A great exhibition opened earlier this month at the Gaslamp Museum in the historic Davis-Horton House. San Diego’s First People is the name of the exhibition. It’s presented by the Sycuan Cultural Resource Center and Museum.
Artifacts and a series of displays detail the history, life and culture of the Kumeyaay people, who inhabited the San Diego and surrounding region thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans.
Visitors also learn how the resilient Kumeyaay people thrive today, while maintaining their cultural identity through oral traditions, songs and ceremonies.
This special exhibition continues through May 30, 2026. Click here for more information!
High school students from around San Diego created art that is now showcased in a special exhibition at the Comic-Con Museum. Visual Storytellers: Honors Show 2026 features diverse work nominated by teachers as examples of artistic excellence and meaningful storytelling.
Participating high schools in the San Diego Unified School District are: Canyons Hills, Crawford, La Jolla, Lincoln, LMEC, Mira Mesa, Morse, Patrick Henry, Point Loma, Scripps Ranch and SDSCPA.
Congratulations to everyone whose great artwork was selected!
The exhibition can be viewed along the walls of what used to be a cafeteria back when the Federal Building housed the Hall of Champions. There’s two dimensional and three dimensional art to experience.
If you need a snack or drink while walking through Balboa Park, you can enter this area next to the museum entrance and make use of the vending machines. Check out some cool Star Wars posters on the opposite wall, too!
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Star Wars Book Night was held this evening at the Ronald McDonald House in San Diego!
An epic group of Star Wars cosplayers gathered for this “May the Fourth” event, and it all was for an extremely good cause. Children at the Ronald McDonald House got to take photos with favorite Star Wars characters, grab a bunch of books, and even enjoy stories read aloud by assorted Mandalorians and friends! Grogu was there, too!
The Ronald McDonald House San Diego operates as a home away from home for families of seriously ill children who are being treated at nearby Rady Children’s Hospital.
This super fun charitable event was brought to life by costumed members of the Legacy Cosplay Society, and by the good people of Char Car.
You might remember I blogged about Char Car back during the Holiday Bowl Parade. Dr. Elizabeth and Ron Valles have dedicated themselves to promoting literacy and spreading happiness by distributing and reading books to kids.
Char Car, to acquire books, engages in special fundraisers–for example with the San Diego Gulls hockey team. Here’s their Instagram page if you’d like to learn more and follow them!
Okay! This is what I saw as I arrived at Ronald McDonald House…
Star Wars cosplayers gathered for a very good cause. They stood behind a long table full of books and toys that kids at Ronald McDonald House could take and enjoy!
Lots of super cool Star Wars cosplay by young and old alike!
Dr. Elizabeth Valles (the Grammylorian) and Ron Valles with Char Car helpers. Thank you for being on the compassionate Light Side of The Force and making the world a better place!
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It looks like I’ll be missing Cinco de Mayo events this year. Too busy with work. So I figured: why not revisit past Cinco de Mayo festivals around San Diego?
Here we go!
Click the upcoming links to enjoy several past blog posts!
Click the following links for many more photographs…
Star Wars fans will soon be gathering at the San Diego Central Library. Fun, creative activities will be available in the IDEA Maker Lab on May the Fourth (be with you) and (revenge of the) Fifth!
You’ll have the opportunity to paint mini lightsabers, 3D print droids, make Star Wars buttons, participate in a scavenger hunt (and win prizes), and more. All ages welcome.
Registration is encouraged but not required.
To learn more about this cool event, click here and here!
A new exhibition is on display in the windows of The Courthouse Gallery in downtown San Diego. It’s titled Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
I was walking down Broadway past the Edward J. Schwartz United States Courthouse when I spied the beautiful artwork this morning.
You can learn more about the exhibition and the talented local artists by clicking here!
These photos represent a fraction of the current exhibition.
When you go for a walk, there’s no telling what you might discover!
The La Mesa Downtown District sign is rising on La Mesa Boulevard near Palm Avenue! The landmark arch, similar to many others in neighborhoods around San Diego, will welcome those entering the heart of La Mesa’s historic downtown.
