Those in San Diego who love The Sound of Music, rejoice! The timeless musical will be playing in Balboa Park next Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater!
I was sitting on a bench at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion reading a book this afternoon when the full cast unexpectedly assembled on the stage for a photograph!
My camera got busy, too!
This uplifting Sound of Music production involves members of the Santa Sophia Catholic Church in Spring Valley. Everyone up on the stage wore a big smile!
If you want to enjoy next weekend’s performance, check out their website by clicking here.
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
This evening, Mexican Independence Day is being celebrated in Little Italy. Cultural performances, including lots of colorful folklorico dancing, can be enjoyed in front of San Diego’s Mexican Consulate. A good crowd had gathered for the event shortly after it began, as you can see in my photographs!
If you read this in time, the Mexican Independence Day celebration will continue on the 1500 block of India Street until 9 pm tonight!
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
The 27th Annual Exhibition of 7 Printmakers has opened in San Diego. The public is invited to enjoy the work of seven master printmakers inside Gallery 21 at Balboa Park’s Spanish Village Art Center. The free exhibition will be short-lived, however. Make sure to see it by September 25, 2023.
The art on display is extraordinary. You’ll observe pieces created using several different processes of printmaking. There’s the woodcut, wood-engraving, collograph, etching, engraving, drypoint, aquatint, lithograph and serigraph.
All of these many, often complicated printing techniques boggled my mind, even as friendly artist Angelika Villagrana provided a detailed explanation of various processes.
The seven artists with fine work on display are: Raymond Brownfield, Jacqueline Dotson, Igor Koutsenko, Kathleen McCord, Sfona Pelah, Julianne Ricksecker and Angelika Villagrana. They’ve been exhibiting together for many years now!
If you’re looking to purchase some very fine art, swing on by. There’s much that you can choose from.
An opening reception will be held in Gallery 21 this coming Sunday, September 17, from 4 – 7 pm.
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Do you love art that is bold, energetic and unabashedly fun? If so, there’s an art exhibition in Escondido that you should check out. It’s titled Nan Coffey: Positively Animated!
Step into the museum at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido through November 5, 2023 and you’ll discover a gallery splashed with swirling words and images. Guitars, clothing, furniture, canvases and walls are positively covered with pop culture references. You’ll find homages to Rock and Roll and Southern California subcultures in particular.
The San Diego based artist Nan Coffey has a unique style which she calls Art All Over. As you can see from my photos, lively art covers every surface of those objects she decorates. Her work promotes connectivity, inclusivity, and love while drawing inspiration from her childhood obsessions with music, cinema, television, and pop culture. Let your eyes wander up, down, right and left and her animated art seems to have no boundary and no end.
It’s hard to adequately describe her work without actually seeing it. Here’s a small taste…
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Enjoy this fun collection of photographs taken during yesterday’s big Grape Day Festival in Escondido!
The family-friendly event, which is held in downtown’s grassy Grape Day Park, celebrates Escondido history and this North County city’s reputation for grape growing. The festival originated way back in 1908 and for the first half of the 20th century it rivaled Pasadena’s Festival of Roses in popularity.
Following the COVID pandemic of a few years ago, the Grape Day Festival is now back in full swing, with a large crowd enjoying grape stomping, historical displays and lots of old-fashioned entertainment!
I wandered about taking it all in. One could listen to jazz, bluegrass and mariachi music, explore exhibits along the park’s History Center, check out old vehicles and farm machinery, observe a milking demonstration, and meet lots of cool people who are involved throughout the community! Plenty of tasty food and games for kids and pony rides, too!
If you love nostalgia and a generous slice of Americana, this festival is for you!
Anybody could stomp some grapes provided by the Bernardo Winery.Yummy food by the Wine and Beer Tasting Garden!I learned there is an Old Escondido Historic District. It is the only residential Historic District in North San Diego County. Visit their website here.Several antique vehicles on display.A very cool 1949 Ford woodie.Kids learn how to dust for fingerprints behind a Crime Scene Investigation vehicle.Smiles at the Vietnam Veterans of America booth.Kids learn about native snakes at the San Dieguito River Park booth.The Escondido Public Library features a Pioneer Room, where anyone can search a local history archive for old documents, photographs and more. Go to their website here.Brightly smiling Escondido royalty pose for a photo.The San Diego Archaeological Center was on hand for the festival. I still haven’t visited their museum in nearby San Pasqual Valley. Check out their website here.The Wa$xayam Pomki Museum of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians had cultural displays at their booth. They are one of the Grape Day Festival sponsors. Their website is here.Lots of demonstrations could be viewed along the Escondido History Center’s Heritage Walk.A family learning about blacksmithing at the Tom Bandy Blacksmith Shop.Pre-Columbian methods for preparing corn.Antique machines used to grind corn.I placed a dried corn cob in here and turned the crank!Grape Day banners on the fence in front of the History Center’s Victorian House.Hollandia dairy, based in San Diego’s North County, brought two cows and a goat for milking demonstrations.Beautiful color at a wonderful community festival.
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
This afternoon a wonderful event in downtown Escondido celebrated the debut of new public art. The 2023 season of the Esco Alley Art project unveiled twelve colorful new murals by local artists! These new outdoor murals can be found in the alley just south of Grand Avenue, between Juniper and Kalmia Streets.
