Tag: gaslamp

Pickleball on the streets of San Diego!

Perhaps you’ve seen stickball on the streets of Little Italy in downtown San Diego–but pickleball in the middle of the Gaslamp Quarter?

Yes!

Gaslamp Urban Pickleball is a new multi-week event where anyone can play pickleball on two blocks of Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter!

As the event website says: Be Part of History — San Diego’s First-Ever Urban Pickleball Courts!

Every Thursday until September 25th, after 4 pm and until sunset, you can play this super popular sport with friends and neighbors, while people cheer you on from the sidewalk, nearby restaurants and bars. Win a prize, too! This cool event has been brought to downtown San Diego by the Gaslamp Quarter Association.

Interested?

To learn all you need to know, and to register, check out the Gaslamp Urban Pickleball website!

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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.

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Sunday walk around San Diego Comic-Con!

Enjoy another collection of cool photographs. I took these while walking around downtown San Diego on Sunday morning, the final day of Comic-Con 2025.

Yes, Comic-Con on a Sunday begins to wind down. I noticed this year that an offsite activation or two had already disappeared overnight. The remaining offsites close earlier on Sunday. Time for many out-of-towners to call it a Con and start heading home.

The cool thing is, local San Diego families love to come out on Sunday to enjoy the fun sights, cosplay and remaining offsites. It’s like a free visit to a sprawling amusement park. There’s still is a whole bunch of excitement!

Anyone at all can participate. That makes Comic-Con very special. It’s one big reason why so many in San Diego love Comic-Con.

You might notice from my photos I circled the San Diego Convention Center a couple times. As always, I’m reluctant to see another Comic-Con vanish. It goes by much too quickly. But there’s always next year to look forward to, right?

To everyone I met, you were awesome! Perhaps I’ll see you next year!

Now it’s time for a few days rest–then onward to more Cool San Diego Sights! Stay tuned!

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

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!

San Diego becomes center of the cosplay universe!

There’s no denying that, at this moment, San Diego, California is the center of the entire cosplay universe!

Hundreds of cosplays can be seen everywhere in the city, mostly around the San Diego Convention Center. That’s because it’s the Saturday of Comic-Con 2025!

How does one convey the wild and crazy atmosphere? Take a look at some photos! Most of these were taken in the Gaslamp Quarter on Fifth Avenue. Now multiply it!

Every fandom imaginable is represented by creative cosplayers. There are traditional superheroes and a whole array of anime characters. There are colorful characters from television, movies, video games…

There are often-seen cosplays and esoteric cosplays. Some costumes are simple, others are incredibly elaborate. Young and old participate. There are even cosplaying pets!

I took these photos while navigating through the dense crowd this afternoon. Cosplayers were excited to strike poses for passersby. Much humor! Lots of smiles!

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

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.

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Star Trek dancers beam into San Diego!

What happens when Star Trek: Strange New Worlds beams into San Diego for Comic-Con 2025? A Strange New Spectacle!

Dancers representing characters from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds have appeared this Saturday on the streets of San Diego, performing in an unusual but entertaining Broadway-like production!

Who knew the 23rd century would be so much fun!

Captain Christopher Pike, Spock, Uhura, and the happy crew of the starship Enterprise danced before a large crowd in the Gaslamp Quarter, loosely reenacting scenes from the science fiction series. Boldly they went where no one has gone before: a noir murder mystery (complete with trench coats), a sudden zombie situation, a ’60s retro mission, a Vulcan wedding, and plenty of sci-fi mayhem that the crowd loved.

Yes, it was a little bit silly, but everyone loved it. Lots of kids were in the audience. A few even danced along with the futuristic acting troupe!

Wouldn’t dancing in San Diego in the 21st century violate Starfleet’s Prime Directive?

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

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!

Weird, wonderful Saturday in San Diego!

You gotta love it!

It’s Saturday in San Diego–but not just any Saturday.

It’s the Saturday of Comic-Con 2025!

