Tag: festivals

Balboa Park almost ready for December Nights!

With two days to go until December Nights, activity in Balboa Park was in high gear today!

I enjoyed another walk through the park with my camera, catching much of the action. There isn’t much time to finish the immense preparation.

December Nights, one of the largest holiday festivals in the United States, will take place Friday December 5th from 3 to 11 pm, and Saturday December 6th from 11 am to 11 pm.

Make sure to give yourself extra time for traffic and to find parking. Better yet, use public transit or one of the free shuttles. You can find the “Getting to December Nights” webpage by clicking here.

Festive red ribbons are now on the Cabrillo Bridge lamp posts.
A sign and wreath bids Welcome to December Nights at Balboa Park’s west entrance.
Huge crowds will stream into December Nights by foot, passing the Museum of Us and the archways of the California Quadrangle.
Workers getting strings of holiday lights ready in the Plaza de Panama.
Cheerful lights will be strung everywhere!
Sadly, I suppose San Diego’s Community Christmas Tree encircled by its historical fence will be forgotten again. (I’ve spoken to multiple people about this over the years, but nobody seems to know or care.)
The Community Christmas Center’s traditional Nativity scenes are set up already. They must have done that during the last couple days.
I saw the enormous Christmas tree on the Spreckels Organ Pavilion stage being assembled!
One might say the Organ Pavilion will be at the center of December Nights, with many special holiday performances.
Barricades being readied in the Palisades area of Balboa Park, where there will be plenty of December Nights activity, too!
Signs are up at the various parking lots.
San Diego Parks and Recreation workers were all over the place, cutting grass and making everything perfect.
I noticed one of the fences on the west side of the Lily Pond has been removed, now that this section of the new Central Gardens outside the Botanical Building is ready.
Getting the annual San Diego Floral Association Festival of Trees ready in Room 101 of the Casa del Prado. There will be a special free preview on Thursday December 4, from 4 to 7 pm!
These smiling Balboa Park Garden Stewards were on their way out to beautify the park when I happened by with my camera!
Hanging stars at the Museum of Photographic Arts inside the Casa de Balboa!

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Holiday Season sights in downtown Chula Vista!

I went on another fun “Holiday Season” walk today–this time in the South Bay through downtown Chula Vista.

Given that Christmas is about three weeks away, it wasn’t surprising that I found lots of holidays related sights!

Most of my photos are of shop windows along Third Avenue.

Can you believe the Grinch, Gingerbread Man, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Charlie Brown were painted all in one window? Those characters together would make a very inventive, peculiar Christmas television special!

Wandering through Chula Vista’s historic downtown, I discovered plenty of great stuff…

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año!

I know, I know–Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin is more of a Halloween thing, but I liked this anyway…

Downtown Chula Vista will celebrate the holidays on Saturday, December 6, 2025 with the Starlight Festival from 3 – 9 pm, and the Starlight Parade at 6 pm!

Find out more by clicking here.

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If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Lion dancers bring Gaslamp Quarter good luck!

Good fortune arrived today in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter.

The San Diego Lucky Lion Dancers brought their good luck to the annual Fall Back Festival!

Shortly before noon, the dancers departed their headquarters at the San Diego Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, crossed Third and Fourth Avenue, and entered the festival with traditional costumes and musical instruments.

Those watching at the Fall Back Festival would be entertained by the performers’ exciting entrance and the following lion dance.

The Lucky Lion Dancers perform at many San Diego events, and I never tire of watching them. The energy, joyfulness and magical good vibes…anyone who watches is indeed lucky!

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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.

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Tasty sights at the Escondido Tamale Festival!

Do you love tasty, award-winning tamales? If you went to the Escondido Tamale Festival today, you were in heaven!

The annual event, held in Grape Day Park, brings out families for good times, great food (many types), and lively entertainment.

Some of the tamale vendors had impressive displays of trophies they’ve won! These are the best of the best!

They came well equipped, too, serving tamales of every variety fresh on the spot. (Even pineapple and strawberry tamales!) A substantial quantity would be consumed by the large, hungry crowd!

Some fun photos from my afternoon visit…

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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.

Feel free to share!

Preparing for Día de Muertos in Escondido.

I walked through the California Center for the Arts, Escondido a couple hours before the start of this evening’s 30th Annual Día de los Muertos Festival. Workers, artists, performers and vendors were busy getting ready!

