Dude Vader, Hawkeye and Captain America with actors from The Supernatural University, a television series now in development.
Fans of popular culture have converged today in Escondido for the first ever Fandom Invasion!
This big family-friendly event, which is being held at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, features lots of exhibitors, panelists, video gaming, storytelling, celebrities, cosplay, and even a play zone with Batman bounce houses for kids!
Fandom Invasion was conceived by the San Diego cosplay group Science Fiction Coalition, whose costumed members have become a common sight at events all around the city.
I arrived at Fandom Invasion as it opened, and I walked around the sizable exhibit hall where there were booths overflowing with awesome stuff. And awesome people, too!
For a while I listened to the Geek in the Streets Podcast panel, where there was a detailed discussion concerning cosplay.
Indeed, cosplay was everywhere I turned! As you can see from the upcoming photos.
Perhaps the coolest thing about Fandom Invasion was its focus on kids and their creativity. There were more than a few tables with young artists and makers and cosplayers!
Hopefully this is the beginning of a fun annual tradition.
Check it out!
Cosplayers wearing Mandalorian armor pose in front of the California Center for the Arts, Escondido Conference Center.Hulk welcomes visitors at the Science Fiction Coalition table. I think he just arrived from Planet Hulk.Oh, man! Look at all this super cool nerdy stuff!Many local Star Wars groups were present, including the 501st Legion.R2-D2 and friend were created by Droid Builders. Author Janet Racciato has written novels for different age groups. Her heroine Julie grew up in Oceanside and can teleport. She told me writing comes easily to her.Dr. Artemus Peepers and Wonder Woman pose for a cosplay photo.Look at all the cool pop culture patches at one vendor table. What’s Yoda doing over there on the right?And check this out! All these awesome creations are from the Gears & Roebuck Rusty Junk Emporium.Star Wars Corn Flakes and Godzilla!And here’s an angry Lord Vader himself! No, I didn’t call you corny or a flake! That box contains cereal!The happy Addams Family.Future artist Gavin Richter. Future? More like present!Young artist Zeke of Swirl Waffle at work.Lots of comic books, naturally. But it’s hard not to look at a phone.Whoa! Ultra-cool helmet by CostumeBiz!Now it looks like I’m in trouble!Ian and Arielle discuss cosplay in the Large Panel Room.Miss Ellie Honeybee posed for a cool cosplay photograph!David L. Drake and Katherine L. Morse, San Diego-based authors of The Adventures of Drake and McTrowell, read their book.Gamora and Star Lord are outside by a face painter!Cars from the animated movie Cars! They were brought to Fandom Invasion by Dr. Justin Wu, of the Healing Little Heroes Foundation.Cosplay everywhere!Even Hawkman showed up in Escondido, all the way from the planet Thanagar.It seems Wolverine was a bit late, however.
…
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!
For a few minutes this afternoon in Balboa Park, I enjoyed watching the outdoor rehearsal of a community program coming to San Diego courtesy of the Old Globe.
Shakespeare: Call and Response, which will run from October 26 to November 14, 2021, is a three week tour of free performances with audience participation in diverse settings around the city.
What I observed was a crazy fun mixture of Shakespeare’s plays, modern romance, hip hop culture, dancing in the audience, laughter, bubbles, a Día de los Muertos altar, comedy about Halloween candy, and loads more impromptu cleverness and playful creativity!
This year’s program is part of the annual Globe For All Tour, which “brings free, live, professional productions of Shakespeare and select productions from our mainstage to diverse multigenerational audiences in the neighborhoods throughout San Diego County.”
A big K-pop dance competition was held today in San Diego, at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. The epic event was part of “Korea Day at Balboa Park” hosted by the Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles and San Diego’s own House of Korea.
I watched the first half of the competition and saw five high energy performances by groups competing in the K-Pop Cover Dance Festival Final. The huge audience was excited, as you can plainly see, and they had good reason! The music and dance was buoyant, fun, infectious, uplifting. It’s no wonder K-pop music has become a worldwide phenomenon!
I resumed my walk through Balboa Park realizing that, even with this world’s endless troubles, there are always reasons for happiness. There is much in life that is good. And what is truly good comes from the heart.
Please enjoy the following photographs!
…
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!
Escondido’s big Fall Grand Avenue Festival was held today.
Around midday I headed up to Escondido to experience the popular event.
Along the main stretch of Escondido’s historic downtown I saw a community gathered to enjoy a sunny, carefree Sunday. I saw neighbors and friends and food and entertainment and lots of vendors and fun.
There were local high school students demonstrating their competitive robots, which launched balls into the air.
Very creative artists showed their “Art In The Garden” at the Heritage Garden.
Diners along the sidewalks enjoyed lunch at their favorite eateries while engaged in people watching.
And, of course, there were many smiles.
…
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!
A huge, very colorful event was held today on San Diego’s Embarcadero at Waterfront Park. Taste of the Philippines, presented by the House of the Philippines, offered food, culture, entertainment and fun galore!
After walking through Balboa Park (incidentally passing the new House of the Philippines cottage), I headed down toward San Diego Bay to check out this event.
I was amazed by the huge crowd! I guess it shouldn’t have been surprising, given how San Diego is home to the second largest population of Filipinos outside of the Philippines.
