Tag: festivals

Art and creativity at Goldenpalooza!

Art and creativity were busting out everywhere at today’s big, very colorful Goldenpalooza festival at the Golden Hill Recreation Center! Check it out!

The festival offered families creative opportunities at every turn. There were multiple art-making stations and workshops for every age. You could learn how to make a cyanotype, a monster and a zine!

Friendly artists were painting, printmaking, demonstrating their technique and showcasing fantastic creations. There was even a cool, highly original video game created by San Diego locals that kids (or adults) could play!

All this while listening to live music from the stage!

Literacy also had a big presence at the festival. Kids were encouraged to read. Reading is fun and expands your mind!

Okay, can you tell I really loved Goldenpalooza? It was my first ever visit to the festival, and will likely not be my last.

Words Alive San Diego encourages children to read. It’s done with art and adult participation.
A lot of activities for Makers!
Sun Art! Golden Hill is the perfect place for this!
The Joey, Jeremy & Camille Trio wave from the Goldenpalooza stage.
INSIDE:ART (@insideart_sd) supports the fostering of identity for adults with developmental disabilities through dignified access to the creative arts community of San Diego.
The Wall of Questions & Colors by Compagnia Creativa (@compagniacreativa) asks festival goers “What makes you smile?”
Made me smile!
Testing out the cool, locally developed Behemoth video game (find it on STEAM). A bit like the classic arcade game Joust.

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Feeding San Diego brings smiles to Goldenpalooza!

Everyone was smiling at Goldenpalooza in Golden Hill today, especially those at tables stocked with free healthy food, courtesy of Feeding San Diego!

The cost of living seems higher than ever in San Diego, so keeping food on the table is a struggle for too many residents. Feeding San Diego is there to fill in the gaps (and hungry stomachs).

At the Goldenpalooza community festival, people could fill a bag with potatoes, melons, tuna, low fat milk, and other nutritious essentials.

On behalf of so many in San Diego, thank you!

If you’d like to help Feeding San Diego fulfill their mission, or receive help putting food on your own table, visit their website here.

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Photos of past Cinco de Mayo festivals!

It looks like I’ll be missing Cinco de Mayo events this year. Too busy with work. So I figured: why not revisit past Cinco de Mayo festivals around San Diego?

Here we go!

Click the upcoming links to enjoy several past blog posts!

Click the following links for many more photographs…

Photographs of Cinco de Mayo in the Gaslamp!

Photos of Escondido’s Cinco de Mayo!

Colorful fun at Old Town’s Cinco de Mayo!

Photos of Cinco de Mayo fiesta in Old Town!

Photos of Cinco de Mayo in Balboa Park!

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WorldBeat Center’s annual Earth Day festival!

Aztec Dance by Danza Colibri at Balboa Park’s WorldBeat Cultural Center during Global Earth Day.

Enjoy this collection of photographs taken as the WorldBeat Cultural Center’s 34th Annual Global Earth Day Festival got underway in Balboa Park!

Organizations and businesses who support the environment were lined up behind the center, while vendor canopies and diverse cultural entertainment took place on the open grass nearby. Inside the WorldBeat Cultural Center there was more life to experience, including the rhythms of San Diego Taiko that I enjoyed. Visitors could also walk through the center’s lush Ethnobotany Sanctuary Garden. (I’ll be blogging about the garden later.)

There was plenty to see and do!

Behind the WorldBeat Cultural Center’s building, several canopies were set up for Earth Day. This is where visitors could enjoy most of the environmental activities and education.
The San Diego Bird Alliance was showing how to mix clay and seeds to make seed balls that melt in the rain.
Local native seed libraries can be found all around San Diego County.
The San Diego Beekeeping Society was present with a contained hive for the purposes of demonstration. They are working to save bees.
People visiting the Global Earth Day Festival could pot a plant!
There were opportunities for swapping seeds, purchasing plants and composting!
Books celebrating diversity could be found here. Sitting at the table is author JohnnieRenee Nelson!
Books promote positive values of African American families.
Lots of smiles at the KNSJ community radio station tent!
Inside the WorldBeat Cultural Center people listen to a performance by San Diego Taiko.
Some of the vendors on the grass near Park Boulevard.
Many people come together in beautiful San Diego. WorldBeat Cultural Center hosts their 34th Annual Global Earth Day Festival!

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Photos of Tartan Day in Balboa Park!

The House of Scotland hosted their annual Tartan Day today. They were celebrating their 77th year in Balboa Park!

A good crowd came out to the International Cottages to enjoy cultural entertainment, Scottish food (meat pies!) and a gathering of various clans.

The House of Scotland Pipe Band and the Helix Highlander Pipes & Drums performed rousing music. Traditional dancers took the stage. The Ashworth Academy of Highland Dance and the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society were represented.

The festival atmosphere was also educational. It seemed every sort of organization that promotes Scottish culture in San Diego appeared on the lawn.

What is meant by Tartan Day, you may ask?

A tartan is the patterned cloth, traditionally made of wool, featuring crisscrossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors, originating from Scotland. Different clans and regions have their own unique tartan. San Diego has a special tartan pattern, too!

One more thing. The epic Scottish Highland Games and Gathering of the Clans is returning after an absence of a couple years. Instead of in Vista, the games will now be held this June 20 and 21, 2026, at the SDSU Mission Valley River Park! Check out the official website here.

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A Day at the Park in National City!

Lots of families came out to A Day at the Park in National City today! The fun waterfront event was held at Pepper Park, thanks to the Port of San Diego.

There was free food, plus live entertainment by the San Diego Symphony, Mariachi Nuevo Aguadulce, and others. For the kids there was face painting and henna tattoos. Many community organizations showed up as well.

The Port of San Diego was demonstrating how they are electrifying their maritime operations to help protect the environment.

I also learned how the National City Historical Society is trying to save Granger Music Hall, an architecturally important building designed by Irving Gill and on the National Register of Historic Places. If you’re curious about their efforts, or would like to help, check out this webpage.

I was eager to see how Pepper Park’s major redevelopment has turned out. I’d seen the new beach during my last visit, but now there’s also the pirate-themed playground and splash pad!

As you can see from my photos, the park has become truly amazing! People who reside in National City and San Diego’s South Bay are very fortunate!

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Fun photos at Opening Weekend Block Party!

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!

Fun culture at House of Ireland lawn program!

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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Beauty created at San Diego Pysanka Festival!

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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Photos of St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2026!

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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