Papel picado was being hung, elegantly dressed skeletons were standing about, and squares were outlined on the ground, ready with candles and crosses for visitors to memorialize loved ones.

Inside the Concert Hall’s lobby I found a beautiful ofrenda and other traditional Día de Muertos decorations.

Back outside, I noticed a vendor had many marigolds.

This beautiful Día de Muertos is produced every year by the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. You can help support the event and learn about others by visiting their website 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.

Feel free to share!

Guillotines placed in a San Diego park!

Two terrifying guillotines have been placed in a downtown San Diego park! I spotted them this morning at Lane Field Park as I walked along the Embarcadero!

Are heads about to roll?

Turns out these props, and others, are part of a scary event that will take place tomorrow, Halloween day. It’s called the Graveyard Festival!

There will be six stages with lots of music, DJs, dancers and costumes galore. I’m not sure how they’ll fit all that in a relatively small park. Should be interesting. I suppose I’ll have to walk by to check it out!

Here’s the Graveyard Festival website.

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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.

Feel free to share!

Photos from past Fleet Week events in San Diego.

Many public Fleet Week events have been cancelled in San Diego for 2025 because of the ongoing federal government shutdown. Fleet Week activities were scheduled to begin in earnest this weekend.

Unfortunately, the usual, very popular events at the Broadway Pier have been cancelled, including U.S. Navy demonstrations, STEM exhibits and public tours of ships.

Over the years, I’ve taken photographs at a variety of public Fleet Week events. I thought I share a few of them. Those events have included the Sea and Air Parade, a Veterans Art Exhibit, the Fleet Week Innovation Zone in the Port Pavilion, and a Military & Veteran Appreciation Concert in Balboa Park. That first photo above, taken near the USS Midway, is of cool cars promoting the Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival at Naval Air Station North Island.

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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.

Feel free to share!

House of Scotland celebration in Balboa Park!

Nothing stirs the blood like a performance by the House of Scotland Pipe Band. I loved listening to their piercing bagpipes and booming drums yesterday during a lawn program in Balboa Park.

The House of Scotland’s lawn program at the International Cottages roughly coincided with Samhain, a Celtic festival that marks the end of the harvest season. Scottish culture was enjoyed by park visitors who might have wandered by. There was traditional Scottish music, food and demonstrations of craft. Yesterday’s program also celebrated 75 years in Balboa Park!

Inside the House of Scotland cottage visitors could purchase Scottish shortbread; at their outdoor canopy meat pies caught my attention. I think I’ve become addicted!

On the lawn there was a spinning demonstration. A short distance away a young lady was making lace.

If you plan to visit Balboa Park on a weekend, check the schedule on this page for cultural programs at the International Cottages! Then enjoy!

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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.

Feel free to share!

Photos of Day of the Dead in City Heights!

A beautiful Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) event was held today in San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood. Everyone gathered at Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park to remember loved ones who’ve passed on from this world.

The highlight of the event was the many traditional altars (ofrendas) that honored family and ancestors.

After an introduction to the event and a blessing with the fragrant smoke of white sage, Mariachi Cardenal of Hoover High School took the stage and provided live entertainment.

There were creative activities for kids. Many lowriders were lined up to one side of the festival, and there was a Best Catrina Outfit Contest. Good old Fern Street Circus was there, as was the San Diego Guild of Puppetry. Community organizations present included the San Diego Library, San Diego Youth Services, City Heights Music School…

The sun was out and hearts were full.

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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.

Feel free to share!

Two special Halloween events in Balboa Park!

Two very special, free events are coming up next weekend in Balboa Park, in time for Halloween!

The San Diego Sculptors Guild in Spanish Village Art Center will be hosting Glowing in the Hollow on Saturday October 25th, 2025 from 5 to 10 pm.

The Sculpture Guild’s courtyard and the tunnel leading to it will be aglow with illuminated art. The newly constructed stage in a corner of their courtyard will be alive with music performed by Auva Xuln. Guild artist Justin is part of the band!

There will be treats, drinks and interactive experiences, and costumes are welcome!

Also next Saturday, between 11 am and 4 pm, the House of Scotland among Balboa Park’s International Cottages will be celebrating Samhain. There will be piping and drumming, and dancing, and plenty of Scottish food!

Samhain is the Celtic festival at the end of the harvest and a basis for Halloween!

Why not enjoy both events next Saturday? Sounds like fun!

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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.

Feel free to share!