I was walking in front of the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater in Balboa Park today when I thought to check the time. A performance would begin in five minutes! Okay, it had been a while, so I bought a ticket!
The show today concerned The Origin of Clowns.
Petrix the Clown took the stage and, with a gaggle of fun puppets, loosely (and humorously) told how clowns have evolved over the years–from the court fools, buffoons, and jesters to the improvisational commedia dell’arte, to European circus acts and mimes, and finally, to the American big top three-ring circus. The performance lasted perhaps twenty minutes.
If you have very young children, and you happen to be in Balboa Park on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, why not enjoy a happy puppet show? As a rule, performances are at 11 am, 1 and 3 pm. The shows change often, so you never know what to expect!
Oh–and more history. The Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater will be celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2027. Expect big things!
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Check out more fun artwork in San Diego’s North County!
I enjoyed a long walk in downtown Vista a couple days ago and found works of art I hadn’t seen previously. That’s probably because it has been a couple years since I’d wandered around these streets.
Downtown Vista absolutely overflows with amazing sculptures and murals. One cool thing is, from time to time new works of public art appear. (I’ve noticed the sculptures can be purchased by contacting the City of Vista.)
Okay, so what did I find?
The first photos are of a sculpture titled Sky Flowers, by artist Norberto Estrada. This colorful bouquet can be found near the intersection of Vista Village Drive and Main Street.
Not far from this sculpture is another titled Chasing Fish, by artist Noe Estrada. It’s near the corner of Main Street and South Citrus Avenue.
Check out Whale of a Tale, by artist Sergey Gornushkin! The whale is flukes up and preparing to dive at the corner of South Indiana Avenue and East Broadway.
I love this banner on South Santa Fe Avenue. Not sure how long it’s been up. It’s by Jack Green, Vista Innovation & Design Academy!
Finally, I noticed an electrical box at the corner of Santa Fe Avenue and Vista Village Drive has been redecorated in a tribute to NASA and Vista, California, Earth…
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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.
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.
In 2025, the variety and quality of cosplay inside and outside of the San Diego Convention Center is simply amazing.
Here’s another batch of cosplay photos taken while walking around outside!
Wilma and Fred FlintstonePee-wee HermanStay Puft Marshmallow ManDoctor DoomSnoopy lying on his doghouse and WoodstockTigraDeath Eater, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Bellatrix Lestrange and Knight Bus driverWolverine and DeadpoolLuigi and MarioMauiHmm. I really don’t know.E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialLegend of ZeldaEkkoRiddlerBlack Cat and Spider-ManWonder WomanZoidbergCaptain PicardRorschachObi-Wan KenobiRogue and Cyclops
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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.
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.
San Diego Comic-Con in 2025 is just as fun and amazing as ever. Everywhere you go, unbounded creativity. That’s probably what I love most about it.
Human creativity absolutely blooms at Comic-Con. Cosplayers imagine what they can be and become it. Actors play roles that can be utterly crazy. Visitors easily step into fantastic, imaginary worlds. Artists imagine what might be and make it real, right before our eyes.
Walk around downtown San Diego during Comic-Con and expect the unexpected!
I really get excited when I encounter artists who are striving to make their mark in the world. They put their art out there fearlessly. And the cool thing is, everyone loves it.
Local San Diego anime and digital artist Phil produces Umbridled Ambition!
Check out his cool comic by clicking here! Check out his Instagram here!
Manga and anime artist Thomas Fates is a Sketchin Hero! His goal is to have a career as an artist, to create and tell stories full time to give people something to look forward to!
A group of cool creators, including some of San Diego’s top street artists and muralists, came together today in Balboa Park. They displayed and sold their work at The Overthinkers Art Society Pop-up Group Exhibition!
As you might imagine, the event was chill and awesome!
Room 101 in the Casa del Prado was filled with creativity and color, and visitors could meet artists whose work they’ve no doubt seen around the city.
I followed signs to the exhibition and, surprised, wandered among the artists’ tables. I met a few artists whose names I recognized from photographing street art around San Diego. All were super friendly.
How cool is this?
The first table I came to contained the art of Franky Agostino (@3ojos1). It was a preview of the awesomeness to come…
At the next table I met prolific San Diego artist and muralist Maxx Moses!
If you’ve taken the trolley’s Orange Line east of downtown San Diego, you’ve likely seen his incredible work. In fact, his art is all over the place, from Hillcrest to Chula Vista to Encanto to La Mesa and beyond.
If you’d like to see photos of Maxx Moses artwork I’ve taken over the years, click here!
Here’s a bit of his art at today’s pop-up exhibition…
Next up, I met Dave Persue! No doubt you recognize his popular, instantly recognizable creation Bunny Kitty. He smiled for a photo, then took to the stage with his electric guitar.
He’s had murals all around town, too. See some of them by clicking here!
Then I came to the work of another great San Diego muralist: Sharky!
There’s a special little parking nook in Normal Heights where I’ve seen his recurring work, teamed with artist Hasler. Check out a few of those murals here and here and here.
The next photo shows artist Mathew Curran (@mathewcurran) by graffiti art he created in Spain…
I’ve seen the next artist’s street art on electrical boxes around San Diego. Such as here! His super unique work is unmistakable.
His name is Jorge Gutierrez Garcia (@jggart226).
He often paints figures like the ones in the next photo. His work appears to be full of symbolism. He said some people think the figures are aliens, other people see mythological characters.
People are encouraged to use their imagination!
As I walked around, I discovered a big roomful of even more cool art. I’m so glad I stumbled upon this great event!
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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.
Ancient gods Zeus and Neptune, in a peculiar combination, have descended on a storm cloud into 21st century San Diego!
Yes, mythical deities can now be observed hovering above Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park. Lightning is striking beneath their cloud, so those walking around the art center’s outdoor patio should take care!
This monumental sculpture was erected in Balboa Park a few days ago. The artist is Sergey Gornushkin, president of the San Diego Sculptors Guild, which is headquartered in a corner of Spanish Village.
“The Tempest” has its roots in a Shakespearian play that is based on these three principles: freedom, empathy and forgiveness, and nature versus nurture. At Burning Man its aluminum lightning bolts combined with an interactive sound and visual system designed to give the viewer a full immersive experience of a thunderstorm.
Here’s Sergey Gornushkin’s website. If you’ve ever visited the sculpture court in Spanish Village, you’ve no doubt seen other fantastic pieces that he has created.
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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.
Leucadia, a neighborhood in north coastal Encinitas, overflows with street art along its beachy Coast Highway. Here are even more examples!
I’m afraid this post is a couple months overdue. I took these photographs during a walk in early June. These colorful murals along North Coast Highway 101 were either relatively new, or I simply hadn’t noticed them during previous walks.
Anyway, check out this great artwork! Read the photo captions for a little more info…
A colorful tropical mural by artist Kevin Anderson on south side of Leucadia Barber Shop.This fun mural at Mothership was created by artist Kenton Hoppas.I spotted this butterfly during my Leucadia walk up North Coast Highway 101.A colorful aquatic mural on south side of Just Peachy Market front entrance.Harvesting fresh produce. Mural on north side of Just Peachy Market front entrance by @wyns_art in 2023.A cool mural dazzles the eyes at the Leucadia Donut Shoppe. It’s titled Seaside Daze, by Taylor Chapin in 2022.
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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.
Cool San Diego Sights! 