The crowds have grown larger and larger. Cosplay is absolutely everywhere. Huge lines have formed outdoors at the various offsite activations. (Wait up to four hours? No thanks! I’ll wait until Sunday.)

The endless weird and wonderful sights around downtown San Diego were more than enough for me!

I should probably think up clever captions for these photos. But it’s lunchtime. And I really need to take a quick nap before heading out again!

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

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!

Fun, craziness, cosplay: it’s Comic-Con!

Just another collection of fun photos. I took these on the second day of Comic-Con 2025. Walking around San Diego during Comic-Con is like moving through a fantastic, improbable dream.

Imagination, creativity, cosplay, sudden surprises at every turn! As they say in one movie, Everything Is AWESOME!!!

I feel like a wide-eyed child again. Comic-Con never gets old!

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

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!

Cosplay everywhere outside Comic-Con!

It’s Thursday evening. Comic-Con 2025 has barely begun. Even so, cosplay is now appearing all over downtown San Diego– particularly in the Gaslamp Quarter and outside the San Diego Convention Center!

Most of these cosplay photos were taken today as I walked all around. A few were taken on Wednesday, the day of Preview Night.

Enjoy!

Captain America.
Team Boba Fett!
Hatsune Miku.
Winter Soldier.
Jurassic Park.
Hazbin Hotel.
Joker and Harley.
I asked what version of Spider-Man, but failed to write it down.
Another Harley, with Beetlejuice!
Galactus without giant headgear about to devour the Earth.
Star Wars.
Anakin Skywalker, before going to the Dark Side.
Han Solo and Rey.
Tinker Bell and Pirate Fairy.
One Piece and Doctor Who.
Come on. Everyone knows this is Batman!
Peacemaker has had it with me.
Joker, Thor and Harley. Um, I think Thor might be a smidgeon more powerful.
Sandtrooper with a big gun that doesn’t miss.
The Wicked Witch. Stay away from water!
A cool Star-Lord cosplay.
And here’s good ol’ Spidey.
Wolverine has adamantium claws out for action.
G.I. Robot!
Drax.
Uh, oh. Cobra is here! (Where’s G.I. Robot when you need him?)
Invisible Woman and Human Torch seem to be missing Mister Fantastic and Thing.
An awesome Doctor Octopus cosplay!

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

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!

Thursday fun begins at Comic-Con 2025!

The fun has officially begun this Thursday morning at Comic-Con 2025!

Fans are streaming into the San Diego Convention Center, long lines have formed at the many offsite activations, and cosplay has appeared everywhere downtown!

That’s Mario and Donkey Kong in the above photograph riding through the Gaslamp Quarter!

There was a Thursday morning line at the Pendry Hotel for the Donut Bar’s special donuts…

A line outside the Hard Rock Hotel for Spider-Man Magic: the Gathering.

People head toward the San Diego Convention Center past the Percy Jackson offsite in Gaslamp Square.

Check out this cool Code Vein II motorcycle!

Hot dogs!

Friendly masked Green Lantern had some cool comic books on a table along MLK Promenade.

A line of Abbott Elementary fans wait for the Block Party to open!

The line ends way over here!

Super Toucan chalk art on the bayside boardwalk!

The center of excitement: the San Diego Convention Center.

A steady stream of fans were arriving from their hotels by bus.

Get your 2025 San Diego Comic-Con shirt near the Interactive Zone at Petco Park.

Yes, there will be lots of trash.

The Thunderbolts ice cream truck would begin serving at 10 am.

A fun Phineas and Ferb photo op tucked away near the Percy Jackson offsite.

On the other side…

The Gray Sisters taxi outside the Percy Jackson offsite…

An example of cool cosplay on Thursday morning, back on MLK Promenade…

San Diego Comic-Con sights everywhere you turn! I love it!

C-3PO occupies the Coca Cola Star Wars box office!

Now that’s scary!

Heading back up Fifth Avenue. Another long offsite line. This is for The Lodge, promoting Paramount+ shows.

