Tag: events

Superhero, Star Wars, Mario donuts for Comic-Con!

A super cool San Diego Comic-Con tradition will continue in 2023! San Diego’s world-famous Donut Bar will be offering unique (and tasty) donuts that have to be seen to be believed!

The collection of donuts to be offered this year was previewed today. Joining Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman donuts are new edible creations that represent Captain America and Spider-Man. And there are Yoda and R2-D2 donuts to represent Star Wars. And, given the popularity of the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie, there are donuts for fans of Mario, too!

There are gold token donuts that work kind of like Willy Wonka’s Golden Tickets. Turn a token over, discover an image of Mario, and you win a trip to Universal Studios! There’s also a cool donut that features a replica of the most valuable Pokémon collectible card! And many more!

You’ll be able to grab some of these awesome donuts during Comic-Con, from Thursday to Sunday, at the Donut Bar downtown location (631 B Street), and in the heart of the Gaslamp at a pop-up shop inside the Pendry Hotel (550 J Street)!

Chef Santiago of the Donut Bar is smiling as usual.

Spidey is clinging to a yummy donut!

8-bit Mario for fans of old school video games.

Wonder Woman.

Yoda.

Look who welcomed yours truly to the Donut Bar. Princess Peach!

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I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

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!

Fun photos of Comic-Con preparation in San Diego!

With one week to go in San Diego until the start of Comic-Con 2023, preparations around downtown are accelerating!

More building wraps are appearing in the Gaslamp Quarter and near the San Diego Convention Center. Glimpses of outside pop ups and other fun stuff can now be observed, such as the above smiling chicken . . . or is that someone trying out a Cluckin’ Bell costume?

You might remember Cluckin’ Bell from the Grand Theft Auto video games. You’ll be able to visit a living replica of the fast food joint during Comic-Con. Cluckin’ Bell will be taking over Smokin J’s barbeque restaurant at 751 Fourth Avenue.

Please enjoy photographs I took today during a very long walk around Comic-Con’s outdoor “campus” in San Diego.

First up, I learned that internationally renowned graffiti artist RISK will be showing his artwork at Exclusive Collections Gallery in the Gaslamp at 621 Fifth Avenue. You can meet the artist the Friday and Saturday of Comic-Con week, from 5-9 pm. Here’s a photo of RISK’s Taz…

Posters advertising Twisted Metal on peacock are now all over the Gaslamp Quarter…

The Super Mario Bros. Movie art on the windows of Sweet Things Frozen Yogurt becomes ever more colorful…

Workers getting ready for Comic-Con 2023 clean up trash near the trolley tracks along Harbor Drive…

So many San Diego Trolley cars now have Comic-Con wraps that entire 3-car trains often display the same fun graphics…

Multiple building wraps can now be viewed in the Gaslamp…

The stylish Interview With The Vampire building wrap on the Hilton Gaslamp is pretty awesome…

A big wrap promoting Paramount+ show Yellowjackets is being applied to one side of the Hard Rock Hotel…

Look what has appeared on the Omni Hotel! That looks like Stewie of Family Guy!

And on another side of the Omni, I see Lisa of The Simpsons playing sax!

The Good Omens 2 building wrap I blogged about yesterday appears about done…

Right next to it another wrap is going up. Probably another Amazon Prime Video show…

Finally, here’s a new building wrap being applied to the Pendry San Diego hotel…

What show is this?

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I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

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!

Vampire theatre and early Comic-Con omens!

Will Comic-Con 2023 goers be able to enjoy the entertainment provided by Vampire Theatre? If the early appearance of graphics applied to the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter hotel are any indication, perhaps!

I walked around this evening and captured more photographs of pre-Comic-Con activity. Perhaps you saw my previous blog post where I shared photos of building wraps that are materializing all over!

Here come a few more photos from my latest walk.

Interview With The Vampire is being applied to one window of the Hilton Gaslamp.

That Amazon Prime Video building wrap at Fifth Avenue and K Street has expanded during the afternoon. Friendly workers putting up the graphics told me the entire Hilton Gaslamp and this building adjoining it on Fifth Avenue will be completely wrapped on every side.

That wrap above when competed will advertise Good Omens 2. I got the following picture of a sample showing how it will appear. You can see where building windows will be in relation to the graphics…

And on the San Diego Convention Center side of the Hard Rock Hotel, a wrap is going up that promotes Yellowjackets on Paramount+ . . .

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I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

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!

Building wraps appear for Comic-Con 2023!

The first building wraps are being put up in downtown San Diego for Comic-Con 2023!

I noticed several promotional wraps this afternoon during a walk around the Gaslamp Quarter and San Diego Convention Center.

I’ll probably head out this evening to see what progress has been made. I’ll provide an update!

First, check out this huge wrap on the Park 12 high-rise. It promotes Special Ops: Lioness on Paramount+ . . .

Next, I noticed the Hilton Gaslamp will apparently be the site of an Interview With The Vampire on AMC activation. Vampire theatre, anyone?

Across Fifth Avenue, I saw a building wrap near the top of the Hard Rock Hotel. It promotes Yellowjackets on Paramount+ . . .

Another wrap is beginning to appear on the convention center side of the Hard Rock Hotel . . .

Lastly, looks like Amazon Prime Video will have a promotional building wrap at Fifth Avenue and K Street . . .

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I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

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!

Spider-Man clings to a San Diego trolley!

Spider-Man was observed in San Diego today clinging to the side of a moving trolley! Well, two Spider-Men to be exact. Peter Parker and Miles Morales!

