Enjoy some fun photos taken early this afternoon at the East Village Opening Weekend Block Party! The 2026 MLB baseball season has begun and our San Diego Padres have high hopes.
Lots of fans were wandering up and down several blocks of J Street just north of Petco Park. There was live music, dogs dressed like Padres fans, cool lowriders in a row, food, kids making swag chains, a spray paint artist, and even a wiffleball derby!
It’s the morning of Opening Day for the San Diego Padres, and the excitement has begun!
Reporters are in the Gaslamp Quarter commentating and interviewing fans. The Ben and Woods sports radio show is broadcasting from Baja Rick’s to a crowd of Padres fans!
In San Diego, young Knights gather together in Balboa Park. Today they put on their first ever lawn program at the International Cottages!
The HPR Knights is a relatively new group of young men who represent the diverse nations belonging to the House of Pacific Relations. The group was founded in 2024. This is the HPR Knights website.
Their description: We are a San Diego based, all-male organization dedicated to serving the greater San Diego community. We strive to represent all cultures and encourage the youth to participate in the House of Pacific Relations community at Balboa Park.
At their inaugural lawn program these young men impressed everyone. Several spoke of how the group encourages brotherhood, mutual respect, self-confidence and leadership.
I learned about their community service, including how they’ve worked at Mission Trails Regional Park to remove invasive vegetation and reintroduce native plants. They also help around the International Cottages, representing many cultures, promoting education and friendship.
After the speeches came a variety of performances! I got a photo of Bollywood breakdancing on the stage by young members of the House of India!
Do you know anyone who might like to join the group? Visit their website!
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This weekend, San Diego is going bananas . . . again! The Savannah Bananas have returned to Petco Park, to play two banana ball games against one of their rivals, the Loco Beach Coconuts!
The Savannah Bananas’ popularity continues to grow, with their crazy, kid-friendly on-field antics during “banana ball” games and between innings. It’s like a non-stop circus, all the while playing a baseball game with unusual rules, that include fan participation. (If you catch a foul ball, the batter is out!)
The games have become so popular that there is a league of six teams traveling around playing each other. By the way, the Loco Beach Coconuts are 2-0 versus the original Savannah Bananas team so far in 2026!
Both games this weekend are sold out. Today I walked through the festival atmosphere just north of Gallagher Square, where families (often clad in yellow) were lined up for fun banana ball merchandise.
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A hot day for mid-March. I stayed near the beach–in Oceanside. As I walked out onto the Oceanside Pier, look what I saw! Someone was digging a huge skull and crossbones into the sand!
Turns out the friendly, creative guy was David. He was working on his pirate Jolly Roger flag design in the sunshine, while people strolling along the beach would stop, look and chat.
He’s been making artwork in the sand like this for several months, he told me. He’s created perhaps a dozen such works at the beach.
He told me there’s another guy who makes cool designs using a garden rake. That sounds awesome, too. Perhaps I’ll stumble upon that one day.
Here’s what I saw around noon as I walked out on the pier:
After I ate lunch, I returned to the pier and saw this:
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The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was in Santee today for Fido Fest! The iconic vehicle attracted lots of curious people, who could even enjoy a peek inside!
I took photos!
The two smiling drivers (hotdoggers) were greeting everybody and passing out hotdog whistles. Several signs on the grass nearby provided information about the Wienermobile. I learned there are six wieners-on-wheels that travel around the country.
Let’s see . . .
The Wienermobile weighs the same as 140,500 hot dogs. It has a hot dog shaped dashboard. It has a ketchup walkway and condiment splattered carpet. The bunroof is removable. It has an official Wiener Jingle horn…
Also, Carl Mayer, nephew of Oscar Mayer, designed the first Wienermobile in 1936…
The next sign contains images of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile through the years…
I had a fast look inside. Looks quite comfortable!
Okay! Let’s all sing along!
My bologna has a first name, it’s O-S-C-A-R…
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Walking this morning through downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, I photographed these two fun sights!
First is the F Street entrance sign for the old Horton Plaza parking structure. A playful jester welcomes motorists to what used to be a unique and very popular shopping mall!
Next, a sidewalk vent structure was painted to appear like Star War’s R2-D2!
You can spot this fun street art in front of Kutthroat Downtown barber shop at 437 Market Street.
It’s 2026, the Year of the Horse! Chinese New Year was celebrated all this weekend in Balboa Park!
With plenty of tradition, food and cultural entertainment, the House of China hosted their big Balboa Park Chinese New Year Fair at the International Cottages!
I arrived late this afternoon, shortly after the festival got underway. The Southern Sea Dragon and Lion Dance Association were entertaining a large crowd, bringing everyone good luck.
After the National Anthem was sung by young Norah Lu, students from the San Diego Wushu Center performed up on the stage. Their Chinese martial arts performances were incredible. Some of the students looked like Jet Li, effortlessly jumping and twisting their bodies in mid-air, wowing the audience. Very exciting!
I took some photos. My current, too-old PowerShot camera seems to be on its last legs, but I managed to capture some good images that convey the colorful atmosphere…
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A super fun mural was painted in North Park last December in time for the holiday season. Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the entire Peanuts gang are now frolicking on the side of 420 Smoke Shop, at 2559 University Avenue!
The talented artist’s Instagram is @cravemoreart. The artist identifies as Scenic Painter for Haunted Trails of Balboa Park 2025. Very cool!
I hope this art remains on the building, even as seasons change and San Diegans dream of sunny, warm beach days–not of Christmas trees, snowmen, winter snow and ice.
Is that Santa and his reindeer up there in the starry sky?
This mural is simply too much fun!
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