gaslamp Quarter commentating and interviewing fans. The Ben and Woods sports radio show is broadcasting from Baja Rick’s to a crowd of Padres fans!

Let’s go Pads! Beat the Detroit Tigers!

Padres banners appear for 2026 season!

The 2026 Major League Baseball season is about to begin! The Home Opener for the San Diego Padres is next Thursday!

I noticed, while walking near Petco Park today, that the latest set of Padres player banners have been put up on street lamps in East Village.

This year there’s a huge addition: Mason Miller! He’s arguably the best closer in all of baseball. Did you watch him pitching for Team USA during the World Baseball Classic? He’s got a flamethrower arm. Wow!

Go Pads! Let’s make the playoffs again this year, and go all the way!

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San Diego goes bananas . . . again!

This weekend, San Diego is going bananas . . . again! The Savannah Bananas have returned to Petco Park, to play two banana ball games against one of their rivals, the Loco Beach Coconuts!

The Savannah Bananas’ popularity continues to grow, with their crazy, kid-friendly on-field antics during “banana ball” games and between innings. It’s like a non-stop circus, all the while playing a baseball game with unusual rules, that include fan participation. (If you catch a foul ball, the batter is out!)

The games have become so popular that there is a league of six teams traveling around playing each other. By the way, the Loco Beach Coconuts are 2-0 versus the original Savannah Bananas team so far in 2026!

Both games this weekend are sold out. Today I walked through the festival atmosphere just north of Gallagher Square, where families (often clad in yellow) were lined up for fun banana ball merchandise.

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Padres bobblehead collection at San Diego library!

A new exhibit was recently introduced to the Sullivan Family Baseball Research Center on the 8th floor of San Diego’s Central Library. Filling two display cases are a bunch of Padres player bobbleheads!

How cool is this?

There are Padres past and present, including Ted Williams, Tony Gwynn, Ozzie Smith, Rickey Henderson, Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Jackson Merrill and many more. The one exception I noticed is a bobblehead of Hamilton (Ham) Porter from the classic baseball movie The Sandlot.

The figures on display, I was told by a librarian, are only a small part of the extensive bobblehead collection owned by Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) member Oscar Murrieta.

Head up to the 8th floor of the Central Library for a better look!

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Two fun sights in the Gaslamp Quarter!

Walking this morning through downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, I photographed these two fun sights!

First is the F Street entrance sign for the old Horton Plaza parking structure. A playful jester welcomes motorists to what used to be a unique and very popular shopping mall!

Next, a sidewalk vent structure was painted to appear like Star War’s R2-D2!

You can spot this fun street art in front of Kutthroat Downtown barber shop at 437 Market Street.

San Diego readies for 2026 Padres season!

Anyone walking in downtown San Diego can see how the city is preparing for another Major League Baseball season. With signs, banners, loads of merchandise in shop windows–everyone is getting ready to enjoy exciting Padres games at Petco Park!

Can you believe it? Last year, the San Diego Padres had the second highest ballpark attendance in all of Major League Baseball. Not only do we have the best ballpark, we have the best fans!

I took these photos in East Village and the Gaslamp Quarter yesterday morning. With a month to go until Opening Day (March 26), more fun downtown sights will certainly materialize.

It looks to be another great season! Let’s make the playoffs and fight for a World Series appearance!

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San Diego Library’s local author exhibit.

The annual Local Author Showcase of the San Diego Library is now on display on the first floor of downtown’s Central Library!

It’s exciting to see dozens of newly published books every year by diverse authors. Our city has so many creative and talented people! The Central Library is an ideal place to showcase their achievements.

Today I moseyed past the glass display cases and peered at different titles and covers.

A few examples…

At one end of the exhibit, I found a colorful work of art by Judith Parenio! It’s titled Words.

Books are portals to open minds…

Vintage trolley runs on Presidents’ Day!

Good old San Diego Trolley car number 1001 is running in downtown today. It operates along the Silver Line loop during holidays–and today is Presidents’ Day!

The red light rail vehicle was the first modern trolley car to operate, back in 1981. Today families and excited kids were riding the iconic car. Me too!