A good crowd turned out to see the new artwork and meet the artists. Many activities were enjoyed by families, including a photo booth, music and a kids art station. The event also celebrated Escondido Mayor Dane White’s birthday!
It was thrilling to see so many people excited by these new additions to the long alley. Earlier seasons of Esco Alley Art placed dozens of other murals in the same alley, starting two blocks to the west of these. Unfortunately, the murals of the 2021 season will soon be removed, as the renovation of a building at that location gets underway.
I learned all of the artwork is donated freely to the Esco Alley Art project by the artists. The murals depict many different subjects, reflecting the diversity of Escondido itself. In this one magical alley the visions of many inspired people come together.
There are plans for many new seasons of art, with future murals perhaps filling other alleys!
Learn about all of the murals created so far by checking out the Esco Alley Art gallery page here. Better yet, head to downtown Escondido to experience all of this amazing creativity with your own eyes!
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
It seems new public art keeps appearing non-stop in Escondido!
This Saturday, a dozen brand new Esco Alley Art murals will debut at 4:00 pm in the alley south of Grand Avenue between Kalmia and Juniper. The public is invited!
And, of course, this same Saturday the big Grape Day Festival will take place in Grape Day Park near the Escondido Civic Center. I’m sure lots of art will be on display. I plan to be there, too!
I still have some photographs on my computer from my last Escondido adventure about a month ago. They are of murals that were painted on two walls bordering the walkway between the California Center for the Arts, Escondido and a parking lot to the north. The murals were created by @LovePaperPaint. The artwork celebrates many things one can experience at this regional cultural center.
Here are the mural photos:
You can see the murals that previously decorated these same two walls by clicking here!
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
A lively, joyful celebration of Ukrainian culture was held today in San Diego. The House of Ukraine’s big Ukrainian Festival drew an enthusiastic crowd to the International Cottages in Balboa Park!
Several artists on the lawn smiled and showed their art for sale. A couple of booths raised money for charitable causes. Much of the money raised during the festival would go toward providing relief to war-torn Ukraine.
After grabbing authentic Ukrainian food, such as kovbasa sandwiches and varenyky, families sat on the lawn and watched folk dancing and listened to traditional music.
I took these photographs…
A big crowd gathered at Balboa Park’s International Cottages for the House of Ukraine’s 2023 lawn program.Sales of treats at one table raised money for the Ukrainian School of San Diego.Two smiling artists were selling great artwork with a Ukraine theme.Cheerful artwork by Svitlana Ivasyuk includes sunflowers.Fun artwork by Orysya Barua includes traditional Ukrainian dress.
The next two people you see were raising money to help Ukraine during its present difficulties.
On the left is Daniel Bondarenko, who was promoting Healing Scalpel. The organization is sending medical supplies to Ukrainian field hospitals during the war.
On the right is artist Kateryna Marchuk. Sales of her art go to emergency supplies for Ukraine. Check out her fine art here.
People walk around the House of Ukraine cottage.Signs around the cottage concern the invasion of Ukraine and the defense of Freedom.A big line waits to purchase Ukrainian food during the festival.Lots of tasty items on the menu!Some crafts and souvenirs for sale. Money raised helps Ukraine.House of Ukraine’s rock band u3zubmusic performs before the 2 o’clock cultural program begins.Chamber Music Ensemble of the University of San Diego performs the Ukrainian National Anthem and other traditional songs on stage.Here come the folk dancers! They are the Chervona Kalyna Ukrainian Dance Group out of Los Angeles.Performing a joyful Welcoming Dance.A hospitable welcome includes a big loaf of bread!Young people dressed as Cossacks arrive.Ukrainians love dancing!The audience is then treated to traditional Bandura music.Soulful singing during the 2023 Ukrainian Festival in 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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
A little San Diego drizzle on an early September morning couldn’t stop 16 stickball teams from battling for The Jillie Championship Trophy!
Three days of competition during Labor Day weekend, on three asphalt “fields” in Little Italy, will determine the ultimate champion. Teams have traveled to San Diego from New York, Florida and Puerto Rico to have their name engraved as winners on The Jillie!
I walked down to Little Italy this morning to view several hard-fought games. Batters were concentrating, smashing the ball, sprinting, or sadly fouling or striking out. Fielders were making great catches and throws, occasionally flubbing or misfiring. Taunts and encouragement filled the air as a brotherhood of stickball players shook hands, win or lose.
Head down to Little Italy in downtown San Diego all this Labor Day weekend to watch the action for yourself! You’ll find the main field of battle in front of the San Diego Firehouse Museum at the intersection of Columbia Street and Cedar Street.
Enjoy these photographs…
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
A patriotic Massing of the Colors event is returning to San Diego this October. The grand procession of flags will feature from 40 to 50 Color Guards from around our region, and will honor Vietnam Veterans, as 2023 marks the 50th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
The 67th Annual Massing of the Colors and Service of Remembrance, presented by the San Diego Chapter of The Military Order of the World Wars, is free and open to the public. The many Color Guards will assemble in Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion on October 14th, and the ceremony will commence at 10:30 am.
This year is also the 125th Anniversary of the famous march Stars and Stripes Forever. John Philip Sousa marches will be played by San Diego Civic Organist Raul Prieto Ramírez during the procession as it enters and exits the pavilion. The event is co-sponsored by the Spreckels Organ Society.
If you know of a Color Guard in San Diego that would like to participate, use the contact email shown in the graphic below.
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Cool San Diego Sights! 