Tag: games

Fun Zone at the San Diego County Fair!

The San Diego County Fair is always tons of fun for the entire family. The Fun Zone features so much pure, unadulterated fun, however, that the sanest, most self-controlled visitor might be tempted to go completely berserk!

I headed up to Del Mar today. The free shuttle from the train station dropped us off at the fair’s West Gate, which leads directly into the Fun Zone. My camera got busy right away!

So many cool, colorful sights! I arrived in the late morning shortly after the fair opened, so the crowds hadn’t grown too much yet. What most caught my eye were the flashy graphics splashed on the carnival rides and games.

Walk through the Fun Zone and you’ll encounter superheroes, rock stars, dinosaurs, race cars, pirates, spooky ghosts, circus animals, friendly carnies challenging you to knock over bottles or shoot a basket to win a big prize, not to mention sugary, fatty treats galore!

Is it possible to have too much fun?

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Splatoon Raiders trolley for Comic-Con!

Check it out!

The second trolley wrap for San Diego Comic-Con 2026 promotes the new Nintendo Switch game Splatoon Raiders!

Cool graphics will greet Comic-Con goers this year who happen to take this trolley car.

The Splatoon game launches July 23, 2026, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. Players take on the role of a “mechanic” working with the musical trio Deep Cut to explore the Spirhalite Islands, hunt for treasure, and battle Salmonids from a customizable “hideout ship” hub.

Sounds fun to me!

UPDATE!

Another wrap design appeared days later!

UPDATE!

One more!

…

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

Youth Summit 2026 in Balboa Park!

A cool opportunity for youth in San Diego to meet others, share, learn and create is coming up on June 3, 2026!

Youth Summit 2026 will be taking place in Balboa Park. The free event is hosted by the City of San Diego Office of Child and Youth Success, in partnership with the San Diego Public Library, Youth Will, Reality Changers, The LGBTQ+ Community Center, and Our Time to Act.

There will be speakers (including San Diego Poet Laureate), art presenters, breakout sessions, workshops, fun games, and hands-on activities. Youth will learn how to access useful resources, too.

I saw the above announcement in Balboa Park today and thought I’d share it. Do you know any young people who might like to participate?

For all the information, check out this webpage.

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

San Diego’s pro ultimate team brings excitement!

Did you know San Diego has a professional ultimate frisbee team? They’re called the Growlers! And they play fast-paced, super exciting games that will have you stomping your feet and cheering!

This evening the Growlers played at their home stadium–Mission Bay High School’s football field. I simply had to go check it out. I’d never been to an ultimate game before.

Ultimate is played with a frisbee and has elements of both soccer and football. Speedy athletes run about the field, trying to pass a frisbee between team members without it dropping or being intercepted. Catch in the end zone, win a point!

The games, played in four quarters, are easy to follow and wildly exciting. Huge breakaway throws into the end zone are like soaring Hail Mary passes! One scoring catch was made with 1.3 seconds left in the first quarter!

Most of the team members are college age and come from local schools like SDSU and UCSD. The game involves constant running, twisting and diving. You’ll see amazing athleticism.

I loved how kids in the stands were having a blast, banging their thunder sticks and having fun with Growler the mascot. Growler would stomp his feet on the metal floor of the stands when our team was on defense. Fans would join in. Boom, boom, boom!

During halftime, kids were invited onto the field to attempt long, running catches!

It was also cool to see how, during a meeting of the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA), Growler was awarded best team mascot! I snapped that last photo as he was presented with a trophy!

Interested in going to a game? Check out the Growlers website here! This is their eleventh year in San Diego.

Most of these photos were taken before nightfall and before the game started. The stands would eventually fill up with a large number of cheering fans!

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Warhammer 40k cosplay at Comic-Con Museum!

Some of the most jaw-dropping Warhammer 40k cosplay creations are now on display in San Diego’s Comic-Con Museum! They’re gigantic and amazing in their detail! For an idea of scale, see my first photo.

Head downstairs and walk into the gallery devoted to costumes created for Comic-Con’s world-famous Masquerade. Among other fantastic creations, you’ll see these Warhammer 40k character suits that can actually be worn. They are made out of EVA foam sheets by Joe Ramirez.

