Enjoy this collection of photographs. I took them late this afternoon in Little Italy at the inaugural Bella Vita Fest event, along India Street.
The Italian-themed event is produced by ArtWalk San Diego. Appropriately, it’s taking place during a sunny weekend in October, which is Italian American Heritage Month.
In addition to the work of some 30 chalk artists, visitors to the festival can enjoy live entertainment, wine tastings, great Italian food and lots of unique vendor booths. Bella Vita Fest continues tomorrow, Sunday, from 11 am to 5 pm. Learn more here!
These photographs include many of the chalk art works. Ones that were just begun or badly disrupted by shadows I might have skipped. Most chalk artists will continue their work during Bella Vita Fest on Sunday!
Chalk art by Tonya Neilson.Chalk art by Cecelia Linayao.Chalk art by Pappricci.Chalk art by Dawn Wagner.Chalk art by Meg Beverly Canilang.Chalk art by NIKIMEG.Chalk art by Joyce Hatzidakis.Chalk art by Gutierrez Family.Chalk art by Team Zamora.Chalk art by Isaiah Hernandez.Chalk art by Raziah Roushan.Kids create fun chalk art at Bella Vita Fest in San Diego’s Little Italy.Chalk art by Steele Canyon High School.Chalk art by Shawndell Smith Art.Chalk art by Kim sisters.Chalk art by Maddalena and Rogalski.Chalk art by Michelle Lubin.Chalk art by Jen Swain.Chalk art by Monika Petroczy.Chalk art by Canyon Crest Academy.Chalk art by Jose Noe Hernandez.Chalk art by Fia Soisson.Chalk art by Gloria Ing.Chalk art by Sarah Conley.
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Día de Los Muertos is about a month away, but Old Town San Diego is already preparing for the big event!
For 2024, Día de Los Muertos will be as big as ever, spilling from Old Town San Diego State Historic Park down San Diego Avenue. For three days the public is invited to the free celebration!
On Friday, November 1, there will be a fun family screening of The Book of Life. The movie will be shown in the grassy plaza at the center of Old Town State Park.
That Saturday and Sunday, the Día de Los Muertos Festival will take over Old Town. In addition to entertainment, there will be tours of more than 40 unique Day of the Dead altars, and anyone can join the annual candlelit procession from Immaculate Conception Church down San Diego Avenue to El Campo Santo Cemetery.
During a morning walk today, I saw a beautiful altar set up already at Casa de Freds restaurant, and one being prepared in the park next to the Whaley House Museum. Many fancy Catrinas are already set up at Fiesta de Reyes. Calaveras, marigolds and sugar skulls are appearing all over!
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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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This weekend, after a five year absence, Lemon Fest returned to the city of Lemon Grove!
The community festival, held at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church, featured tons of food, a cool car show, live music and entertainment, a baking contest, kids games, vendors, a huge rummage sale, a plant sale, an auction . . . and many people wearing yellow and big smiles!
I was told that St. John of the Cross has had a Fall Festival since 1940, the year its church building was dedicated. The festival was temporarily suspended during COVID, but is now coming back. Next year the plan is that the Lemon Fest is even bigger and better, as it was before the pandemic!
I walked around enjoying the smells of food and the sound of music. Lots of families were at the tables eating great food and enjoying company. What a fun time!
The team Steel Magnolias is Making Strides Against Breast Cancer! They’re walking on October 27th. You can support this team by clicking here!
The Old Memories Sur San Diego car club had some very cool cars on display at Lemon Fest.
Kathy Villalobos of Gift of Dance was selling a piano with an amazing history. She explained how this Miraculous Brewster Piano, once the property of an opera singer, has produced many unexpected blessings. Funds from its sale will go toward repairing flood damage in the church.
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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 X.
A very cool street festival was held today in Rancho Bernardo. Several blocks of Bernardo Center Drive filled with vendors, artists, food, entertainment and fun for the North San Diego Business Chamber’s 36th Annual RB Alive!
