During my walk through Balboa Park, I spotted this House of Chamorros banner in front of the Hall of Nations, so I had to investigate!
I was inspired today during my walk through Balboa Park. The House of Chamorros was showcasing the culture of the Mariana Islands, including Guam, at the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages. Interesting artifacts were on display in the Hall of Nations, and food and entertainment filled the room for the public to enjoy.
Why were these friendly people in the Hall of Nations? Because the House of Chamorros doesn’t have a cottage–not yet!
I learned that efforts are underway to build a House of Chamorros cottage in Balboa Park. A building of their own would greatly enhance their mission to educate and share the Chamorro culture with the residents of San Diego County–and the millions of tourists who visit Balboa Park.
That sounds like a worthy endeavor to me! One that requires vision, dedication and . . . money. To learn more, and perhaps join their cause or make a donation, please visit the House of Chamorros website.
Musicians filled the room with beautiful Mariana Islands melodies while food beckoned from the nearby table.Just a few of the artifacts and crafts on display today.
I also learned the House of Chamorros is having a cool lawn program next weekend at the International Cottages. The event is called the First Annual Hafa Adai Cultural Arts Festival. It will include music, dance, crafts and food that represent the culture of the Mariana Islands. (In case you’re curious, I’ve learned “hafa adai” means “hello” in the Chamorro language!)
The festival will take place March 5 from 11am to 5pm. It sounds to me like it will be a lot of fun!
The House of Chamorros presents the Hafa Adai Cultural Arts Festival in Balboa Park!
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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!
A cherry blossom has opened in mid-February at Balboa Park’s beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden!
Look what I discovered this afternoon while walking through Balboa Park’s Japanese Friendship Garden. A few cherry blossoms have opened!
I spoke to one of the master gardeners and he thinks there might be quite a show of beautiful cherry blossoms this year, because of our rainy winter. So everyone in San Diego who loves springtime and breathtaking displays of dreamy flowers should probably go to the Japanese Friendship Garden’s 12th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival! It takes place Friday, March 10 through Sunday, March 12.
I’ll be there!
A solitary burst of pink on a mostly bare cherry tree. This unusually wet winter might produce an amazing show of spring blossoms.Gray cherry trees in winter, but spring is around the corner!A few early cherry blossoms appear in San Diego’s wonderful Balboa Park!
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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!
Colorful lion heads in a row. It’s the Year of the Rooster and many throughout the world are celebrating!
I enjoyed strolling around the San Diego Tet Festival today. I arrived a few minutes after the annual free festival, held at Mira Mesa Community Park, opened its gate. People were slowly streaming in, and everyone was happy. It’s the Year of the Rooster!
Here are some colorful photos…
Visitors enter the San Diego Tet Festival as it opens late Sunday morning.A free annual celebration of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, takes place at Mira Mesa Community Park.A dragon near the festival entrance.Many booths in the park had all sorts of glittering goods for sale.A representation of the Hoàn Kiếm Lake Turtle Tower.Model of a small fishing boat used by 69 people to flee the Vietnamese communist regime.History of the Escape Boat. Fleeing brutal communism, the refugees arrived at a camp set up by the United Nations on the island of Galang, in Indonesia. (Click the sign to enlarge it.)Large bronze drum with ornate design. These drums are a traditional symbol of power, used in religious ceremony, festival and war.The Year of the Rooster has begun. It’s the tenth in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.Martial arts students demonstrate some moves for the gathering crowd.Taking photos of the stage on a sunny San Diego day in late January.The friendly martial arts group poses.A representation of the sacred Hùng Kings’ Temple, which is located on the Nghĩa Lĩnh mountain.Lots of Asian food could be found around the San Diego Tet Festival, as well as more ordinary American fare.Pikachu sits protecting a spot where food is picked up.Donations help keep the Tet Festival alive.More area in the park was dedicated to kids games and carnival rides than anything else! Oh, to be young again!A child rides a dragon.A beautiful wishing tree at the San Diego Tet Festival.A wish for abundance of love and health. Togetherness.
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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!
This might be Santa and Mrs. Claus walking happily through Balboa Park during 2016 December Nights. At least, there’s a good chance. Right?
I went to December Nights this afternoon hoping to photograph Santa Claus. December Nights is one of the largest festivals in the United States that celebrates the holiday season, so one would suppose Old Saint Nick might drop on by. This year I headed home before dark, before the glittering Christmas lights turned on, and before the really huge crowds!
Because I left before nightfall, I missed seeing jolly Bill “Santa” Swank spreading good cheer at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Check out his book Christmas in San Diego! It’s all about the history of Christmas in our fair city. I feel very honored that Cool San Diego Sights has a bunch of photos in it!
