Star Wars fans will soon be gathering at the San Diego Central Library. Fun, creative activities will be available in the IDEA Maker Lab on May the Fourth (be with you) and (revenge of the) Fifth!
You’ll have the opportunity to paint mini lightsabers, 3D print droids, make Star Wars buttons, participate in a scavenger hunt (and win prizes), and more. All ages welcome.
Registration is encouraged but not required.
To learn more about this cool event, click here and here!
By driving east of San Diego to Campo this weekend, you can enjoy free admission to four cool attractions!
Admission will be free at the Campo Railroad Museum, the Motor Transport Museum, the Gaskill Brothers Stone Store, and the Camp Lockett Equestrian and Event Facility!
This weekend, May 2-3, 2026, Campo Days promises unforgettable family-friendly experiences. Pile the kids in the car and have an adventure!
The incredible Campo Railroad Museum, operated by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association, itself is worth the trip. You can explore many old train cars parked on tracks at the museum, and even ride a vintage train should you purchase a ticket! Learn more about the Campo Railroad Museum at their website here.
I learned about Campo Days when I swung by the La Mesa Depot Museum today. This small free museum is also operated by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association.
Station master Timothy showed me some of the work being done to restore No. 3, the 1923 steam locomotive which you might have seen while driving through downtown La Mesa. I blogged about its history and restoration about a year ago here.
Timothy loves to talk about trains and his personal experience as an engineer. The always free La Mesa Depot Museum also has a cool HO-scale train layout kids love.
If you can’t make it to Campo Days this weekend, head to La Mesa on a Tuesday or Thursday from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, when the La Mesa Depot Museum is open. Admit it–you love trains, too!
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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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This coming Fourth of July, 2026, the United States of America will celebrate its semiquincentennial–its 250th Anniversary!
At noon on Independence Day, people in San Diego and across the country will be ringing bells to celebrate two and a half centuries of freedom. Would you like to join them?
There’s a free website that will help you, your family, friends, and interested organizations celebrate the moment. It counts down to noon local time, provides a digital Declaration of Independence, educational material, helpful information about creating your own ceremony, a participation certificate, and will produce eight different selectable bell sounds if you don’t have your own bell handy!
There’s even information about how to produce a ceremonial bell ringing broadcast on local radio stations.
The website is called Freedom Bells. You can learn more at FreedomBells.org or click here! Check out the website FAQs for useful ideas.
Share the news! Get those Freedom Bells ringing from sea to shining sea!
Everyone is invited to the debut of new public art in Escondido!
On Saturday, April 18, at 3:30 pm, six new large-scale murals created by local artists will be unveiled on the Neighborhood Healthcare Building located at 460 North Elm Street on the wall that flanks the Escondido Creek Trail.
The project is known as the Escondido Creek Trail Outdoor Art Gallery. Learn more about it by clicking here.
Each mural reflects the spirit and identity of Escondido, transforming public spaces into storytelling experiences. The initiative continues ESCO Alley Art’s mission to elevate public art and foster community pride.
At the unveiling ceremony and community gathering there will be an artists meet-and-greet, kid’s activities, music and refreshments.
Bring the whole family to experience an event that promises to be historic, fun and inspiring!
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This Sunday, March 1, 2026, the public will have a rare opportunity at the Oceanside Museum of Art. During a free Open House, between noon and 4 pm, the public will enjoy a sneak peek at the museum’s planned expansion into historic Fire Station Number One!
Here’s the event webpage with details.
There will also be art workshops, refreshments, and a presentation concerning architect Irving Gill, who designed the 1929/1930 fire station (also called Oceanside Engine House and Police Station), and the original 1934 City Hall and Library buildings.
(One of the museum’s current exhibitions concerns Irving Gill’s many contributions to architecture in Oceanside. I’ll be blogging about that soon.)
Today I was shown a model of the museum with its future expansion. The model, located near the museum’s front counter, is in my first and last photograph. One can see how the Oceanside’s old fire station and police station, adjacent to the existing museum, will become a substantial addition!
