Happy elves magically appear at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion for Christmas on the Prado.
If you would like to give a special Christmas gift to less fortunate children in San Diego, here’s a wonderful idea!
This coming Saturday and Sunday afternoon–December 1 and 2, 2018–toys will be collected by Toys for Tots during the 5th Annual Christmas on the Prado in Balboa Park.
Bring a new unwrapped toy . . . or two . . . or three!
Here’s an even more wonderful idea! Host a toy drive at your work, church or special event and bring lots of toys!
If you happen to swing by Balboa Park on Saturday, you’ll be able to watch the lighting of the community Christmas tree in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion at 6:30 pm, then Sing Along with Santa!
The Historical Unit of Southern California held an event on Veterans Day near the Balboa Park Carousel.
On Sunday the Historical Unit of Southern California provided a reenactment of two World Wars near the Balboa Park Carousel. Their fascinating Veterans Day event coincided with the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, the end of the World War One.
Smiling members of the group, wearing historical military uniforms, explained exhibits on the grass that primarily concerned World War I.
In addition to equipment used by soldiers on the battlefield, displays included photographs and objects pertaining to the Red Cross and Salvation Army, organizations that worked to provide care and comfort for those who fought.
Members of the reenactment group displayed artifacts from past wars, and wore historical military uniforms.Member of the American Red Cross Club of Southern California, a World War Two reenactment group founded in 2018. This was their first public event.Medical items used by the American Red Cross, who aided suffering soldiers during the wars of the 20th century.Interesting objects on display include old issues of The Red Cross Magazine.A timeline depicts the history of the American Red Cross through World War Two. The organization was established in 1881 by Clara Barton. (Click photo to enlarge it.)Guys dressed as soldiers hang out on the grass by the Balboa Park Carousel, which itself is over a hundred years old.A rifle, canteen, helmet, and other equipment from the battlefield displayed on a blanket.This friendly lady’s display concerned the Salvation Army. A sign shows some basic facts about World War I.In 1917, Helen Purviance, an ensign in the Salvation Army, was in France with the American First Division. Soldiers asked: Can’t you make a doughnut with a hole in it? The rest is history.I believe these photos and artifacts are from World War I.A doughnut with a convenient hole is enjoyed in the park a hundred years later!
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I’m welcomed to Plimoth Plantation West in Balboa Park by two descendants of Mayflower Pilgrims!
Yesterday I swung by the International Cottages in Balboa Park to check out an absolutely unique event!
The Mayflower Society’s San Diego Colony had created Plimoth Plantation West, a representation of Pilgrim history and life, focusing on the arrival of the Pilgrims in the New World and their establishment of Plymouth Colony. The colorful event was organized in anticipation of an important day that will arrive in two years: the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower Landing in 1620.
I’m no expert when it comes to the history of the Pilgrims, so I was fascinated by many of the displays.
I learned about the Pilgrims’ various reasons for departing England, their journey across the Atlantic, the signing of the Mayflower Compact, the eventual anchoring off Cape Cod, the extreme hardships and many deaths during that first harsh winter, their friendly and not-so-friendly relations with several Native American tribes who lived in the region . . . even the sorts of games Pilgrim children enjoyed playing.
Many members of the Society of Mayflower Descendants were at the event in period costume, celebrating their ancestors and an important chapter in America’s early history. One gentleman I spoke to had descended directly from William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth Colony!
Here are a few photos of Plimoth Plantation West!
If you are one of the 31 million possible Mayflower descendants worldwide, you can join the General Society of Mayflower Descendants!Someone points to a chart showing the original Mayflower passengers. Less than half survived and made it to the first Thanksgiving in 1621.The Mayflower Compact, signed aboard ship, was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It specified basic laws and social rules for the new colony.This friendly gent was dressed like religious separatist William Brewster, a respected elder and leader of Plymouth Colony.A timeline of Pilgrim history begins with the formation of the Church of England. Puritans sought to eliminate retained Catholic practices. Separatists created secret congregations.One gentleman was demonstrating the use of a quill and inkwell. I learned ink was often made from berry juices, and turkey and goose feathers were primarily used for quills.Educational tools used by the Pilgrims included a Child’s Hornbook, a form of children’s primer containing the letters of the alphabet.Pilgrim children enjoyed simple games and toys, like spinning tops, and small crudely made dolls.The descendants of the Mayflower Pilgrims gather for a special event in San Diego’s always lively Balboa Park!
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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!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
The historic California Tower rises into the blue sky above San Diego’s beautiful Balboa Park.
