Tag: events

Big Brother is watching you at Comic-Con!

In San Diego, during Comic-Con 2024, you can run but you cannot hide from Big Brother! That’s because he’ll be watching you from the latest Comic-Con trolley wrap that promotes Audible originals: George Orwell’s 1984 and The Safe Man!

Both popular adaptations offer Audible listeners top voice talent, such as Andrew Garfield, Tom Hardy, and Jack Quaid.

Who isn’t familiar with the dystopian, authoritarian future presented in the classic novel 1984? In our current age of digital surveillance, the story’s chilling warning seems more pertinent than ever. The nicely timed photograph above is thought-provoking, don’t you think?

The Safe Man is an eerie supernatural thriller from New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly. Dare you listen?

I captured these photographs this afternoon after a visit to San Diego’s very cool Comic-Con Museum. Comic-Con 2024 is coming up in a few weeks! Stay tuned!

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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

A maypole and Swedish fun in Balboa Park!

The House of Sweden celebrated their nation’s culture today during a lawn program at Balboa Park’s International Cottages. The fun event included Swedish folk costumes, traditional dancing, pop music, and a wild summer dance around a maypole!

The event began with a festive procession, and a demonstration of the colorful folk costumes worn by House of Sweden members. I learned many of the handmade costumes represent different provinces in Sweden.

Then the Balboa Park Dancers entertained the crowd with various Swedish folk dances. Many of the old dances involve courtship. A couple of the dances stimulated laughter with their good-natured, bawdy humor.

Between folk dance performances, the Happy Strummers–a collection of mostly ukulele playing musicians–rocked the crowd with three ABBA hits: Waterloo, Dancing Queen and Mama Mia. The audience provided several dancing queens!

Then the grand finale! Nearly everyone watching the lawn program joined hands around the flower-bedecked maypole and began the crazy Små Grodorna frog dance!

It was a perfect summer’s day!

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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.

Lemon Grove Art and Photo Contest!

Do you live in Lemon Grove? Do you love to create original art or take photographs? The Lemon Grove Art & Photo Contest is now accepting entries at the Lemon Grove Library!

I learned today that the free contest has just opened. So you’re hearing about it early. The public is invited to submit entries to the library by mid-August. The theme of the contest is What does Lemon Grove mean to you?

Entered works of art and photographs will be displayed inside San Diego County’s Lemon Grove Branch Library through August 31, 2024, and winners will receive a valuable gift card! I was told there will likely be multiple winners!

Whether you’re young or old, why not go for it? You can learn more and get your entry forms at the library’s front desk, where friendly staff members will be glad to help you. Do you know families that lives in Lemon Grove? Pass the word!

(By the way, the beautiful graphic on the above flyer is from a mural that was painted recently by the library’s entrance. I’ll be posting photos of this colorful new mural next!)

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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.

A fun Abbott Elementary trolley for Comic-Con!

The third trolley wrap to appear in San Diego for Comic-Con 2024 promotes the ABC television series Abbott Elementary. And you can’t possibly miss it!

The fun circus graphics refer to the Abbott Elementary A.V.A. Fest (or A Very Abbott Festival), which originated in a classic episode in the show’s second season.

Critically acclaimed through its first three seasons, Abbott Elementary has been renewed for a fourth season. The humorous interactions of its well-rounded characters has kept the good-natured sitcom fresh and enjoyable!

Check out these photos taken today, about a month before the start of San Diego Comic-Con.

Excited 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.

Win a historic, handmade quilt this Fourth of July!

You can win a valuable and historic handmade quilt in Old Town San Diego this coming Fourth of July!

The beautiful quilt has an antique Churn Dash top that was probably made in the 1890s or early 20th century. It was purchased in 2015 and finished by volunteers at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, while sitting on the front porch of the Threads of the Past building. Perhaps you saw these ladies dressed in old fashioned garb during a visit. While talking to passersby and explaining their stitching, they carefully applied cotton batting and a reproduction blue cotton backing.

The quilt’s mostly red, white and blue pattern has other fun names: Monkey Wrench, Hole in the Barn Door, and Hens and Chickens! The quilt can presently be seen inside the State Park’s Robinson-Rose House Visitor Center. That’s where you can purchase your opportunity drawing tickets, too!

One dollar purchases one ticket for the Fourth of July quilt raffle; five dollars will get you six tickets. The big jar containing tickets wasn’t terribly full when I saw it today, so your chances might be fairly good at winning!

