Tag: international cottages

Decking the halls for December Nights!

Balboa Park is “decking the halls” in preparation for December Nights! Families visiting the park this coming Friday and Saturday will enjoy cheerful holiday sights and sounds and tastes, and yesterday I saw how preparations are underway!

That’s a big wreath in Spanish Village above. Below, ornaments already hang from the trees around the patio…

Spanish Village Art Center will host Holidays in the Village during December Nights. There will be hot cocoa, crafts, Junior Theatre performances, and jolly Santa, too!

There’s a festive wreath on the rear of the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad train…

The stage inside the Casa del Prado courtyard is being resurfaced in preparation for youth performances during December Nights…

Big candy canes have appeared in the House of Hospitality courtyard…

The San Diego History Center has multiple Christmas trees and many poinsettias. Their “Bataan Café” will be serving AleSmith Brewing Company beer during December Nights.

There will be food galore at the International Cottages during December Nights. Many of the cottages are already decked out for the Holiday Season.

Here’s a Christmas tree among piñatas in the House of Mexico cottage…

An angel in the House of Mexico cottage…

Christmas tree in House of Panama cottage…

A small Christmas tree in House of USA cottage…

A tiny winter scene inside the House of Germany cottage…

In the House of Finland cottage, a member was creating Sydänkori heart baskets, perfect for hanging on Christmas trees…

Most Balboa Park museums will be open free to the public in the evening during December Nights.

I found this beautiful Christmas tree inside the San Diego Automotive Museum…

Fill up the Toys For Tots box at the San Diego Automotive Museum!

Jewels of the Season has again filled the Timken Museum of Art with hand made jewel-like ornaments and bright, twinkling splendor!

The Whoville General Store featuring oodles of green Grinch merch is now open at the Old Globe!

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House of Somalia celebration in Balboa Park!

Today the first ever House of Somalia lawn program was held among the International Cottages in Balboa Park. It was a big, fun cultural celebration!

The House of Somalia is a new member of the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages. They are the first nation in the group to represent Africa!

The House of Somalia’s first annual lawn program brought out a good crowd. People happily mingled while enjoying a variety of food, goods, crafts, and very lively entertainment up on the stage.

Representatives from the Somali Museum of Minnesota and their troupe of Traditional Dancers came all the way to San Diego to participate in the celebration. I was interested to learn the Somali Museum of Minnesota is North America’s only Somali-focused museum.

Beginning around 2 pm, after some short speeches, including glowing words by WorldBeat Center founder Makeda Cheatom, the dancers took the stage.

The dancers began by performing the Dhaanto, which mimics the movements of a camel. Many other folk dances would follow, all of which were very expressive. I believe the one with much spinning was the Jaandheer. You had to be there to experience the energy and sense of joy.

It was an outstanding inaugural lawn program for the House of Somalia!

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If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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

House of Scotland celebration in Balboa Park!

Nothing stirs the blood like a performance by the House of Scotland Pipe Band. I loved listening to their piercing bagpipes and booming drums yesterday during a lawn program in Balboa Park.

The House of Scotland’s lawn program at the International Cottages roughly coincided with Samhain, a Celtic festival that marks the end of the harvest season. Scottish culture was enjoyed by park visitors who might have wandered by. There was traditional Scottish music, food and demonstrations of craft. Yesterday’s program also celebrated 75 years in Balboa Park!

Inside the House of Scotland cottage visitors could purchase Scottish shortbread; at their outdoor canopy meat pies caught my attention. I think I’ve become addicted!

On the lawn there was a spinning demonstration. A short distance away a young lady was making lace.

If you plan to visit Balboa Park on a weekend, check the schedule on this page for cultural programs at the International Cottages! Then enjoy!

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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.

Feel free to share!

Two special Halloween events in Balboa Park!

Two very special, free events are coming up next weekend in Balboa Park, in time for Halloween!

The San Diego Sculptors Guild in Spanish Village Art Center will be hosting Glowing in the Hollow on Saturday October 25th, 2025 from 5 to 10 pm.

The Sculpture Guild’s courtyard and the tunnel leading to it will be aglow with illuminated art. The newly constructed stage in a corner of their courtyard will be alive with music performed by Auva Xuln. Guild artist Justin is part of the band!

There will be treats, drinks and interactive experiences, and costumes are welcome!

Also next Saturday, between 11 am and 4 pm, the House of Scotland among Balboa Park’s International Cottages will be celebrating Samhain. There will be piping and drumming, and dancing, and plenty of Scottish food!

Samhain is the Celtic festival at the end of the harvest and a basis for Halloween!

Why not enjoy both events next Saturday? Sounds like fun!

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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.

Feel free to share!

House of Taiwan hosts exhibit in Balboa Park!

Did you know the House of Taiwan is one of the newest members of the International Cottages in Balboa Park? I learned today that they joined the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages in August!

Today they hosted an exhibit in the Hall of Nations for their very first time, and wow, what great displays! The history and culture of Taiwan was celebrated with all sorts of information, traditional crafts and art objects, a film, and even treats! (I sampled an imported pastry-like buttery fènglí sū (鳳梨酥), or pineapple cake, for which Taiwan is famous. Yum!)