This morning, at 11:00 am, the carillon bells of Balboa Park’s iconic California Tower chimed twenty-one times. These symbolic Bells of Peace marked the centennial of Armistice Day.
On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, exactly one hundred years ago, World War I finally came to an end.
In the United States, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday that honors American veterans who’ve served their country in war and in peace. So this morning, when the clock struck eleven, on what might be called the 100th anniversary of Veterans Day, a special ceremony accompanied the ringing Bells of Peace. Flags were presented and voices lifted in front of the Museum of Man.
These photographs relive that ceremony…
Bells of Peace rang out for the 100th Anniversary of Veterans Day! A special ceremony was held in front of the San Diego Museum of Man.People gather for a symbolic, emotionally powerful event.Gina Seashore, who plays the carillon inside the California Tower, addresses those who have gathered for the Veterans Day ceremony.The patriotic Color Guard, from Ramona High School’s NJROTC, moves forward as the short ceremony begins.Flags advance to the front of the Museum of Man.
A trio sings the National Anthem.
After the carillon bells ring twenty-one times, Taps is played.
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Dr. Nicolas Reveles of San Diego Opera provides an overview of All Is Calm: the Christmas Truce of 1914.
Yesterday I sat on a folding chair inside the Veterans Museum at Balboa Park blinking my eyes. Several voices singing divinely about our essential humanity had nearly brought me to tears.
I’d just enjoyed a short but stirring preview of San Diego Opera’s upcoming production of All Is Calm: the Christmas Truce of 1914. This unique chamber opera is a mixture of the spoken word and male singing unaccompanied by instruments.
Together voices relive a profound moment during the horrific trench warfare of World War I, when “soldiers from France, England, and Germany ventured into no-man’s land on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Soldiers exchanged food and gifts, swapped prisoners and performed burials, and played football and sang Christmas carols.”
The inspirational opera All is Calm contains no original music. It is composed entirely from music that was popular just before the onset of World War I, hymns and timeless Christmas carols. The actual letters of common soldiers and orders from officers are among the historical texts that are interwoven with song. Young soldiers from both sides, manning hellish trenches that were infested with rats and lice, made even more miserable with winter rain and freezing snow, are moved to walk out into the field of fire, risking their lives, to share a moment of common humanity.
The opera will be staged in early December in downtown’s Balboa Theatre, a smaller and more intimate setting than the San Diego Civic Theatre, where San Diego Opera usually performs. There is some singing in French and German, but the opera is primarily in English. Silent Night is sung in different languages by many voices, which eventually combine and rise together as one. Music moves the human heart like nothing else can.
The brief preview of All Is Calm: the Christmas Truce of 1914 was simply amazing.
It gave me goosebumps.
These smiling ladies welcomed me to the Veterans Museum at Balboa Park, where parts of the opera All Is Calm were previewed.Visitors to the Veterans Museum look at a large mural on one wall before the program begins.One exhibit in the Veterans Museum includes artifacts and ephemera from the First World War. A gas mask speaks of trench warfare’s horrors.Director of All Is Calm, Juan Carlos Acosta, tells the audience about the making of this very unique chamber opera.Historical image of a young man who left home and went off to war in the early 20th century.Juan Carlos Acosta, Timothy Simpson and Walter Dumelle sing together in a short but stirring preview of All Is Calm.All Is Calm: the Christmas Truce of 1914 is an inspiring opera that reminds one and all of our essential humanity. Its music touches the heart.
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Marines march west down El Prado toward the California Tower during the 2015 Garden Party of the Century in Balboa Park.
This Sunday will be the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day.
Armistice Day marks the end of World War One. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 the horrifying “war to end all wars” finally ended. (In 1954, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in the United States.)
On Sunday in Balboa Park something special will take place to honor the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day.
The carillon inside the California Tower will chime at 11:00 am not the usual 11 times, but 21 times. After it chimes 21 times, Taps will be played. An hour later, at noon, the carillon bells will play a medley of WWI songs.
A variety of events in Balboa Park are also planned for Veterans Day weekend.
Several I’ve noted are:
Friday, beginning at 5 pm, at the San Diego Museum of Art. Free admission to the museum, where visitors can see the fantastic Artists at War: American Posters of World War I exhibition. Enjoy artwork and presentations by local veterans groups, the Air and Space Museum, a performance by Westwind Brass, and a screening of the 1938 classic The Dawn Patrol.
Saturday, 3 pm – 4 pm, at the Veterans Museum. A free preview by the San Diego Opera of their upcoming production of All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, which concerns a brief, miraculous “unofficial armistice” that occurred in the trenches during World War One.