Now, did I have any success locating the real, actual, honest-to-goodness Santa Claus this afternoon at December Nights? You be the judge!
Over 300,000 people are attending December Nights this year. Surely good old Santa Claus is present somewhere in this crowd.Look! Over there! I think I see Santa wearing sunglasses! Oops. Just a vendor selling treats during December Nights.These fun (but sadly inanimate) Santas are made of beads!You guys aren’t Santa. You can’t fool me! You’re elves from the North Pole.With so many Santa ornaments and gifts everywhere, one might conclude that Old Saint Nick is actually a very astute businessman.Oh, goodness gracious! A “fan man” Santa Claus waving his arms like a silly goof! Nothing is sacred anymore.I see the image of Kris Kringle toting a sack of presents just about everywhere. So, logically, the actual guy has to be around here somewhere.I’ve seen this Santa before. He hangs out in Balboa Park every holiday season. But his sled doesn’t actually fly. It’s all a complete fake. Impostor!Tried to fool me again! That isn’t Father Christmas! It’s Snoopy!Now if Santa Claus actually looks like this, I’d really like to meet him. That would be quite an amazing experience!Multiple possible Santas! Oh, wait. They’re all cloggers, waiting to perform at December Nights. Santa only clogs chimneys.I might not spot the actual real Santa, but this December Nights is rather fun. These folks are singing their hearts out in front of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion’s annual Christmas tree. When the lights come on at night, Balboa Park becomes a magical wonderland!If Santa had a dog, it would probably dress like this. It gets chilly up north.Perhaps this is why I haven’t positively identified the real Santa Claus. He’s probably kicking back at a San Diego beach getting some sun.I’ll just have to make do with Santa Mouse.Wait! I found him! There he is! Santa!
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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!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of fun photos for you to enjoy!
Horse rides in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. One of many fun attractions at the Fall Back Festival and Historic Children’s Street Faire.
Late this morning I walked down to the Gaslamp to enjoy the 2016 Fall Back Festival and Historic Children’s Street Faire. A very long name for a very cool event!
Before the Fall Back Festival begins, clocks are set back one hour, as Daylight Saving Time ends. When the festival begins, however, clocks seem magically set back over a hundred years! Several blocks in the Gaslamp Quarter are transformed into a scene from the Old West, complete with cowboys, horses, a working blacksmith and more! The festival provides an idea of what San Diego might have been like in the mid to late 19th century.
Every year, the family-friendly Fall Back Festival appears about the same, but that’s just fine. Each journey back in time is wonderful!
Kids rides horses, as the citizens of San Diego commonly did in the mid 1800s.The Horton Grand Hotel rises behind a crowd of people enjoying the 2016 Fall Back Festival, an annual event that celebrates a fascinating period in San Diego history.Families dressed in Old West attire had a lot of fun as photos were taken at the Fall Back Festival!All sorts of Western hats, cowboy gear and Victorian finery could be donned at this table.Participants in the Fall Back Festival, wearing clothing from San Diego’s past. I felt as if I’d been transported back in time.A friendly hog greets somebody at the Fall Back Festival.Two ladies smile for my camera at the front door of the historic William Heath Davis House in San Diego’s Gaslamp.A row of shiny vintage cars on display during the popular downtown San Diego event.Many organizations had tents along Fourth Avenue, including the Friends of Villa Montezuma, which is a famous Victorian mansion in nearby Sherman Heights.Fourth Avenue runs through San Diego’s Chinatown, which is officially called the Asian Pacific Thematic Historic District. A colorful lion dancer turns heads at the Fall Back Festival.San Diego’s relatively brief history is remarkably diverse. An informative poster at the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum’s table includes several photos.I doubt anyone produced bubbles this big over a century ago, but I might be wrong!A working blacksmith attracted a big crowd on Island Avenue in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter.Hammering red hot iron. A very cool demonstration at the 2016 Fall Back Festival!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of unique photos for you to enjoy!
A traditional Sicilian cart on display at 2016 Festa in San Diego’s Little Italy.
Festa is a celebration of Italian culture and history. Every year it’s held along several blocks of India Street, in the heart of San Diego’s historic Little Italy neighborhood. Thousands turn out to enjoy music, food, and all things Italian.
Here are a few photos I snapped yesterday. They provide a taste of what Festa is all about. Read the captions for explanations, and click the images of signs in the cultural pavilion if you’d like to read them. By the way, the food and music were great. I wish this blog could convey the deliciousness of my slice of Filippi’s pizza!
