A juggler belonging to the Fern Street Circus practices his balancing skills before a special performance.
My walk today included a short visit to the Carnival in the Park event hosted by the Port of San Diego. Lots of families came down to Cesar Chavez Park in Barrio Logan to enjoy a free performance by San Diego’s much-loved Fern Street Circus!
I arrived a few minutes early, stayed for a bit, got a yummy free hot dog and enjoyed watching several performers. I didn’t hang around to see the main act, but I bet it was terrific! As I departed, a whole bunch of people were still arriving!
This fun, kid-friendly event was put together by the Port of San Diego’s Tidelands Activation Program. The program celebrates all sorts of cool artwork around San Diego Bay and encourages creativity in the South Bay and other bayside communities.
Here are a few photos!
Cesar Chavez Park in Barrio Logan was the venue today for a show by the Fern Street Circus, hosted by the Port of San Diego.Friendly people from the Port of San Diego’s Public Art Program look on as the crowd slowly grows at Cesar Chavez Park.This smiling lady was handing out free jars of Kinetic Sand to youth at the event. Young artists can easily mold it to express their creativity.Members of the Fern Street Circus ready props on the main stage as the kid-friendly community event gets underway.An aerial silk performer takes to the air above the grassy park.A smile in the San Diego sky!The circus juggler and some kids play with colorful hula hoops.A small circus school at the event showed people how to walk a tightrope!Lots of smiles and fun were enjoyed today at Cesar Chavez Park, courtesy of the Port of San Diego and the Fern Street Circus!
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There’s an author in San Diego by the name of Jack Tyler. He has published all sorts of steampunk fiction and offers great advice about how to write effectively. If this interests you, please follow his blog by clicking here!
You might recall Jack has written an exciting tale of adventure that takes place in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter. To learn more about his novel Stingaree, click here!
A bit of Wordsworth poetry and a flower etched into concrete. One of many cool sights during a walk down Avenida de la Playa.
Last weekend I went for a short walk through another beautiful part of La Jolla. I headed from La Jolla Shores Drive down Avenida de la Playa all the way to the beach. (Then I turned south and walked slowly over the sand to the tide pools. I’ll post photos of my beach walk later.)
Let’s head west down the street and enjoy a few cool sights!
A funny sign on the sidewalk near Cooper’s Market and Cafe. Look Morty, they have carbs and caffeine!Art on wall of Everyday California Adventures and Apparel shows a bear carrying a surfboard.Painted artwork on west side of Galaxy Taco includes colorful, strung Mexican papel picado. One of the Murals of La Jolla. Demos Gracias, Lorenzo Hurtado Segovia, 2016. Galaxy Taco’s colorful mailbox with their menu.Surf’s up. One of many underfoot messages in panels of concrete near the corner of Avenida de la Playa and Paseo del Ocaso.Someone has rented a stand up paddleboard at La Jolla Kayak. It’s a short distance to the beach from here.Looking west down Avenida de la Playa during a pleasant Saturday walk in laid-back La Jolla Shores.Barbarella Restaurant and Bar has a huge wing corkscrew sculpture with human feet!I’m not tired yet, but here’s a cool bench with seahorses and shells.Carrying paddleboards west toward the nearby beach. Kayaking in the Pacific Ocean off La Jolla is also very popular.Ocean Girl with heart.Build your own ice cream sandwich. Very tempting!After a short, fun walk, we’ve reached the beach!
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An example of an elaborate paper toy theater, a source of family entertainment in the 19th century.
Today, just for fun, I headed up to the Paper Theatre Festival, which is held every year at UC San Diego.
Upon entering the Seuss Room at the Geisel Library, I couldn’t help smiling. Scattered about the room was a large collection of Victorian stage dioramas, character cut-outs, books and ephemera from the 19th century when paper toy theatre was a popular family entertainment.
All of the colorful artwork exhibited at the festival is part of an immense paper theatre collection assembled over the course of eighteen years by Scott Paulson. I listened to him talk to visitors young and old about his collection, and tried to absorb a bit of this unique art form’s history. I learned how in that bygone age, families would construct these paper theaters from kits, then act out plays with the included scripts and paper doll actors. The entertaining hobby encouraged people to learn about the operation of a real theater, including set design and stage lighting effects.
