Enjoy some fun photos taken early this afternoon at the East Village Opening Weekend Block Party! The 2026 MLB baseball season has begun and our San Diego Padres have high hopes.
Lots of fans were wandering up and down several blocks of J Street just north of Petco Park. There was live music, dogs dressed like Padres fans, cool lowriders in a row, food, kids making swag chains, a spray paint artist, and even a wiffleball derby!
Too much fun!
The House of Ireland in Balboa Park hosted their lawn program today, two days before St. Patrick’s Day.
As usual, there was a lot of green, Irish food, Irish dance and Irish fun!
A big crowd on the lawn enjoyed the sunshine anticipating exciting cultural entertainment. Irish stew was being served at the House of Ireland cottage. Tasty baked goods, too!
The cultural program began in earnest at two o’clock. A festive procession onto the lawn and up to the stage was led by the bagpipers and drummers of The Cameron Highlanders. Several dancing groups in colorful traditional costume would follow them.
Soon thereafter, the Irish dancing would begin!
Dancers young and old, including members of several academies of Irish dance, would kick it up on the stage. Reels, jigs and hornpipes had the performers moving energetically to the rhythm of live music.
Enjoy a few photos…
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San Diego Pysanka Festival 2026 was held today in Balboa Park. The event was hosted by the House of Ukraine. Participants gathered in the Santa Fe Room at the Balboa Park Club building.
What is Pysanka? It the tradition of egg decoration in Slavic cultures. You’ve no doubt observed beautifully, intricately decorated eggs in museums or elsewhere. The San Diego Pysanka Festival allowed visitors to view the craft up close, learn its history, purchase finished eggs, and even participate in pysanka creation workshops!
As this Wikipedia article explains: The pysanka (Ukrainian: писанка, писанки (pl.)) itself, a wax-resist type egg, is one of Ukraine’s national symbols, and is known throughout the world.
Why the festival now? It’s almost spring and Easter is coming. These are the original Easter eggs!
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A big San Diego event today! It’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival 2026!
The parade this morning was as epic as ever, lasting well over an hour as it headed through Bankers Hill. The festival is taking place on the west side of Balboa Park, near Laurel Street.
Everyone was wearing green–parade participants and those lining the sidewalks cheering them on.
Irish organizations were front and center, with Irish clubs and societies and dance school students strutting their stuff. Law enforcement and fire fighters were a huge presence, too. There were Shriner clowns, high school marching bands, Irish setters, Irish wolfhounds, roller skaters doing their routine, cars decorated with shamrocks, dignitaries, beauty queens, ballet folklorico dancers, fierce Vikings in their longship, happy leprechauns . . . you name it!
I took many photos before the parade and during it. These are some of my better shots…
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San Diego Wave FC held their 2026 Season kick-off rally this evening in Balboa Park! A bunch of fans came together at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion to root for the team and make great memories!
Activations around the pavilion included unique giveaways, a merchandise station, kids activity station, and numerous photo ops. The San Diego Sirens independent supporters group was present. So was Forever Balboa Park. Upbeat music gave the event a fun, festival vibe.
When the players filed into the pavilion around 5:30, everyone cheered! The players would then pose for photos with fans at the different stations, and even autograph posters and clothing before photos were taken.
I saw many families. Young ladies were particularly excited to see their sports idols.
San Diego Wave FC is celebrating their fifth year. They’ll have their Home Opener in several days at Snapdragon Stadium.
The club made the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs last year. Hopefully in 2026 they’ll have even more success!
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It’s 2026, the Year of the Horse! Chinese New Year was celebrated all this weekend in Balboa Park!
With plenty of tradition, food and cultural entertainment, the House of China hosted their big Balboa Park Chinese New Year Fair at the International Cottages!
I arrived late this afternoon, shortly after the festival got underway. The Southern Sea Dragon and Lion Dance Association were entertaining a large crowd, bringing everyone good luck.
After the National Anthem was sung by young Norah Lu, students from the San Diego Wushu Center performed up on the stage. Their Chinese martial arts performances were incredible. Some of the students looked like Jet Li, effortlessly jumping and twisting their bodies in mid-air, wowing the audience. Very exciting!