I walked through the festival around noontime as it got underway. A good crowd appeared quickly, attesting to the popularity of this community gathering. (Unfortunately, RB Alive! was put on hold the past few years due to COVID.)
It was interesting to learn about many of the organizations on hand. Civic groups, politicians, churches, clubs, schools, you name it–everyone was smiling and ready to greet passersby.
This was my first time experiencing the event. I took some photographs as I walked about.
The RB Karate Center was providing martial arts demonstrations on one stage.
RB Alive! is organized by the North San Diego Business Chamber. They have numerous educational programs and events that support local business.
The Ed Brown Center for Active Adults is working to convert an old lawn bowling area in Rancho Bernardo Community Park into 16 pickleball courts.
The Rancho Bernardo Historical Society has a museum at the Bernardo Winery. The museum’s exhibits include a replica mud wagon stagecoach.
The Historical Society’s table had a detailed timeline of Rancho Bernardo’s history. Thank you for all the informative brochures. I need to visit their museum some day!
If history is your thing, why not join their efforts as a volunteer?
The Rancho Bernardo Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol acts as eyes and ears for the San Diego Police Department.
Are you 50 years or older? They’re always looking for volunteers!
More smiles!
I learned the Rancho Bernardo Public Library is just down the street. So after the festival I went there. Blog posts are coming up concerning my visit!
Creative vendors had all sorts of cool crafts and art out on display…
There would be entertainment throughout the day, including live music.
Loads of food everywhere you look!
I learned the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary is engaged in many charitable projects in Mexico and developing countries. They’re fighting childhood disease, providing clean water, building houses and hospitals…
The Rancho Bernardo Community Council is Your Voice in the Community. They are an all-volunteer organization acting as an advisory board to the City of San Diego on a range of public issues.
They also organize many fun community events! They’re glad to welcome volunteers!
Even the dogs were having a great time at RB Alive!
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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 X.
A colorful parade moved through Old Town San Diego State Historic Park late this morning. At eleven o’clock, to kick off a big, family-friendly Fiestas Patrias celebration, the parade gathered near the Cosmopolitan Hotel then proceeded around the State Park’s grassy plaza!
The parade, celebrating Mexico’s Independence Day, was led by Old Town’s rescue donkey Dulce. It was her first parade in years. Sadly, Dulce was not joined by her old companion donkey Don, who passed away earlier this year. (I’m told Dulce is now doing well.)
Included in the parade were Old Town San Diego State Historic Park volunteers in period attire and young ballet folklorico dancers from Gift of Dance. The procession moved past restored buildings from San Diego’s early history. The park interprets a fascinating period of time, back when the newborn city was a part of Spain, then Mexico, then the United States.
After circling the plaza, the costumed dancers filed onto the grass in front of the stage, where they would entertain the gathered crowd. (Later today I’ll post photographs of the dancing!)
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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.
Thirteen-year-old Ukrainian filmmaker Marusya Shuvalova spoke today at the 20th San Diego International Children’s Film Festival. The event was held in the Neil Morgan Auditorium at San Diego’s downtown Central Library.
Shuvalova’s two films, Me. My Eleven Years. War. and What’s Going On With Us? were among the outstanding selections featured in 2024. Both films document her young life in Kyiv, Ukraine during the Russian invasion.
Please watch the short Me. My Eleven Years. War. on YouTube by clicking here. There are English subtitles.
You will see how Marusya’s life as an ordinary eleven-year-old girl was disrupted by the war–how she had to forgo loved activities, learn remotely, listen constantly to loud sirens, take shelter, and live with fear of an unknown future, and a constant fear for her family’s safety. Her ambitions to be a young actress and film director had to be largely put on hold.
But now she has visited Los Angeles and San Diego for their respective International Children’s Film Festivals and hopefully her future is becoming brighter. Even with her limited knowledge of English, and emotions that you and I might hardly understand, she spoke before the audience in San Diego with perfect professionalism and poise. She is truly inspirational.
Learn more about Marusya Shuvalova by clicking here.
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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 X.