Not surprisingly, Joe has won multiple awards for his cosplay productions. His handle is @Beyonderjoe.

The costumes in this gallery change from time to time, so make sure to have a new look every time you visit the museum.

House of Syria exhibit at Hall of Nations.

I wandered into Balboa Park’s Hall of Nations today. I was surprised to discover a great small exhibit by one of the newest members of the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages: the House of Syria!

I was given a friendly greeting as I examined various displays. Most prominent was a very beautiful backgammon set. I’ve learned backgammon is derived from games going back to Mesopotamia in ancient times, such as the Royal Game of Ur. I also spotted some tasty Syrian sweet pastries!

Like other International Cottage members, the House of Syria is very welcoming. Their website states: Our members are volunteers passionate about preserving Syrian culture and sharing it through events, exhibitions, traditional music and dance, and authentic Syrian cuisine. Whether you have roots in Syria or simply want to learn more about its culture and history, House of Syria welcomes you as part of our extended family.

Like other nation members who don’t have a cottage yet, that’s a future goal. Get in touch with these good people if you’d like to learn more.

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

SDSU Aztecs Rugby Club plays UC Davis.

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.

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Horseshoes tournament in Balboa Park!

A big horseshoes tournament was held today in Balboa Park. The Scott Love Memorial Open, an official event of the Southern California Horseshoe Pitchers Association (SCHPA), took place at the pits that are home to the Balboa Park Horseshoe Club.

I walked past this morning and took a couple photos of the action!

I’m always surprised more people don’t take advantage of Balboa Park’s horseshoes facility. It was good to see players having fun, socializing, competing in a regional tournament.

Would you be interested in joining them? Many more competitions are coming up this year. Or simply pitch horseshoes for fun.

Want to learn more?

Click here for Balboa Park Horseshoe Club San Diego. Click here for the Southern California Horseshoe Pitchers Association!

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

A very rare Challenge Caber in San Diego!

That long wood pole you see in these photos is extremely rare. It’s one of only two Challenge Cabers outside of the United Kingdom. It makes its home in San Diego, inside Balboa Park’s House of Scotland cottage!

What’s a caber? It’s a heavy tapered pole that competitors try to toss end over end at Scottish Highland Games. The Braemar Challenge Caber proudly displayed here in San Diego has a further distinction. It has never been successfully flipped (turned).

Beginning in 1976 competitors have tried to turn this particular caber at the San Diego Scottish Highland Games and Gathering of the Clans. A successful turn would require extreme strength and skill. Many accomplished athletes have tried. None have succeeded!

This very heavy Braemar Challenge Caber was a gift from the Braemar Royal Highland Society. It was cut from a larch tree and sealed while still green. It’s 19 feet long and weighs a daunting 175 pounds.

As you might notice, I took these photographs during the holiday season.

Visitors can view this rare, historic caber on most weekends at Balboa Park’s International Cottages. Simply step into the House of Scotland cottage!

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Geocache event locates fun in San Diego!

Today hundreds of geocaching enthusiasts converged on San Diego searching for fun. And they found it!

An event named Signal’s Island drew geocachers from around Southern California and the nation to the grass of NTC Park at Liberty Station.

While rubbing elbows with other members of the broader geocaching community, attendees could enjoy all sorts of challenging family activities. There were nearby hidden geocaches to find, puzzle-like “gadget caches” to figure out (including that one with a toilet in my first photo), interesting displays (including the last remaining item from the world’s first geocache–a can of beans), games like Geo Limbo and Coconut Bowling, photo ops, a mini-pie eating contest, a raffle, a geocaching trackables and pathtag exchange, and more!

Why the name Signal’s Island? Signal the Frog is geocaching’s official mascot, and the event was styled after Gilligan’s Island!

Okay, perhaps you’re a geocache novice, like me. Click here to learn about this fun, healthy and stimulating outdoor hobby! According to the Geocaching website, there are 6,602 geocaches to be discovered around San Diego!

…

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.

Feel free to share!