Walking about the Seuss Room, I bent over to peer into many highly ornate 3-dimensional dioramas. Slots at intervals on the stages allow different paper backdrops–scenery sheets–to be inserted, as you can see from my photos. Paper characters, which are often mounted at the ends of sticks, can be moved about on a stage as a dramatic performance demands.
The festival is geared toward kids, who are encouraged to handle these fun paper playhouses, learn about their history and create their own small dramas. The event continues Sunday and Monday. Click here to learn more!
Paper Theater – It’s the smallest show on Earth! Historical amusements are on display at the Paper Theatre Festival at the UC San Diego Library.Objects on display include books, posters and materials to create paper theaters.A mirthful dance of magical characters!A variety of paper toy theaters and related items are on display at the annual festival.A scenery sheet depicting a London street to be used in a play of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.Detail from one ornate paper stage.These cut-out paper actors include dragons, knights and other fantastic characters.Mr. Jackson’s Elizabethan Theatre includes the characters and text for Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.An example of a French paper theatre kit.The exhibition includes a crazy MOV-I-GRAFF card. The outline of the face is a fine chain. The face’s shape can be altered with a jiggle.This stage features a troupe of dancers!Edward Gorey’s Dracula. Classic horror and toy theatre!Teatro de Mexico. A folk art toy theater.Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop. Hansel and Gretel. A model to cut out and make.A fun, very colorful Hansel and Gretel scene made of paper!
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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 photos for you to enjoy!
A demonstration of martial arts by members of the San Diego Wushu Center during the 2018 Chinese New Year Festival in Balboa Park.
Today I experienced two fantastic cultural events in Balboa Park. The first was the Chinese New Year Festival hosted by the House of China at the International Cottages.
2018 is the Year of the Dog, and a huge crowd turned out to enjoy Chinese food, entertainment and a whole lot of good fun. I stayed for a while and watched talented performers dance, demonstrate Kung fu, and fling bright Yo-Yos into the sunny San Diego sky to the delight of all! It was great!
The 2018 Chinese New Year Festival continues Sunday, from 11 am to 5 pm. You really should go!
Just in case you can’t make it, I took some colorful photos…
Tents in the lawn area of the International Cottages feature food, unique crafts and many fascinating aspects of Chinese culture.Cheerful artwork and entertainment are plentiful at the 2018 Chinese New Year Festival, hosted by the House of China in Balboa Park.Young students working with the Confucius Institute at San Diego State University dance during the program.Some traditional Chinese food being served included egg rolls, dumplings and bao–steamed buns with several different tasty fillings.I spotted one table with clever cards that open to colorful pop-up bouquets.Anyone could check the year of their birth against this Chinese horoscope. 2018 is the Year of the Dog.These cool kids of the Riverview International Academy Yo-Yo Team wowed the crowd with their amazing skill.I discovered a fascinating book about the history of the Chinese in San Diego. It’s title is In Search of Gold Mountain.Some beautiful Chinese brush art and ink drawings were being displayed by friendly local artists.Energetic martial artists demonstrated various forms of Kung fu. Many routines seemed like precise athletic dances.A graceful performance by members of the UCSD Chinese Dance Association.Many smiles and delightful surprises await visitors to Balboa Park during the 2018 Chinese New Year Festival.
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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 photos for you to enjoy!
I spotted a bubble producing street performer by Tuna Harbor as the sun was setting today, and he was nice enough to let me take a bunch of photos. Sunlight refracting through the bubbles became joyful rainbow spheres, which undulated like living dreams into the tinted sky.
Pure magic!
UPDATE!
I met the cool guy again in Balboa Park and learned his name is King Bubble!
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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!
Members of the Imahen Taotao Tano-Micronesia Dance Group provide entertainment at the 2018 San Diego Multicultural Festival.
Late this afternoon I ventured down to Ruocco Park to get a taste of the 20th Annual San Diego Multi-Cultural Festival.
Every year the fun, family-oriented event showcases diverse cultures from around the world, and how they uniquely contribute to life in our city.
Many organizations were present that work to improve the community, plus all sort of vendors and great entertainment. Please read the photo captions to learn more about a few of the festival participants! You might feel inspired!
