Tag: festivals

Fun at Padres Annual Opening Weekend Block Party!

The San Diego Padres 11th Annual Opening Weekend Block Party is going on as I type this!

Head over to J Street between 7th & 10th Avenue (north of Petco Park) and partake of food, drink, live music, fun games, and the fellowship of other Padres fans! Hurry though! It continues today, Saturday, through 4:00 pm.

As I walked the three blocks, I saw booths and food trucks galore. Many of San Diego’s local professional teams were present, as were MTS, the San Diego Library and other good people!

And there’s a big screen where they’ll be showing the SDSU Aztecs men’s basketball team competing in the Final Four!

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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 Twitter!

Good times at 25th Annual Rolando Street Fair!

Spring must be here, because community festivals have begun to “spring up” around San Diego!

The 25th Annual Rolando Street Fair was held today, and because I’ve never experienced this event, I had to check it out!

What a cool neighborhood street festival!

Lots of families were enjoying a huge kids play zone, plus there were many booths that focused on youth education. There was a stage with live music, tons of food, the expected rows of vendors, and artists were showing their work, too!

A good crowd had already gathered in the Rolando Street Fair’s first hour.
It’s Odi from the San Diego Public Library!
Crawford High School has many notable graduates. I was told half a dozen major league baseball catchers have come from this local school!
If you want music lessons, this is the man to see!
The youthful @kidTRIBUTES were covering classic rock hits.
There’s a College Area Community Garden near SDSU. I think I’ve seen these guys at another event.
Colorful artwork by Bianca Marcellous (@Blancbyrd).
The artist smiled for a photo!
This cool guy was displaying some wood art. He represented Old Fashioned Lumber, a San Diego custom design and fabrication shop.
This is a time traveling character, by @zander6comix.
And here’s the artist!
Lots to do along Rolando Boulevard during the street fair.
Lots to eat, too!
A bunch of jumpers ahead await fun-loving kids.
Yes, it’s the 25th Annual Rolando Street Fair!

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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!

Cool photo memories from March 2018.

Five years ago, back in March 2018, my camera captured hundreds of colorful photographs around San Diego. Festivals, street art, nature walks and exhibitions provided a very wide variety of subjects.

The big event in late March was the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s 2018 OPEN HOUSE. The public was invited to tour and learn about notable buildings all around the city. I took full advantage of the opportunity!

Oh, and Rex the Lion debuted during an exciting ceremony at the San Diego Zoo, too!

If you’d like to revisit some of those past blog posts, lots of links are coming up!

Click the following links for many colorful memories!

Fun, laughs and thrills at Busker Festival!

Exquisite flower arrangements at ikebana show.

Sexy space warriors and aliens in North Park!

Photos of 2018 Cherry Blossom Festival!

Museum exhibit shows evolution of fashion.

Art from different colleges across San Diego.

Art and history at Lemon Grove Trolley Depot!

Beautiful sanctuary of historic San Diego church.

Amazing views from sky deck of The Barcelona!

Rex the Lion sculpture debuts at San Diego Zoo!

Architecture and light at Timken Museum of Art.

A tour inside the historic Spreckels Theatre.

The fun 2018 Padres Opening Weekend Block Party!

A short architectural tour of the Santa Fe Depot.

The natural beauty of Sweetwater Marsh.

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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!

San Diego Bird Festival 2023 this weekend!

Looking for a fun adventure this weekend? Do you love the great outdoors? Do you love birds?

The San Diego Bird Festival 2023 has kicked off at Marina Village Conference Center and continues through the weekend!

The annual event is presented by the San Diego Audubon Society. The public is invited to attend a variety of educational lectures at Marina Village and bird-watching activities around the city.

The cool thing is many of the activities on Saturday and Sunday are free, including outdoor birding adventures along the San Diego River and at Santee Lakes!

Never gone birding before? Don’t know much about it? That’s fine! Bird lovers are a friendly, knowledgeable bunch and very welcoming. I happened to meet a few of them this morning during my quiet walk through Marina Village about an hour before the day’s activities began in earnest.

The San Diego Bird Festival also has a bookstore with every sort of bird-related resource one could ever need. And for those who are curious, there are displays of binoculars and other gear. There’s also an auction that features some very cool collectible items!

Who are those bicyclists I photographed? They were just setting off for a ride along the San Diego River. I wonder how many birds they identified?

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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!

Smiles at City Heights Multi-Cultural Festival of Love!

Today the City Heights Multi-Cultural Festival of Love was held in Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park. The annual event roughly coincides with Valentine’s Day.

City Heights is one of San Diego’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods, and the heart-filled festival celebrates all the many people who make this community so vibrant!

Not only was there a diversity of entertainment on the main stage, but one could see in the crowd so many unique lives, backgrounds and stories.

During the festival everyone came together, making new friends, enjoying the unity that is found in community.

The parade through City Heights that preceded the festival ended with the Hoover High School marching band taking the stage. Then, at eleven o’clock, the festival officially began with opening comments by those who’ve made this wonderful event possible.