Thousands turned out along several blocks of India Street for the annual celebration of Festa.A cultural pavilion at Festa attracted people who were interested in Little Italy’s rich culture and history.An exhibit in the cultural pavilion included old photos of life in Little Italy, a neighborhood in San Diego once associated with fishing.The Italian neighborhood remained deeply rooted in social tradition revolving around family, work and church.The fishing industry defined the residents’ lives and included labor in boat building, net mending, and tuna and sardine canning.Historical photos of Little Italy fishermen at work off the coast of San Diego.Photo of young man on a boat with a very large catch.Old photos of life in Little Italy include workers at a cannery and fishermen mending nets.A display at Festa includes nets and old commercial fishing gear.A pillar for San Diego’s Italian community, Our Lady of the Rosary Parish has endured for more than 80 years.Photographs and puppets provide a glimpse of San Diego’s past.The Columbus Day Queens are presented on stage during 2016 Festa in Little Italy.The Sicilian Band performs during Festa in San Diego.A crowd admires chalk art, or Gesso Italiano, during Festa. The amazing artwork celebrates Italy’s history and culture.A vendor at Festa sells funny signs and aprons to Italy lovers.Of course, lots of pizza, pasta and other Italian food could be found up and down India Street.Chef Boyardee (Ettore Boiardi) appears on a street lamp banner in Little Italy.People at Festa check out some shiny new Vespas.An exhibition of Italian sports cars included Maseratis and Lamborghinis.A kid and gondoliers at Festa. Anyone can ride elegant gondolas in San Diego at the Coronado Cays.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
A beautiful dance on the Spreckels Organ Pavilion stage in Balboa Park during the 2016 Moon Festival.
A truly wonderful Chinese Moon Festival is being held this evening in Balboa Park! I took photos before the sun set that provide a sense of how fantastic and entertaining this annual event is.
The Moon Festival is co-sponsored by the House of China in Balboa Park and the Confucius Institute at San Diego State University. Every year, the festival seems to grow and grow!
A very large crowd turned out this year for the Chinese Moon Festival in Balboa Park. The benches in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion were packed.Table provides info about the Confucius Institute at San Diego State University. They co-sponsored the Moon Festival, along with the House of China in Balboa Park.The San Diego Chinese Historical Society and Museum was having a book sale!Huge Chinese Crepes were being prepared near the entertainment.A half moon hangs above the ornate colonnade of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Very appropriate!The Moon Festival would provide lots of colorful entertainment into the evening. I took photos while the sun was still up.Thunder drums!Followed by youthful Chinese acrobats!These energetic acrobats were wonderfully talented. They performed feats that seemed impossible.A fluid, colorful dance that mimics the motions of an exotic fish. Everyone in the audience seemed mesmerized.A truly wonderful Chinese dance in San Diego’s Balboa Park during the 2016 Moon Festival!
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Beauty queens and dancers in colorful dresses watch the House of Peru lawn program in San Diego’s Balboa Park.
I took some photos this afternoon in Balboa Park of the House of Peru’s lawn program. In these photographs you’ll see genuine joy. I felt it.
Like many other nations, Peru is a member of the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages, located near the heart of beautiful Balboa Park. The special event today coincided with Peru’s Fiestas Patrias, a holiday that celebrates Peru gaining independence from the Spanish Empire.
I hung around for a bit, absorbing all the life. I then meandered on through the green, sun-filled park. I did a lot of sitting on shady benches. I did my best to conjure up a new short story idea for my fiction blog Short Stories by Richard. I also took a peek at the Orchid Show in the Casa del Prado. I’ll blog about that in a day or two on one of my other photo blogs, Beautiful Balboa Park.
The House of Pacific Relations’ lawn program today among the International Cottages featured the House of Peru. Peru is celebrating its Fiestas Patrias.Many Peruvian products were on display and for sale in tents around the grassy lawn.I was told the sweaters, mittens and other woven goods were made in Peru.There was a lot of favorite Peruvian food, including marcianos (fruit pops) and chicha morada (a sweet Peruvian beverage made from purple corn).A huge crowd assembled for the celebration of Peru’s independence from the Spanish Empire. The lawn program would include speeches, music and dancing.Color guard from Coronado High School’s JROTC program. Photo taken minutes before the event opened with national anthems from both the United States and Peru.Hearty greetings were offered to everyone attending. Many in the audience had roots in Peru. The mural backdrop depicts Machu Picchu.After a few speeches, the lawn program featured stirring Peruvian music.The music was so lively and happy, some people from the audience were soon dancing on the stage!I plainly see that in Peru there’s a deep love of life!Costumed dancers, young and old, practice off-stage during the festive House of Peru lawn program in Balboa Park.
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The 2016 International Summer Organ Festival in Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion will feature some of the world’s great organists! If you’ve never been to these concerts, time to go check it out!
It starts tomorrow evening! It’s time again for that annual world-famous cultural event in Balboa Park: the International Summer Organ Festival! I promised to say something about these amazing weekly concerts on my blog, so I better do it today before it’s too late!