I recognized various organizations that I’ve seen at past House of the Philippines lawn programs at the International Cottages. But at this epic event there was much, much more, including a big stage, beer garden, endless choices of food, and a kids play zone!
Enjoy some photos…
I learned that the PASACAT Philippine Performing Arts Company will be hosting a Parol Lantern Festival on December 13, 2021 at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park. It’s now on my calendar!A parol is a Christmas lantern in the Philippines. These star-shaped lanterns are hung along streets and outside homes. They are an expression of shared faith and hope.All these poster displays concerning culture and history in the Philippines were created by students at Southwestern College.A fascinating collection of old photos. Image of the Pilipino: 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.A San Diego Paré fan!Photos of folk dance at the Samahan Philippine Dance Company table.Traditional entertainment at the big stage during Taste of the Philippines.Live mural painting at the festival.Cecelia Linayao, local chalk artist, created this portrait of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who is part Filipino! You’ve seen her art many times on my blog.Dane’s a super cool guy who paints custom longboards! His page on Instagram is @Kinjo_arts.
…
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!
The 20th Annual Filipino Cultural Celebration was held today at Oceanside’s Civic Center Plaza. I arrived at the popular festival as it opened and stayed for a bit to enjoy all sorts of colorful entertainment!
After National Anthems were sung and presentations were made by community leaders, costumed dancing and singing commenced. The audience was wowed by an incredible fire dance by Dane Kaneshiro. You might’ve enjoyed his energetic performances at SeaWorld. As you’ll see in the upcoming photographs, he also custom paints longboards with great Polynesian inspired art. See his Kinjo Arts Instagram page here.
I also enjoyed chatting with a representative of the House of the Philippines about their new cottage in Balboa Park and watching kids perform tricks with tiny fingerboards on a model miniature skatepark. Of course, there was lots of food, vendors and educational opportunities, too!
The family-friendly festival was presented by the Filipino-American Cultural Organization and the Oceanside Public Library.
I was surprised to learn the second largest population of Filipinos outside of the Philippines resides right here in San Diego!
Another big Filipino festival is coming up next weekend in downtown San Diego at Waterfront Park. I plan to be there!
…
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!
Tonight an unusual, truly magical concert was held in Balboa Park at the outdoor Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
As lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, internationally renowned organist Ahreum Han answered with her own own thunder for a small audience sheltered against the storm up on the pavilion stage.
Those of us who experienced this extraordinary concert, part of the 33rd San Diego International Organ Festival, sat almost directly under the majestic Spreckels Organ pipes and mere feet away from Ahreum Han as she played elegantly, easily, masterfully.
As you can imagine, the unusual circumstances provided a once-in-lifetime opportunity for music lovers. My goosebumps were on overdrive.
The music flowed like bright lightning from the fingers of Ahreum, and at times it seemed she was playing a duet with mighty nature. When she concluded each piece, thunder joined the applause.
You had to be there.
It was an experience an adventurous few, who refused to be deterred by a threat of lightning and rain, will never ever forget.
…
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!
Oh, and by the way, see my photograph above? Yes! Nikigator has made its long-awaited return!
Nikigator stands once again outside the front entrance of the recently reopened, beautifully renovated Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park. Wouldn’t it be fun to sit on that!
While I’m mentioning the Mingei, families should definitely head inside. The ground floor is now free to everyone, whatever your age. And one big display case holds all sorts of craft toys from around the world! Another contains carousel horses!
And one more thing. If your kids haven’t been to the San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park, they are missing out on some of the most incredible, spectacular toy train layouts anywhere in the world! And it’s free in October for kids, too!
Click here for all the museums and attractions that are participating this month in Kids Free San Diego!
…
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!
Giant, menacing skeletons have invaded the Target parking lot at Westfield Mission Valley!
This afternoon I noticed a pair of monstrous skeletons have leapt up onto the roof of a large truck in order to terrify motorists passing the shopping mall.
Careful they couldn’t see me, I circled the skeletons and was bewildered to observe a legion of other ghouls, ghosts and ghastly creatures lurking nearby. Some were even peering through windows!
A wonderful new park officially opened yesterday in the Cherokee Point neighborhood of City Heights. The City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department, community organizations and many neighbors and families came together for the Park de la Cruz Grand Opening Celebration!
I swung by the new park during my walk in the late morning to check out some of the fun. I missed the welcome by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria but was able to catch the City Heights Steppers and Mariachi Victoria performing on the event stage. I walked through the extensive Resource Fair and met many people who are helping to enhance the life of this very diverse community.
Kids were enjoying a big outdoor play area across Landis Street and a Day of Play at the new community center, and many other activities could be enjoyed freely by the public, including a softball clinic at the beautiful green ball field and skating demonstrations at the nearby skatepark. The Fern Street Circus would also perform!
The public was invited to tour inside the new Park de la Cruz Community Center. Services offered at the center include Therapeutic Recreation and AgeWell Services. If you’re a senior in San Diego, check out this web page for information on staying fit and meeting new friends! I blogged about the program a couple years ago here.
The Park de la Cruz Grand Opening Celebration was sponsored by the San Diego Parks Foundation.
Enjoy a few photos!
…
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! 