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Are you an artist in San Diego? Would you like free access to an extensive and amazing Print Studio?
The Athenaeum Art Center at the Bread and Salt building in Logan Heights has the fantastic facility you see in these photographs. I’ve worked at a local print shop, and the number of presses I saw today blew me away! You’re invited to use them, or take printing classes!
The Print Studio features 5,000 square feet of creativity…and 10 presses and over 300 cases of type. Read more about the equipment and possibilities by visiting this webpage.
My mouth flew open when I saw those many drawers of type–I thought I’d stepped into a printing museum!
The studio offers free weekly Open Print studio time to the public for printmakers of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced, thanks in part to the Prebys Foundation and Dr. Edward Petko.
How cool is that? You’ll be greeted by smiles,too!
As this Instagram post indicates, Open Print Studio invites artists to work independently in our print studio space… Some printmaking familiarity is helpful as Open Print Studio is self-guided, and limited technical support is available for refreshers or help finding supplies. Our facility supports intaglio, screen print, relief, and letterpress. Printmaking classes are also offered throughout the year.
To learn of open hours and events at the Print Studio, follow this Instagram page, and/or this one!
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During my walk yesterday through SDSU Mission Valley River Park, I was surprised to see members of San Diego State Aztecs Rugby Club getting ready for a game. They would be playing UC Davis out on a wide swath of the park’s grass. It was the second game of their 2026 season.
I remained at the sidelines for a while to watch the beginning of play. Other fans would gradually gather with their lawn chairs and umbrellas.
SDSU Aztecs Rugby Club competes in Division 1-A in the California Conference. Founded in 1958, the team has a long and proud history. They won the 1987 National Collegiate Rugby Championship.
The action I observed was fast and exciting! I don’t know too much about rugby, but perhaps I’ll have to become a fan! The Aztecs would go on to win 31-38.
If you’d like to watch this victory on YouTube, click here.
To go to a future game, you can follow SDSU Aztec Rugby at this website.
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The San Diego Museum of Art is celebrating its centennial in 2026. First opening in 1926 as the Fine Arts Gallery, the world-class museum has grown and experienced many remarkable moments over the past hundred years.
That history is remembered in a free exhibition titled SDMA 100 Years. The exhibit opened yesterday in the museum’s Galleries 14/15, which are accessible to the public through a door at Panama 66 in the museum’s sculpture courtyard.
SDMA 100 Years features a timeline of photographs that document the museum’s evolution, from the building’s construction in Balboa Park right up to the present day. There’s also a short documentary video and a display case full of ephemera.
Visitors can observe how the San Diego Museum of Art had its origins in the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, had its successful grand opening in 1926, served as a naval hospital during World War II, and how west and east wings were added for significant expansions.
You’ll see photos showing museum contributions to art education and the San Diego community over the years. You’ll see renowned artists who’ve contributed their work, and relive major exhibitions. You’ll envision what the museum plans for their future, too!
You are invited to contribute to the exhibition! Anyone can submit their personal memories and photographs of the museum. To participate, look for the link at the bottom of this webpage!
SDMA 100 Years will be displayed through 2026, right up to February 2, 2027.
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Have you seen the tokidoki exhibition at San Diego’s amazing Comic-Con Museum? If your answer is no, you have several weeks until the exhibition closes. TOKIDOKI: Twenty Years of Kawaii & Chaos goes away at the end of January.
Meanwhile, people who love tokidoki collectibles have the opportunity to attend a free trading event at the museum! The “kid-organized meetup” will be held on Saturday, January 24th, 2026 inside the Comic-Con Museum’s café! Everyone is welcome. Bring any tokidoki figures or merch you’d like to possibly trade!
I visited the museum today and saw the event announcement. As I wandered about the tokidoki exhibition, I “collected” a handful of cool photos…
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Cool San Diego Sights! 