Anyone who has attended the International Summer Organ Festival in past years knows that many of the world’s greatest concert organists perform during the 10 week blockbuster event. The free concerts are held on Monday evenings in Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Concerts begin at 7:30 and last about 2 hours, with a brief intermission to eat, drink, talk, visit the gift shop and stretch legs. Thousands of music buffs and ordinary folk (like myself) come out to listen to the Spreckels Organ’s awesome and versatile voice.
As many of you might know, the Spreckels Organ recently regained the title of World’s Largest Outdoor Organ. And when an organist “pulls out all the stops”, you can hear this King of Instruments clear across Balboa Park!
One more thing–I learned that gourmet sandwiches will be available at the concession area this year–they’re large enough to feed two. So why not make an evening of it? Perhaps walk around beautifully lit Balboa Park before the evening concert or afterward!
Oh–and I should mention that on the Fourth of July, a special concert will feature a spectacular tribute to musical Americana, including favorite rags, marches, Gershwin and more. All played by Dave Wickerham, who is a top-notch theatre organist. (I’ve heard him before, and the way he plays is just unbelievable.)
Click the photo above that contains information about the performances. The image will enlarge and you can mark your calendars. If you’re not in San Diego, I believe the concerts will be streamed on the internet. To learn more about that possibility, and more about the Spreckels Organ Society and their concerts and educational programs, click here!
Ross Porter, Executive Administrator of the Spreckels Organ Society, shows us the newly printed program which visitors will receive at every free summer Monday night performance.I needed some photos for today’s blog post, so I captured a smile in the outdoor gift shop. I missed this afternoon’s free Sunday concert because I was on a secret mission and had to go elsewhere.About an hour to go before the free Sunday afternoon concert at 2 o’clock. Volunteers and curious folk are Just hanging out. The Spreckels Organ Pavilion is home to the world’s largest outdoor organ and brilliant Civic Organist, Dr. Carol Williams!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
The San Diego Zoo is 100! And this evening, it is celebrating with a big centennial festival in its beautiful home: Balboa Park!
Late this afternoon, I walked through Balboa Park to check out the beginning of the huge San Diego Zoo Centennial Festival! As you might’ve guessed, our world-famous zoo has turned a hundred years old!
The San Diego Zoo began when the 1915 Panama-California Exposition came to an end in 1916. The exposition’s veterinarian, Harry Milton Wegeforth, heard the caged lions roar. He turned to his brother and said: “Wouldn’t it be splendid if San Diego had a zoo! You know…I think I’ll start one.”
The rest is history. A century of amazing history!
The big festival today featured all sorts of fun and educational stuff, as you’ll see in my photos. I can hardly believe the size of the crowd that turned out!
I went home before dark and missed a world-record attempt in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion–the most hand puppets performing at one time. Regrettably, I also missed the opening of the big mystery boxes–gifts from the zoo to the San Diego community. As of this moment–as I publish this post–they still haven’t been opened! I’ll provide an update when I learn what was inside!
UPDATE!
From what I read the following morning, the three huge gift boxes on stage contained a puppet elephant, a puppet condor, and an 11-foot-high puppet lion that roared at the conclusion of an epic evening performance!
I should’ve stayed to watch! Apparently the Broadway-style show was amazing, and featured Tony and Grammy Award-winning singer Heather Headley, lots of dancing, the performing puppets, and an inspiring light show. If you want to check out some pics, here are a bunch of good ones!
A huge crowd walks down El Prado in Balboa Park, enjoying exhibits and entertainment celebrating the world-famous San Diego Zoo’s centennial.People listen to live music in the Plaza de Panama. Many people wore hats or shirts decorated with animals.Sign lists the various activities at the San Diego Zoo Centennial community celebration.Zoo staff and volunteers help kids create animal-themed art.These mariachis were almost ready to perform!Street magician excites a kid.Musicians were everywhere. It was a big party for San Diego.A botanicals exhibit explained how the San Diego Zoo isn’t merely saving endangered animal species, but saving rare plants, too! I’m going to blog about this shortly!Look who I spotted giving an interview. The celebrated and much-beloved zoo spokesperson Joan Embery!Lots of cool zoo gifts and fun commemorative stuff was for sale, of course!Another exhibit showed how the zoo helps wildlife researchers using modern digital recording technology in the field.Several local high schools were having their proms tonight, and I spotted many fancy dresses throughout Balboa Park. I’m not sure about this photo shoot!It’s still two hours before the main programming begins, but people are already gathering in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. There are the large mystery boxes!This super friendly San Diego Zoo team member answered several of my questions. Every zoo representative I talked to was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and really nice.Some dancing up on the stage. At eight o’clock, the main program would begin.A tiger roams through Balboa Park.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Cool San Diego Sights! 