Construction officially commenced in February. Yesterday I noticed the two supporting posts now stand on the opposing sidewalks, and several banners on fences announce the Future Home of the Downtown District Sign.
The La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation website contains more details concerning the project, which has been spearheaded by the La Mesa Village Association.
The archway will feature two support columns adorned with a “Community Quilt” of 1,512 hand-painted tiles created by residents and local businesses.
As I walked up La Mesa Boulevard, I took several photos…
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By driving east of San Diego to Campo this weekend, you can enjoy free admission to four cool attractions!
Admission will be free at the Campo Railroad Museum, the Motor Transport Museum, the Gaskill Brothers Stone Store, and the Camp Lockett Equestrian and Event Facility!
This weekend, May 2-3, 2026, Campo Days promises unforgettable family-friendly experiences. Pile the kids in the car and have an adventure!
The incredible Campo Railroad Museum, operated by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association, itself is worth the trip. You can explore many old train cars parked on tracks at the museum, and even ride a vintage train should you purchase a ticket! Learn more about the Campo Railroad Museum at their website here.
I learned about Campo Days when I swung by the La Mesa Depot Museum today. This small free museum is also operated by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association.
Station master Timothy showed me some of the work being done to restore No. 3, the 1923 steam locomotive which you might have seen while driving through downtown La Mesa. I blogged about its history and restoration about a year ago here.
Timothy loves to talk about trains and his personal experience as an engineer. The always free La Mesa Depot Museum also has a cool HO-scale train layout kids love.
If you can’t make it to Campo Days this weekend, head to La Mesa on a Tuesday or Thursday from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, when the La Mesa Depot Museum is open. Admit it–you love trains, too!
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The House of Czech and Slovak Republics, a long-time member of Balboa Park’s International Cottages, hosted their annual cultural lawn program today!
I happened by while walking around.
Shortly after 2 o’clock, everyone on the lawn enjoyed an excellent performance by the acclaimed Czech group Mladá muzika Šardice. I see from the event flyer that after the youth brass orchestra was finished, more music and dance would follow!
Sausages with a roll and pickle were being prepared inside one large tent. Almost forgot the pastries! A nearby fundraising table offered crafts for sale, including traditional corn husk dolls (slaměné panenky or panenky z kukuřičného šustí).
The Czech and Slovak Republics cottage was open too, with numerous beautiful displays to be seen, including costumes, dolls, ceramics and art.
The cottage is almost fully recovered from its unfortunate collision with a falling eucalyptus tree. Looks great!
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Did you know San Diego has a professional ultimate frisbee team? They’re called the Growlers! And they play fast-paced, super exciting games that will have you stomping your feet and cheering!
This evening the Growlers played at their home stadium–Mission Bay High School’s football field. I simply had to go check it out. I’d never been to an ultimate game before.
Ultimate is played with a frisbee and has elements of both soccer and football. Speedy athletes run about the field, trying to pass a frisbee between team members without it dropping or being intercepted. Catch in the end zone, win a point!
The games, played in four quarters, are easy to follow and wildly exciting. Huge breakaway throws into the end zone are like soaring Hail Mary passes! One scoring catch was made with 1.3 seconds left in the first quarter!
Most of the team members are college age and come from local schools like SDSU and UCSD. The game involves constant running, twisting and diving. You’ll see amazing athleticism.
I loved how kids in the stands were having a blast, banging their thunder sticks and having fun with Growler the mascot. Growler would stomp his feet on the metal floor of the stands when our team was on defense. Fans would join in. Boom, boom, boom!
During halftime, kids were invited onto the field to attempt long, running catches!
It was also cool to see how, during a meeting of the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA), Growler was awarded best team mascot! I snapped that last photo as he was presented with a trophy!
Interested in going to a game? Check out the Growlers website here! This is their eleventh year in San Diego.
Most of these photos were taken before nightfall and before the game started. The stands would eventually fill up with a large number of cheering fans!
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Cool San Diego Sights! 