Tag: mexico

Photos of Escondido’s Cinco de Mayo!

The North County Cinco de Mayo Festival brought exuberant life to Grape Day Park in Escondido today. The annual event, produced by USA Multicultural, was said to be bigger than ever. And I believe it!

Those arriving from around San Diego’s North County enjoyed Mariachis, different groups of colorful folklórico dancers, great singers, and other (mostly) Mexican cultural entertainment.

And tons of food, of every description, everywhere! (I succumbed to the temptation of a scrumptious carne asada quesadilla.)

Nonprofit community organizations were also on hand, and more than a few artists were showing their work. Beautify Escondido was present, too. I’ll be blogging about their efforts next.

Enjoy this collection of photographs!

The 2024 North County Cinco de Mayo Festival gets started on a late Sunday afternoon at Escondido’s Grape Day Park.

The National Anthems of both Mexico and the United States begin the Cinco de Mayo program.

Mariachi Del Mar/Rio kick off the main stage entertainment.

Mariachis perform at a second, smaller stage across the grass.

The crowd grows as the Cinco de Mayo event continues.

The House of Mexico had a smiling representative at the festival!

Colorful art from Mexico’s state of Nayarit.

Ms. USA Multicultural poses for a photo.

Lots of cool art could be enjoyed courtesy of Beautify Escondido.

Irma Gogova (@irmagogovatattoo_art) smiles near a cosmic work of art she created!

Lots of diverse food to eat at the event.

Loteria aprons! Awesome!

Young people perform up on the festive stage.

Young vaqueros dance on the main stage.

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Photos of 54th Annual Chicano Park Day.

Please enjoy this collection of photographs taken today during the 54th Annual Chicano Park Day event in Barrio Logan.

For 2024, the theme of Chicano Park Day was Bringing Back the True Spirit and Energy of the Chicano Park Takeover. As I walked about, I saw that spirit and energy!

The event by all appearances is more popular than ever. A huge crowd surrounded the central Kioko to experience diverse performances, including Azteca and folklorico dancing and poetry readings. There were also speeches about the history of Chicano Park and the struggles and pride represented in its murals.

All around Chicano Park one could meet artists (including some of the renowned muralists), learn about community organizations, support local businesses, check out lowriders and other cool cars (and motorcycles and bicycles!), listen to live music, ride a fun little train for kids, and eat lots of great Mexican food.

And, of course, above all, there were the world-famous murals!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

Huge gathering of lowriders for Chicano Park Day!

A large number of amazing lowriders and custom cars arrived in Barrio Logan today for Chicano Park Day. The 54th Annual Chicano Park Day celebration seemed bigger than ever, and lowrider car culture is always an integral part of the popular event.

Car clubs from all around San Diego and Southern California participated. Their carefully tended, gleaming machines were shining in the sunshine and attracting the attention of the huge Chicano Park Day crowd.

I wandered about, marveling at it all, and took these photos…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

Don Diego memories at San Diego History Center!

Do you remember Don Diego?

For four decades, Don Diego was a fixture at the Del Mar Fair. With a friendly “¡Bienvenidos Amigos!” the dashing goodwill ambassador greeted visitors to the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Sombrero in hand, typically in dress representing a gentleman Mexican ranchero, Don Diego also introduced Grandstand shows and escorted the Fairest of the Fair beauty queen and her court.

An exhibition at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park opened several days ago which includes a unique tribute to the fair’s iconic Don Diego, who in reality was actor Domingo Tomás Hernández Bethencourt.

The exhibition is titled Fashion Redux 2024. In its 13th year, the annual event is a collaboration between the San Diego History Center and Mesa College’s Fashion Program.

What immediately caught my eye today were the two ensembles once worn by Don Diego, which belong to the San Diego History Center’s very extensive Historic Textile Collection.

Visitors to the exhibition can also watch old video footage that shows Don Diego at the Del Mar Fair.