I stayed for a good while, looking at cool cars, exploring the booths of local organizations, and enjoying performances by Majesty in Motion, the Vietnamese Youth Dance Group and the Fern Street Circus.

Drummers Without Borders then invited kids in the crowd up onto the stage to learn how to drum and play tambourine! Then, with the help of the San Diego Guild of Puppetry, many participated in a small parade through the 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 Twitter!

Photos of San Diego Chinese New Year Fair!

The 40th Annual San Diego Chinese New Year Fair is being held this weekend in the Gaslamp Quarter. I swung by earlier today to take in all the excitement, culture and color!

It seems every year I go to this event it has grown larger. A big crowd had gathered today, Saturday, as the festivities began mid-morning. (It probably didn’t hurt that many Padres fans were walking through on their way to FanFest.)

I watched the joyful traditional Lion Dancing, then a couple of energetic dance performances by students from Riverview International Academy in Lakeside.

Wishes for health, peace and prosperity abounded. One of the speakers was Camille P. Dawson, the United States Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. How impressive is that?

Enjoy some photos and imagine the atmosphere! This fun Chinese New Year event continues through the weekend!

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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!

A colorful Lunar New Year in City Heights!

City Heights is possibly San Diego’s most diverse neighborhood. So it isn’t surprising that people from many walks of life have converged in City Heights for the 2023 SD Lunar New Year Festival!

Today I headed to east San Diego to experience the weekend event. This celebration of Tết is presented by Little Saigon San Diego. It’s free to the public at Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park.

I wandered about looking at traditional displays. I sat down to watch several excellent cultural performances on the big stage. The audience applauded energetically and often.

I read that this popular event is helping to raise funds for the creation of a Boat People Garden mini park, to be built somewhere near the festival site. I attempted to gather information about the coming mini park, but all I could ascertain is a groundbreaking ceremony will take place this Wednesday.

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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!

A big Chinese New Year Festival in Balboa Park!

Tomorrow is Lunar New Year! It will be the Year of the Rabbit. (Which signifies good luck!)

This weekend the 2023 Chinese New Year Festival is being held in Balboa Park at the International Cottages. The event is presented by the House of China.

The festival attracted an absolutely gigantic crowd today. We heard from the stage that attendance this year set a record. The lawn at the International Cottages was jammed with humanity.

There were vendors, Chinese food, and a calligraphy demonstration inside the cottage of the House of China. Lots of kids became super excited after two o’clock when speeches ended and the traditional Lion Dance began!

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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!

Fun photos at the Snapdragon Bowl Bash!

The Holiday Bowl block party in the Gaslamp Quarter (called the Snapdragon Bowl Bash) is happening this evening even as I post these photographs!

I walked down to the Gaslamp before the event officially began at 5 o’clock, and took a couple of easy laps up and down Fifth Avenue. As you can see, there were already lots of families and Oregon and North Carolina college football fans out and about, enjoying all sorts of fun activities!

Enjoy a glimpse of the big party!

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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!

December Nights returns to Balboa Park!

After a two year hiatus, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, December Nights has returned to Balboa Park! San Diego’s epic holiday event appears to be back in a big way, with large crowds filtering into the park this evening.

I walked around before it became too dark for my old camera, taking in the festive scene. I saw Christmas decorations, lights, food, and many smiling faces. I saw Santa, too! My photos were taken before sundown, when I turned my feet for home and Balboa Park became really crowded!

Please enjoy these photos. If you’ve never been to December Nights, you can get an idea of what it’s like. The big event will continue tomorrow, Saturday, 11 am to 11 pm!

Holiday entertainment is featured throughout December Nights on the stage of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

Cookies, cocoa and coffee at the Gingerbread House, at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

Viewing the Nativity Display at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

Fun holiday inflatables at the Japanese Friendship Garden.

Write Out Loud tells a story at the Japanese Friendship Garden using a storybox, or kamishibai.

Making ornaments at the Japanese Friendship Garden! Hello!

Santa and his reindeer visit Balboa Park once again.

Cool outfit!

The colors of Christmas fill Spanish Village.

I sampled Chider, a mix of hot chocolate and apple cider. It was really good!

I’ve never seen so many food trucks in one place.

Lots of Christmas sweaters spotted on El Prado. Whether they’re ugly or not, you decide.

Those Seals sunglasses I won with your prize wheel are awesome! Thank you!

Some cloggers take the stage near the Bea Evenson Fountain.

A vendor had these fun Santa Claus gifts.

The International Cottages serve up all sorts of holiday food from around the world.

Heading down toward Balboa Park’s Palisades.

Nice smile! (Took a little coaxing!)

Gloved thumbs up. I guess I’m on the “nice” list.

Yummy smells everywhere you walk.

These smiling nutcrackers would be performing on stage later.

These mimes would perform later, too!

December Nights has returned to San Diego in 2022.

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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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!