The proceeds from the raffle will help fund Living History programs at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. You need not be present to win!

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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.

Surf, rock and smiles at Switchfoot Bro-Am!

The Switchfoot Bro-Am was held today on Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. The popular surfing and live music Beach Fest celebrated its 20th anniversary!

Back in 2005, internationally famous rock band Switchfoot, whose members grew up in San Diego surfing and making music, held their first Bro-Am on the beach. They started Bro-Am to help local, at-risk youth, and lift them up.

Since then, the surf competition and musical offerings have grown. I saw thousands out enjoying the day today, sunbathing on blankets before the main stage, wandering about the sand, playing, watching surfing action, and checking out the booths of various charities that benefit from this wonderful event. I saw folks from Rady Children’s Hospital, Feeding San Diego, the Monarch School and the Challenged Athletes Foundation! (Just a few.)

At heart, Bro-Am is about celebrating kids. They represent our future. And lots of kids were out on the sand, having a blast!

The Rob Machado Bro-Junior surf competition was for younger athletes. A second smaller stage featured youthful performers from the School of Rock.

I didn’t hang around long enough to hear Switchfoot perform–as I left for the Coaster train station to head back home, the great group Jettee was up on the main stage rocking the beach!

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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.

Eagle Scout project raises ocean safety awareness.

Chet Kinzelberg has embarked on an important Eagle Scout project. He will be creating an Ocean Safety Awareness booth on June 22nd and 23rd at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas.

Today he and other Scouts from Troop 766 were offering cookies and tasty treats to raise funds for the project. I got a cookie and these smiling photos as I walked down a sidewalk, just before entering the Switchfoot Bro-Am surf and music event on Moonlight Beach. (Photos from the big event coming up.)

At his Ocean Safety Awareness booth, Chet will be handing out free cards that provide information for beachgoers. You can see one side of the card in my next photo. There will also be a prize wheel and a raffle for AirPods.

It’s great to see young people cheerfully working to make this world a better place! Those chocolate chip cookies were great, too!

If you’d like to learn how to have a safe beach day in Encinitas and the conditions right now, click this link. Then bookmark that page for your next beach trip!

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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.

San Diego Comic-Con trolley becomes Snowpiercer!

The Snowpiercer train was seen moving through San Diego today!

The second trolley wrap for Comic-Con 2024 promotes the popular drama, whose fourth season will premier in July on AMC!

As I snapped a several photos at a trolley station, I recognized new cast members, particularly Clark Gregg, whose well-known visage has appeared in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Avengers, Thor, and umpteen other MCU movies. (He’s not a robot, is he? Just kidding.)

Well, come to think of it, I doubt this was the actual Snowpiercer train, seeing how there weren’t hundreds of cars barreling along, and no snow whatsoever to be seen in sunny San Diego…

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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.

Wooden Boat Festival this Father’s Day weekend!

Looking for something great to do this coming Father’s Day weekend? The 33rd Annual Wooden Boat Festival is taking place next Saturday and Sunday on Shelter Island!

Sons, daughters and fathers will enjoy exploring dozens of beautiful wooden vessels, large and small, docked at the Koehler Kraft boat building company. There will be a wide array of incredible vintage wooden boats that have been beautifully maintained and restored.

It’s the premier event of its kind in Southern California. Visitors will be able to board many of the wooden craft and be awed by the fine craftsmanship.

I enjoyed the festival seven years ago and took these photographs.

Tickets are very affordable and kids are about half price, so you can bring the whole family. There will be artists, live music, food and raffles, and all proceeds from the event go to benefit the Sea Scouts.

Visit the Wooden Boat Festival website here to learn more!

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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.

Ghosts materialize on a Comic-Con trolley!

An odd collection of ghosts has materialized on a San Diego Trolley for Comic-Con 2024!

The first trolley wrap for San Diego Comic-Con this year features three shows that can be viewed on Paramount+. Let the fun begin!

Ghosts is a comedy that has been renewed for a fourth season. Perhaps the deceased characters became tired of haunting the same old place for so many years, and decided to startle trolley riders in San Diego!

This new wrap on a trolley car also includes promotional images for Elsbeth and Tracker.

I wonder if Justin Hartley will use some of his tracking skills acquired while wielding a bow and arrow as Oliver Queen in Smallville? Just kidding. I liked Smallville.

I’ve got my eyes open for new Comic-Con trolley wraps!

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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.