A few personal memories were rekindled. As a child my family would visit the fair, and I remember seeing Don Diego on promotional material and on television. He was quite famous. I don’t recall whether I saw him in person. I think I might have. That was a long time ago.

Tommy “Don Diego” Hernandez passed away in 1984.

Actor Tommy Hernandez, as Don Diego, with 1958 Fairest of the Fair winner, Raquel Tejada. She became famous as Raquel Welch during her later acting career.

Don Diego ensemble, inspired by traditional Mexican charro costumes.

Brown felted cardboard sombrero worn by Don Diego.

Don Diego ensemble, inspired by traditional Spanish flamenco costumes.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

Bay to Park Paseo: Before There Were Borders.

Art was recently installed on windows near the main entrance of San Diego’s Central Library. Before There Were Borders depicts native wildlife and the languages of indigenous peoples who lived in our region north and south of the present-day U.S./Mexican border, long before the arrival of Europeans.

Animals such as roadrunners, whales, deer, mountain lions, pelicans, rabbits, butterflies, coyotes and bears are matched with their names in four languages: Kumeyaay/Kumiai, Kuupangaxwichem/Cupeño, Payòmkawichum/Luiseño, and Cahuilla.

But there’s much more to the installation. As this explains, a “digital art piece will be accessible within the arcade of the Central Library. Rob Quigley, designer of the Central Library, envisions it to be one of ‘stage’ and ‘performance.’ As participants move though the arcade, images will appear to entice further exploration using a simple scan of a QR code with a smartphone. The installation will include video holograms, viewing cultural objects through augmented reality, and immersive reality language experiences.”

Before There Were Borders is part of a 1.7 mile artistic walking experience along the Bay To Park Paseo, a project inspired by the selection of San Diego/Tijuana as World Design Capital 2024.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

City Heights mural raises awareness about tuberculosis.

Photo courtesy SVPR Communications.

A new mural in City Heights was unveiled this evening. The intent of the mural is to raise awareness about tuberculosis in San Diego, Mexico, and our border region.

I haven’t had a chance to photograph the finished mural yet, but will try to swing by tomorrow to check it out.

The mural is titled Los Colores acTBistas.

Why has this artwork been painted in City Heights, on a wall at Super Cocina (where, incidentally, many other great murals can be found)?

The Americas TB Coalition will conduct an international ‘ArTBtour in the United States – Mexico Border’ from March 9th to 26th, 2024. The tour will include murals, talks, and interviews to raise awareness of tuberculosis, its comorbidities with HIV and diabetes, and its impact on migrant populations and at-risk communities in Tijuana, Mexicali, and San Diego. The initiative aims to promote collaboration and understanding among different communities and stakeholders to end TB in the US/Mexico border region.

The murals on both sides of the border will be created by Alan Vazquez, a highly acclaimed ecological artist designated by the Mexican Ministry of Health as an ambassador for the fight against tuberculosis in Mexico, with the participation of local artists and affected communities.

UPDATE!

Here are photographs of the finished mural!

(I spoke to a couple of people who’d parked nearby. They loved the art, but didn’t perceive the mural’s message concerning tuberculosis.)

ANOTHER UPDATE!

I’ve learned a plaque will be added to the mural, conveying important information about tuberculosis!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

World Design Capital on a San Diego trolley!

Have you seen graphics on a San Diego Trolley concerning something called World Design Capital?

The trolley wrap I spotted this morning celebrates the designation of San Diego/Tijuana as World Design Capital 2024!

The two border cities–San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico–together compose what is essentially a binational metropolis. The dynamism of these two international cities, enriched by cultural cross-pollination and collaboration, helps make our region a hotbed for new ideas. This unique dynamic helped San Diego/Tijuana achieve the title World Design Capital!

The World Design Capital website explains: By showcasing our region as a global hub for design, innovation, arts, and culture, WDC 2024 will foster lasting economic, social, cultural, civic, and environmental impact.