Hello there. This must be San Diego Comic-Con!

King of the Hill graphic at BAIT in the Gaslamp Quarter. Drinking in public gets one behind bars…

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

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!

Afternoon walk before Comic-Con Preview Night!

Comic-Con 2025 is about ready to begin in earnest! Fans are streaming into downtown San Diego for Preview Night!

My walk around the San Diego Convention Center and through the Gaslamp Quarter in the mid-afternoon kept my camera very busy.

Enjoy another collection of photos!

House of Blues has cool programming during Comic-Con 2025.
These guys used lightsabers to remove a Predator’s head.
All sorts of merch on display outside the Doctor Who offsite!
Twisted activity expected here.
Twisted Metal on Peacock graphic.
Red Sonja is wanted by order of Emperor Draygan.
Hot Wheels is back!
Friendly sign spinner directs fans to the Comic-Con Blood Drive at the Manchester Grand Hyatt.
Look at the line of buses!
ABC will lift Abbott Elementary fans high into the San Diego sky.
Graphics near entrance of the Voodoo Ranger offsite.
Ramp down to Voodoo Ranger “pirate ship” has these cool graphics.
Ahoy there, matey! Voodoo Ranger returns to Comic-Con.
Looking south down the bayside boardwalk past King of the Hill’s offsite.
Indiana Jones is here! Drinking from the Holy Grail has seemingly preserved his youth.
Must Be This Crazy to Ride at Starr Park!
Is that a cat mermaid at Adult Swim?
Find two Smiling Friends at the Adult Swim activation behind the San Diego Convention Center.
This way to Indigo Ballroom in the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.
A view of offsites behind the convention center from the Hilton.
Down there is the Superman offsite, a production of DC Comics and Old Spice. Does Superman sweat?
This smiling guy wants you to ask questions!
The Interactive Zone at Petco Park seems a bit sparse this year. At least, so far.
The Labu-Tique Pop Up Shop at Petco Park!
Lots of stuff has shown up near the Omni.
That Thunderbolts graphic kind of looks like a cereal box.
Yes, Stitch has huge ears.
How adorable.
Stitch surfs in San Diego!
Spead ’em Nerds! I didn’t realize Liam Neeson can do the splits.
A Triple Chocolate Feast sounds good right now.
Fifth Avenue is going to be crazy the next four days!
Cool sculpture at entrance to the Predator: Badlands activation.
I’m not sure I’d want to be a friend of Frendo.
Cheetos mascot on a bicycle!
Coca Cola presents Holocreator starring you!
Would you like to become a Sith?
Fantastic Rewards can be grabbed by fans who enjoy the Google Play offsite.
Mitchell, didgeridoo player from Balboa Park, has beamed down!
Yikes! The Joker has arrived!

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

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!

Action on the morning of Comic-Con Preview Night!

Lots of action in downtown San Diego this morning! Wednesday has finally arrived, the day of Comic-Con 2025 Preview Night!

Comic-Con’s many offsite activations are in a big hurry to have everything ready to open tomorrow.

Some offsites have appeared almost overnight, including the Twisted Metal Bumper Battle and the Petco Park Interactive Zone. The Rady Shell has begun decorating for their big two day Crunchyroll Anime FanFest. The grassy strip between the Omni San Diego hotel and Harbor Drive is seeing several pop-ups now materializing, including Thunderbolts and Lilo & Stitch.

I enjoyed my usual morning walk through the Gaslamp Quarter and around the San Diego Convention Center. You can imagine how anticipation for Comic-Con is growing!

I saw only one instance of full cosplay, and the guy was in a big hurry. Exhibitors were streaming in from every direction to get their stuff ready. For some independent publishers and specialized vendors, Comic-Con with its nearly 140,000 attendees can be the biggest few days of the year.

Yes, every year, Comic-Con is one of San Diego’s most epic events! The world is watching!

Here’s a photographic taste of the Preview Night morning action…

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

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!