I met some super nice people and took a few photographs of the event.

I see the House of Taiwan has a website and they are already very active in the community. Check out their site here!

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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.

Feel free to share!

House of England celebrates Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday!

The House of England in Balboa Park celebrated the 250th birthday of Jane Austen today!

Dressed in Regency attire, members of the Jane Austen Society of North America San Diego Region assembled outside the House of England cottage and listened to beautiful music performed by Amanda Fagan. Many of the ladies were wearing bonnets!

Jane Austen was a major literary figure who wrote such famous novels as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma. Songwriter and prolific creator Amanda Fagan (@amandafaganofficial) entertained everyone with original compositions inspired by Jane Austen novels!

I learned that Amanda Fagan is writing a screenplay for a musical based on Austen’s satirical novel Northanger Abbey. I suspect it will include a good deal of humor! See her YouTube page here.

Inside the House of England cottage they were serving Victoria sponge cupcakes and scones with proper British jam and cream, and, of course, a cup of tea. I noticed that a few displays in the cottage pay tribute to Jane Austen and her importance to world literature.

Heading into the cottage…

Back outside. (Did they have smartphones at the turn of the 19th century?)

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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.

Feel free to share!

Progress of construction projects in Balboa Park.

A variety of construction projects are now being undertaken in Balboa Park. During my walk today, I took photos that show good progress.

No, I couldn’t take photographs of the work being done on the roof of the San Diego Natural History Museum. I don’t have a helicopter! See a recent blog post concerning that here.

Okay, here we go. My first photographs show how a beautiful new pergola is being added to Balboa Park at the west end of the Botanical Building.

The next photo was taken a few months ago. A tree at the corner of the San Diego Museum of Art was being carefully removed from a spot near where the pergola will be built.

The tree has been temporarily relocated to the fenced “island” behind the Botanical Building.

Today, here’s that same spot where the tree was removed:

Banners hung on the construction fence describe how the historic pergola from 1915 is being rebuilt.

And one more photo taken today of progress at the pergola construction site…

Next, the House of Czech & Slovak Republics cottage is almost completely repaired. A corner of the building was decimated by a falling eucalyptus tree during a wind storm earlier this year. I never did take photos of the serious damage.

A few weeks ago, a member of the House of Czech & Slovak Republics told me that he was grateful the work was being done expeditiously.

Today, I saw the exterior is now painted. A worker told me things are “getting there.” I did note as I walked past the cottage that one door is boarded.

Next, a nearby building, which houses both the Hall of Nations and House of Italy cottage, has had the following exterior damage for quite a while now.

The worker I spoke to said he believed these repairs are next.

Finally, I noticed the front entrance of the Municipal Gymnasium continues to be readied for its amazing new marquee and its bronze panel mural.

As more progress is made, and as this historic ornamentation is added in the near future, I hope to take additional photographs. Exciting stuff!

UPDATE!

I’ve learned the tree moved for the pergola construction is a a mature Bischofia javanica, or Toog tree. It will return to its spot once the pergola is completed! Read more here.

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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.

Feel free to share!

House of Lebanon lawn program in Balboa Park!

Today people were dancing, listening to beautiful voices sing, eating, and having a great time in sunny Balboa Park. They were participating in the lawn program of the House of Lebanon!

The House of Lebanon of the International Cottages saw a good crowd come out for their cultural event. At 2:30 the House of Lebanon San Diego Choir performed, and thereafter members of UC San Diego’s Lebanese Club taught anyone who was interested how to dance the joyful, traditional dabke!

I was interested to read the dabke descends from Phoenician dances thousands of years old.

The happiness that comes from joining hands and moving together is evidently timeless!

Chicken Shawarma Wrap, Kafta Kabob Wrap, Chicken Shawarma Fries, Fattoush Salad, Hummus with Pita, Spinach Pies, Knefe in a bun, Lebanese Coffee…

Yum!

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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.

Feel free to share!

House of Somalia showcases their culture!

Last Sunday, members of the House of Somalia in Balboa Park greeted visitors inside the Hall of Nations. They were pleased to showcase traditional crafts and artifacts that represent Somalia.

The House of Somalia is the first African house to join the International Cottages in Balboa Park. Like about a half dozen other nations, they don’t yet have a cottage, but perhaps they might at a future time.

The table in the Hall of Nations contained a variety of beautiful drums, cups, sandals, beads and other cultural objects. Both members were super nice when I asked if I could take photographs!

To see the Hall of Nations hosting schedule, click here. Next Sunday it will be the House of Lebanon.

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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.

Feel free to share!

House of Germany’s festive lawn program!

Enjoy a few festive photographs that I took in Balboa Park today.

The House of Germany was having their lawn program at the International Cottages when I walked through the park, so I paused, grabbed a bratwurst on a roll with sauerkraut, ketchup and mustard, and sat down to listen. (At about two thirty the beer was already sold out!)

I’m not sure who these musicians were, but I saw on the House of Germany’s flyer pertaining to the program that four different groups would provide entertainment.

Before resuming my afternoon walk, I ventured into the House of Germany cottage and viewed interesting educational displays.

The summer lawn program season is approaching its end. Check out the HPR International Cottages website here to see fun events that remain!

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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.

Feel free to share!