The 2017 Multicultural Festival in Ruocco Park had many diverse activities and interesting things for visitors to experience.Some of the vendors had colorful artwork for sale.Entertainment on the main stage included the Micronesia dance group, Taico Japanese Drums and Soaring Eagles Native American Pow Wow.These nice ladies with EF Education First are looking for local families to host international students. Interested?The San Diego International Sister Cities Association had a couple of cool displays showing our 16 sister cities around the world. Participant cities often engage in cultural exchanges, including sporting events.The Japanese Friendship Garden of Balboa Park had something super fun at the festival. Kamizumo!Kamizumo–paper wrestler–is a Japanese game in which folded paper sumo wrestlers are placed in an arena and controlled by vibrating the platform with finger taps. (Click this image and the next to enlarge for easy reading.)If you make these moves you lose: You accidentally step out of the ring while pushing your opponent! You fall over! You step backward out of the ring!Another exciting kamizumo match is almost ready to begin!Cool guys with the Pazzaz Educational Enrichment Center had some Soap Box Derby gravity cars on display. Kids from the community are encouraged to participate in local races! I blogged about one such race in Sherman Heights a couple years ago!A friendly face painter! Some things never change! I captured this same enormous smile a year or two ago!
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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 photos for you to enjoy!
Like the mythical Atlas holding up the Earth, an incredibly strong person single-handedly shoulders the moon.
This morning I was astonished by the strange scene in the parking lot north of the County Administration Building.
I saw an incredible feat of strength, as a man lifted the moon with his shoulders . . .
I saw people engaged in giant pig tipping . . .
And I saw a monstrous shark about to take a bite of a strawberry ice cream cone!
Others might have observed people inflating a bunch of big balloons for the 2017 Holiday Bowl Parade.
Fun balloons were being inflated this morning near the County Administration Building for the 2017 Holiday Bowl Parade.Putting together a festive parade takes a bit of hard work and careful organization, it appears.This sunny San Diego float stood empty early in the morning on Harbor Drive.Back in the parking lot where the Holiday Bowl Parade balloons were gradually being inflated, a snow globe containing Frosty was rising like magic into the blue San Diego sky.I’ve heard of cow tipping, but these people seem to be tipping a giant pig.A monstrous shark prepares to take a bite from an enormous strawberry ice cream cone!
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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!
Elvis and cow in front of MooTime Creamery are decked out for Christmas.
I love to walk around Coronado. It’s like taking a small vacation.
In the past I’ve posted all sorts of cool sights around the island. My adventure yesterday along Orange Avenue yielded even more fun photos!
Enjoy!
A funny Roman warrior stands guard outside Village Pizzeria.A zoom photo of the north side of the Hotel del Coronado from a block or two up Orange Avenue.A view of the elegant Spreckels Building which was erected in 1917. It’s now home to the Bank of Coronado.Fancy gold ornamentation around front entrance of the Bank of Coronado, an historical landmark.Inside the front door of the Coronado Museum of History and Art one can see a Model T Laundry Truck once used at the Hotel del Coronado.Santa Elvis at MooTime Creamery is sporting a wreath around his neck.SEAL gifts and memorabilia for sale in the window of Bullshirt. Nearby Naval Amphibious Base Coronado is home to several SEAL teams.A fun tiki-style bamboo bike in front of Holland’s Bicycles. You can rent it for a ride around the beautiful island.Beautiful autumn trees and grass in Spreckels Park.The small June Miller Garden at the base of a tall palm tree in Spreckels Park. The gazebo in the background is the setting of Concerts in the Park during the summer.A joyful Victorian house on Orange Avenue reminds those passing by that it’s the holiday season in Coronado.
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Street art spotted during a walk along North Park Way. This masked face looks a bit like a cosmic ice cream cone.
I really don’t know what the correct definition of street art is. All I can say for certain is that I was walking along a short stretch of North Park Way last weekend when I spotted these creative works. All were in the vicinity of Ray Street and 30th Street.
A cool street art face in North Park.Love More Than Ever stenciled on a wall.Two silvery reindeer sculptures on the sidewalk, near a mailbox that receives Letters to Santa. You’ll find these in December outside Pacific Drapery.Three somewhat sickly smileys on a Have a Nice Day sticker.A colorfully painted You Are Radiant. Yes. You.
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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 photos for you to enjoy!
Cool San Diego Sights! 