Numerous community initiatives are being supported by World Design Capital 2024. There are events, activations, exhibitions, projects… You can see a complete program list here.

One event is the upcoming 31st Annual San Diego Latino Film Festival. I blogged about the popular festival a few days ago here.

I’ve also blogged about the art-filled Bay to Park Paseo walking experience that is being created along Park Boulevard, connecting San Diego Bay to Balboa Park. Read my initial blog concerning it here.

There’s more to come!

UPDATE!

A couple days later I noticed World Design Capital banners have appeared downtown, too!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

Ballet Folklorico group offers Gift of Dance.

I hope this series of photographs conveys the pure joy transmitted by a group of dancers at today’s Fall Back Festival in San Diego.

The group is called Ballet Folklorico – GIFT of DANCE. Their gift imparted to the audience was a love of life.

I’ve seen these same beaming smiles at other San Diego events. GIFT of DANCE teaches young people Mexican folklorico dancing. Check out their Facebook page here.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

Old Town’s Día de los Muertos before the procession!

A crowd of thousands gathered this evening in Old Town San Diego for the annual Día de los Muertos procession.

The candlelight procession would begin around sundown in front of the Immaculate Conception Church and move slowly down San Diego Avenue to the historic El Campo Santo cemetery.

I walked from Old Town San Diego State Historic Park to the cemetery and back again as people were still gathering for this very popular event.

What did my camera find?

Face painting at many stations, as living faces were decorated to look like colorful sugar skulls. And beautiful chalk art in the State Park left over from last weekend’s Day of the Dead event. And many costumes, elegant Catrinas and walking skeletons.

An altar was set up in the El Campo Santo cemetery, and there was the old wall and a special board where people could draw hearts and write messages for deceased loved ones. The graves were joyfully decorated, too.

As I returned toward the State Park, people had already begun to line San Diego Avenue to view the coming procession. But it was rapidly becoming too dark for my camera. So this series of photographs ends with a smile at Fiesta de Reyes in the State Park.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

Smiles at Día de los Muertos in Old Town!

You’ll find many smiles this weekend in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park during their big Día de los Muertos celebration!

I walked through the State Park yesterday as the event was ready to open and found artists painting colorful murals, an arriving chalk artist, a sugar skull creation station and more. I watched as the big Community Altar was set up at one end of Old Town’s historic plaza.

There are forty Day of the Dead altars in all–most inside the State Park. Others can be enjoyed along San Diego Avenue and elsewhere around Old Town. There’s face painting everywhere you turn, live music at several restaurants, and even a 19th century magic lantern show at Seeley Stable!

The big event continues today–Sunday–so head on down to Old Town if you can!

In addition, there will be a candlelit procession this Thursday, November 2, starting at the Immaculate Conception Church just outside the State Park. At 6 pm the procession will head down San Diego Avenue toward El Campo Santo cemetery. That event will include blessings and traditional dances by Danza Azteca Atlachinolli.

Enjoy these photographs taken inside Old Town San Diego State Historic Park yesterday as Día de los Muertos got underway…

Old Town San Diego Boosters raise money by selling gifts in front of the Robinson-Rose House Visitors Center.

Canopies set up on the grassy plaza offer several Day of the Dead activities.

State Park employees get the big Community Altar ready in Old Town.

Spreading marigold petals, to lead departed souls toward the Day of the Dead altar.

The beautiful Community Altar.

Smiling muralist Belen Islas was working on her beautiful canvas.

Artist Juliet Elise Rodriguez paints many colors into her mural.

Symbolic marigolds for sale.

The San Diego Public Library was there with fun for the family!

Color your own skull mask!

Kids love painting small sugar skulls.

Here are three finished ones!

It’s a smiling Isabel Garcia! You’ve seen some of her beautiful murals on Cool San Diego Sights!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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 (formerly known as Twitter)!