A very cool new trolley wrap that will run during Comic-Con 2023 promotes the upcoming Spider-Man 2 action-adventure video game, which will be available on PlayStation 5.

On Thursday, July 20, at Comic-Con, “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2” will have its own Hall H panel hosted by Insomniac Games called Symbiotic Relationships. It seems the symbiote will play an important role in the game!

According to the Insomniac Games website, Spider-Man 2 will include Venom, the ruthless Kraven the Hunter, the volatile Lizard and many more.

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I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

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!

Super Mario art appears outside Comic-Con!

Comic-Con 2023 is almost here! Fun art has begun to appear in the windows of Sweet Things Frozen Yogurt at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, near the San Diego Convention Center!

Shirish Villaseñor (@shirishtheartist) started sketching Super Mario characters on the Sweet Things Frozen Yogurt shop windows today. She’ll be adding color and detail in the days ahead. I’ll post updates as I capture new photos!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a blockbuster earlier this year, so this artwork outside the world’s most amazing pop culture event is timely! Is that Bowser playing the piano? How many characters do you recognize?

Because Comic-Con is ten days away, my blog will now switch into 100% “Comic-Con mode.” I’ll post photos as I discover new Comic-Con stuff while walking around downtown San Diego.

If Comic-Con isn’t your cup of tea, fear not. More typical Cool San Diego Sights blog posts will resume when the big international event concludes!

UPDATE!

A couple days later, I found Shirish at work!

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I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

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!

4th of July returns to Old Town San Diego!

An amazing Independence Day celebration was enjoyed today at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park!

It has been four years since the last 4th of July event of this magnitude in the State Park. That’s because of COVID and its unfortunate impacts on the park. But Old Town’s celebration of our nation’s birthday is back!

Many families turned out for the free fun. There were tables with crafts, a bluegrass band, historical demonstrations, authentic costumes, and old-fashioned games for the kids. The event provided a taste of how Independence Day might have been celebrated in early San Diego, back in the mid-19th century.

To all the people who make Old Town San Diego State Historic Park so wonderful–thank you!

A big 4th of July banner on the Robinson-Rose House, the State Park’s Information Center.

Lots of folks were kicking back on the grassy, shady central plaza.

Kids were enjoying crafts under some canopies.

The Hot Pursuit Band plays old-time bluegrass music.

One table concerned the living descendants of early San Diego.

A visitor learns how thousands of people now living in San Diego have descended from the first residents of Old Town.

If you’d like to investigate the genealogy of San Diego families, check out this website.

To learn about the Descendants of Early San Diego, check out this website!

A look into the past of San Diego.

Spinning on the porch of Threads of the Past.

This year’s “Sanitary Commission” quilt at Threads of the Past. The colorful blocks were sewn by kids.

What did San Diego look like in 1776? I chose the most barren-looking photo. The only structure back then was a 1769 Spanish fort, El Presidio Real de San Diego.

A perfect Fourth of July afternoon for a picnic in the plaza near the historic Casa de Estudillo.

Nostalgic games on the plaza included wheelbarrow races.

As usual, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park’s active Blacksmith Shop drew a crowd.

A smile in the garden of La Casa de Estudillo.

And another smile in the courtyard!

Celebrate the USA. Happy 4th!

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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 Twitter!

One Piece and The Creator banners appear for Comic-Con!

Promotional banners are popping up near the San Diego Convention Center as Comic-Con 2023 rapidly approaches!

I spotted a huge ONE PIECE banner attached to the Hilton San Diego Bayfront parking garage. ONE PIECE is an American-Japanese streaming television series developed by Matt Owens and Steven Maeda for Netflix. It’s scheduled to premiere on August 31, 2023.

I also spotted many street lamp banners that have been hung across Harbor Drive from the convention center. They include the Comic-Con logo and promote The Creator, an upcoming 2023 science fiction action movie about humankind’s fight against artificial intelligence. Sounds a bit like the Terminator films. The Director, Gareth Edwards, is known for directing Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The Creator is scheduled to be released in the United States on September 29, 2023.

UPDATE!

Dozens of new The Creator banners were seen along Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter during a Fourth of July walk!

UPDATE!

Here’s a pic of the ONE PIECE banner more brightly illuminated…

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I’ll be covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

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!

Independence Day celebration in Balboa Park!

Independence Day was celebrated in San Diego today, a couple days before the Fourth of July! The House of USA of Balboa Park’s International Cottages hosted a special Sunday afternoon lawn program that featured speeches, dancing, food and fun!

After peering into the House of USA cottage for a moment, I checked out a patriotic display by the Sons of the American Revolution San Diego Chapter, then joined the gathered audience holding my camera at the ready.

The most powerful part of the program were speeches by various House of Pacific Relations International Cottages members. They explained how people from many nations–not just France and Spain–helped the United States in its historic battle for independence.

Incidentally, tomorrow, July 3, a special organ concert will be held at Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion. At 7:30 pm, renowned organist Robert York will be performing American classics, including music by George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin! It’s part of the 35th Annual San Diego International Organ Festival. Bring the whole family! It’s free!

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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 Twitter!

Young person’s concert in Balboa Park to help homeless!

Eva Mather, young vocalist, singer and actress, will be performing in San Diego at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park on Friday, November 24, 2023. Her concert will benefit a project that helps those who are homeless.

Today she sang the National Anthem at Balboa Park’s International Cottages, as the “Independence Day of United States of America” program began. Her powerful voice soared.

Eva has performed at diverse events around San Diego–most recently at the San Diego County Fair. She is also a Princess representing the House of China of the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages.

Youthful optimism, energy and ambition will be taking the stage! Why not make a note on your calendar?

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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 Twitter!