The Imperial Beach Historical Society is a volunteer group of IB residents who are working to preserve local history. I learned about the community organization this weekend at the annual Imperial Beach Sun & Sea Festival.
The Imperial Beach Historical Society website states their exciting and important mission: To collect and organize documents, photographs, stories, oral histories, publications, periodicals, artifacts, and any other items related to the history of Imperial Beach, leading to the future establishment of our own Imperial Beach History Museum.
Do you have photographs, historic documents or memorabilia pertaining to Imperial Beach? They can be scanned by the historical society in order to be digitally preserved.
They are also looking for new members! Check out their website to see what these good people are up to!
(Did you know that back in 1908 there was an experimental airfield in Imperial Beach? Read about early aeronauts and the nearby forgotten U.S. Aviation Field by clicking here!)
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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 X.
A gigantic sand sculpture now stands near the foot of the Imperial Beach Pier. The “Back 2 IB” retro sculpture, created using 80 cubic yards of sand, celebrates nostalgia from the 1980s. It’s the centerpiece of Imperial Beach’s family friendly 2024 Sun & Sea Festival!
Carved into the massive sculpture are images from the 1980s that many will recognize. Pac-Man. Ghostbusters. MTV. Rubik’s Cube. Cabbage Patch Kids. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Back to the Future. Nintendo Entertainment System. A video game arcade. A boom box. Music on cassette tapes…
Is this the coolest sand sculpture ever, or what? Why was it built? Each summer, during the annual Sun & Sea Festival, Imperial Beach is also known as Sandcastle City!
When I visited the festival late this morning, the local sand artists, including members of the Imperial Beach Posse Sand Carvers, appeared to be nearly finished. They’ve been working on their monumental work of art for several days.
I walked around the “Back 2 IB” sand sculpture and took these photographs of the sand sculptors hard at work…
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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 X.
The Sun & Sea Festival returned to Imperial Beach for 2024, attracting a good crowd as usual. And, as always, the annual event beside the Imperial Beach Pier featured sand sculptures!
A monumental sand mega castle was being finished by a group of local artists late this morning when I walked through the festival.
The “Back 2 IB” sculpture celebrates nostalgia. Carved into the sand are fun retro images that bring back fond memories of the 1980s, from Back to the Future, to Ghostbusters, to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, to Cabbage Patch Kids, to Rubik’s Cube, to Pac-Man. (I’ll be sharing more photos of the amazing sand sculpture in my next blog post!)
The festival also featured a Kids-n-Kastles competition, with 15 team entries built on the beach north of the pier. There was no adult competition this year. Sadly, there weren’t enough sponsors.
The COVID pandemic and sewage coming from the Tijuana River polluting the ocean off Imperial Beach have visibly hurt this long-running event, not to mention the Imperial Beach community and local businesses. Nobody was out in the water, apart from several surfers who were seriously risking their health.
I spoke to people at a Surfrider Foundation tent. They said very slow progress is being made to solve the sewage problem. The ocean here has been off limits for about two years now. It’s a problem that seems to have no end.
In spite of this, however, there was plenty of fun to be had at the 2024 Sun & Sea Festival! Lots of food! Live music! A fantastic location and SoCal beach vibe!
Here are my photos…
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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!
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Looking for something great to do this coming Father’s Day weekend? The 33rd Annual Wooden Boat Festival is taking place next Saturday and Sunday on Shelter Island!
Sons, daughters and fathers will enjoy exploring dozens of beautiful wooden vessels, large and small, docked at the Koehler Kraft boat building company. There will be a wide array of incredible vintage wooden boats that have been beautifully maintained and restored.
It’s the premier event of its kind in Southern California. Visitors will be able to board many of the wooden craft and be awed by the fine craftsmanship.
Tickets are very affordable and kids are about half price, so you can bring the whole family. There will be artists, live music, food and raffles, and all proceeds from the event go to benefit the Sea Scouts.
Visit the Wooden Boat Festival website here to learn more!
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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 X.
Cool San Diego Sights! 