Sunday, 11 am – 5:30 pm, at the Balboa Park Carousel. A free ride will be provided to all veterans, active military and their families, courtesy of the Friends of Balboa Park. In addition, the Historical Unit of Southern California will have a special WWI commemoration at eleven o’clock.
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At events around San Diego County, ordinary citizens will honor heroes who’ve served our country. Flags will wave, bands will march, memories will be shared. Handshakes will transmit gratitude.
Over the years I’ve attended a variety of events that celebrate veterans. I’ve also learned of several ways to provide veterans with a little assistance.
Here are links to past blog posts that might interest you…
Photo of traditional voyaging canoe Hikianalia docked at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, with the County Administration Building in the background.
Visitors to the Maritime Museum of San Diego are in for a special treat this weekend!
I noticed during my evening walk along the Embarcadero that the traditional voyaging canoe Hikianalia is visiting from Hawaii. And the public is invited to come aboard for tours!
The Hikianalia, of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, has sailed over 2800 miles across the Pacific Ocean and down the California coast. Crew members are engaging in cultural exchanges and spreading a positive environmental message at every port they visit. The amazing Hikianalia uses sustainable, Earth-friendly technology, including electric motors that are powered by onboard photovoltaic panels.
I hadn’t realized the Hikianalia had arrived a couple days ago, and that Mayor Kevin Faulconer declared October 30, “Hikianalia Day” in San Diego! The canoe’s crew members were greeted by representatives of the Kumeyaay Nation and welcome chants and hula from San Diego’s Hawaiian community.
To see photos of the Hikianalia’s arrival in San Diego and the colorful welcoming ceremony, click here.
After public canoe tours this weekend at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, the Hikianalia will prepare to return to Hawaii in mid-November.
Hikianalia is welcomed to San Diego during its California Voyage. The public can enjoy weekend tours of the technologically advanced Polynesian canoe at the Maritime Museum.Hikianalia docked on San Diego Bay near several historic vessels of the Maritime Museum.
UPDATE!
I stepped aboard the canoe on Sunday!
I learned from a crew member that the canoe primarily uses sail power, but will employ its solar-powered engines when coming into port.
Their ocean voyage has included some research and data collection, including analysis of the fish they catch. DNA is collected and each fish is checked to see whether it has eaten any plastic garbage.
The crew of Hikianalia has also transmitted their positive environmental message to students around the world, working with many schools.
Visitors check out the Hikianalia during its visit to San Diego.This cool dude up on the passenger deck of the Berkeley was playing mellow island music.
As we waited in line, a crew member told us about their current voyage down the California coast, and explained this map of an earlier ocean journey. Their next voyage will be around the Pacific Rim, including a visit to Alaska.Almost to the front of the line!Getting ready to board the Hikianalia.Lots of curious visitors were walking about the wooden deck of the Polynesian voyaging canoe.Everyone had to check out the huge oar-like rudder.Garlands of tropical flowers decorate the bow of Hikianalia.These friendly crew members selling t-shirts smiled for my camera!
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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 2nd Annual Day of the Dead North Park Festival had a couple blocks of Ray Street overflowing with color and life!
Today I checked out the Day of the Dead festival in North Park!
The annual festival, which is only in its second year, was held on two blocks of Ray Street just south of University Avenue. I couldn’t believe the size of the crowd enjoying this relatively modest event celebrating Día de los Muertos!
All of the cherished Day of the Dead traditions could be found, including a large, beautiful altar and lots of face painting, and, of course, some elegantly dressed Catrinas strolling about. There was also abundant Mexican music, themed artwork and yummy food!
This is definitely a festival that should grow in popularity!
Many costumes celebrating Día de los Muertos (and also Halloween) could be seen about the fun North Park festival.Boy poses for photo as a Day of the Dead skeleton with top hat.A traditional Día de los Muertos altar remembers loved ones who’ve passed from this life.Kids and adults could color a calavera, or decorative skull.Lots of Day of the Dead merchandise could be found at various vendor tables about the festival.Some Día de los Muertos items for sale included Catrina dolls, orange marigolds and colorful calaveras.Many faces at the festival had been painted to resemble sugar skulls.Characters from the popular culture have been transformed into these Day of the Dead refrigerator magnets!I see a hanging shirt printed with the image of a Mexican lucha libre mask. Seems appropriate in this photo!Another small altar (or ofrenda) includes photos of deceased loved ones, papel picado, and pan de muerto.Mariachis performed joyful music for the crowd at one end of the city block.Día de los Muertos is celebrated in North Park. It’s a new local tradition that promises to grow even more popular!
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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!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
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