I took some photos. My current, too-old PowerShot camera seems to be on its last legs, but I managed to capture some good images that convey the colorful atmosphere…
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A big Lunar New Year celebration is taking place this weekend in City Heights. The Year of the Horse–Fire Horse to be exact–is charging into San Diego!
The Fire Horse in the Chinese zodiac represents energy, excitement. Walking through the event as it got underway today, I could feel the energy. It would be a very fun day for many families!
Lion dancers were already performing to the delight of kids. Many booths, displays and food vendors were set up and ready.
The event is being held at Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park. For more info concerning the free festival, a celebration of San Diego’s Little Saigon, read the banner in my next photo…
Whale Watch Festival 2026 will be held tomorrow at Cabrillo National Monument, Saturday, January 10th, 9 am to 4 pm.
Visitors to the National Park will have panoramic views of passing whales from the high Kelp Forest and Whale Overlook. During the day there will be exhibitors, speakers and activities, and people with good eyes pointing out distant spouts and flukes.
It’s now the peak of the winter migration of gray whales from Alaska to Baja California. I’ve heard reports of many sightings off our coast.
I’ll be busy elsewhere tomorrow, so I headed to Cabrillo National Monument today to see what I might see.
I noticed the tall ship America out on the wide Pacific Ocean. Assuming it was on a whale watching excursion, I watched the water in its vicinity for a while. I think I glimpsed a spout. An expert at my elbow would’ve helped me with sightings!
It was a beautiful sunny day and the weather should be the same for the festival. If you go, have fun!
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I saw Mrs. Claus today! She was reading a storybook at the big, colorful Holiday in the Village event in downtown La Mesa!
I also saw multiple Santas, a couple Grinches, lots of Christmas trees, families and kids having tons of fun, and vendors selling food and festive gifts along several blocks of La Mesa Boulevard! A stage featured entertainment, and an ice rink featured slippery fun!
(Unrelated, but I also saw a poster in a window indicating the La Mesa landmark arch sign is now being fabricated!)
Look! A friendly writer!
Reina Salome is an author of inspirational fiction and poetry. One of her books is Finding Christmas in the Heart. Check out her stuff on Amazon by clicking here.
Be Merry and Bright!
These kids who love sewing made amazing “travel dollhouses” that festival-goers could purchase!
Check out their “My Darling Home” creations on Instagram here!
Smiles from The Salvation Army Kroc Center!
Feeling inspired this holiday season? Help them do good in the community by clicking here!
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December Nights has arrived!
I walked around Balboa Park this afternoon and into the early evening. There were so many colorful sights to be seen in San Diego’s big holiday festival…
First up, a couple of Santa’s helpers with Save Starlight smiled for my camera. If you’d like to help this worthy organization revive the historic Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park, please check out their website here.
I was completely surprised to find a honest-to-goodness live reindeer! His name is Murphy. He’s visiting San Diego from Wild Things/Conservation Ambassadors.
Checking out Spanish Village Art Center during December Nights…
This beautiful little Christmas tree was created by artist Helen Munroe, who works out of Studio 34B and 25 in Spanish Village.
Okay, what was going on in the Plaza de Panama?
What was going on at the International Cottages?
I swung by the Spreckels Organ Pavilion when the Peninsula Singers were performing on the stage by the big Christmas tree…
Folks were checking out the Community Christmas Center nativity scenes…
I bought a soda at the Gingerbread House.
Entry to the San Diego Natural History Center was free, so I had to check it out. There’s a dinosaur Santa!
And a Homo sapiens Santa (and friends) by the elevator!
View of Plaza de Balboa and Bea Evenson Fountain from the museum rooftop. December Nights is just getting underway…
Now I checked out the Festival of Trees in the Casa del Prado. The theme for 2025 is Rooted in Wonder!
This cool gentleman is with San Diego Civic Dance Arts. Youth would perform on the nearby stage later in the evening.
Inside the Municipal Gymnasium, families were lined up to greet Santa Claus at the North Pole!
Dozens of food vendors filled the Palisades parking lot!
Superheroes greet visitors to the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park during December Nights!
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Cool San Diego Sights! 