Tag: mission valley

San Diego Latino Film Festival bigger than ever!

The 31st San Diego Latino Film Festival promises to be bigger and better than ever!

The increasingly popular film festival will be taking place from March 14 to March 24, 2024, at the AMC Theatres at Mission Valley mall. You can check out the event website, which includes the full film schedule, by clicking here.

I’ve learned film lovers will have plenty to sink their teeth into. Among 56 features and 79 shorts there is comedy and tragedy, fantasy and realism, and everything in between. Many diverse stories emerge from Latinx experience.

Established and emerging artists are represented. There is animation and there are documentaries. There are films concerning music, and films about dance. Some films are in English, while others have subtitles. There’s so much that audiences can enjoy!

This year there’s a special emphasis on Argentinian cinema, with ten award-winning films featured. In Argentina the film industry faces various challenges, including censorship.

Each curated film is celebrated for its creativity, authenticity and excellence.

There will be a closing night award ceremony and concert, where ticket holders can mingle with guest filmmakers and actors. There is also the opportunity during two closing night films to meet Cheech Marin!

You want to check this out! Go to the San Diego Latino Film Festival website for everything you need to know by clicking here.

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Farm coming to SDSU Mission Valley!

Believe it or not, a farm is being created at SDSU Mission Valley!

The future farm is located between the parking lot of Snapdragon Stadium and the SDSU Mission Valley river park. The above photo shows how produce is now growing a short distance east of the Stadium trolley station, where I made the unexpected discovery this afternoon.

Refugee and immigrant women and youth will be working the farm. They will gain work experience, and the produce they grow will be used at a restaurant in North Park, at 2920 University Avenue.

The undertaking is called Community Supported Agriculture. This farm is the creation of Make Project. As their website explains: The 30th Street farm has moved to a bigger, longer-term location at SDSU Mission Valley.

In 2017 I blogged about the previous farm in North Park here.

(It’s interesting to recall that before Mission Valley was developed–before shopping malls and freeways–this land along the San Diego River supported many farms–primarily dairy farms.)

A huge flock of crows was hovering around the new SDSU Mission Valley farm late this afternoon. Hopefully the coming crops are safe!

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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)!

The Weather Channel covers flooding in San Diego.

A crew from The Weather Channel was in San Diego this morning, covering flooding in Mission Valley caused by the rain-swollen San Diego River. It rained much of last night.

The Weather Channel had arrived for live storm coverage, aiming their cameras at high water passing treacherously over Fashion Valley Road.

I had twenty minutes to wait for a bus at the nearby transit center, so I walked down toward the river to check things out for myself. I received some smiles!

I then took a photo from the pedestrian bridge across the river to Town and Country Park, and another from the elevated Fashion Valley trolley station platform.

I had a couple more minutes, so I checked out the flooded Fashion Valley parking structure. It was actually designed to flood, believe it or not! Fortunately, no cars were caught in the water on the lowest level.

In the middle of the day, two tornado warnings were sent out to phones around the city. Apparently no tornadoes actually formed, although someone on the radio said they saw a very dark, low, rotating cloud in Spring Valley..

Was there a rainbow warning? There should have been!

Late in the afternoon, I saw how Mission Center Road was really flooded by the San Diego River. It had rained off and on all day. That car was almost completely submerged.

Please stay safe! More rain to come!

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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)!

San Diego River floods during heavy rain.

It rained very heavily in San Diego today. I heard that some coastal areas received up to four inches of rain. That’s a staggering amount of water in less than 24 hours for our naturally arid climate.

Not surprisingly, many parts of the city flooded. A couple of highways partially closed. All three trolley lines had service disruptions.

Severe flooding often occurs in Mission Valley as the San Diego River rapidly swells. As you can see in my photos, that happened again.

Late this afternoon I observed two cars half underwater where Mission Center Road crosses the San Diego River. I hope those drivers are okay.

Holding my umbrella, I then walked along the leaf-strewn pathway beside the swollen river.

The above sign west of Mission Center Road explains the San Diego River’s peculiarities, and why periodic flooding is actually helpful:

A River in Flood

Under historical conditions, the seasonal variation in San Diego’s rainfall creates strong fluctuation in the amount of water flowing within the San Diego River. The low rainfall and the geologic composition allowed for the river to run below ground during much of the year; this lead to the River’s nickname, the Upside Down River.

Habitats and vegetation adapted to flooding in the winter and subsurface flow in the summer. Flooding helped restore the natural river bottom, flushed out debris, created new sand bars and kept the river healthy.

Large flooding events were common and are natural along the river course. Over time, with the construction of regional reservoirs, El Capitan in 1934 and San Vicente in 1943, these large flooding event have been reduced and flows constrained.

Every year we’re reminded: Avoid driving in flooded areas!

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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)!

Cool labyrinth under the San Diego Trolley!

I know some of my readers like to walk winding labyrinths. Here’s a new one that anyone can enjoy–under the elevated tracks of the San Diego Trolley!

The new river park at SDSU Mission Valley has many recreational features, from basketball courts to exercise stations to a large children’s playground. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover this cool labyrinth while I explored the newly opened park!

You can find the beautiful labyrinth by walking west from the Stadium trolley station about a quarter mile (my estimate). Look for a cluster of picnic tables.

A relaxing way to meditate while walking off lunch?

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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)!

History at Mission Valley river park.

History is being made in Mission Valley. Two massive projects are being developed along the San Diego River: SDSU Mission Valley and Riverwalk San Diego.

The river park at SDSU Mission Valley is mostly complete, and large areas are now accessible to the public during its soft opening.

I walked around the river park the other day and found a number of fascinating information signs. One shows birds that might be found along the San Diego River. Another concerns stormwater management and the creation of bioretention basins. The largest such basin is located near the Stadium trolley station.

The signs that interested me most concern the history of Mission Valley and the San Diego River.

I took photos of several signs, which you can enlarge for easier reading…

The Native American Kumeyaay historically used plants along the river for food, tools and construction materials. They sustainably managed the land. Before World War II and the subsequent boom in urban development, Mission Valley was largely farmland. At one point there were 20 dairy farms in Mission Valley. Several Japanese American families operated vegetable farms.

Early 1900s postcards of Mission Valley show large areas of green farmland on either side of the San Diego River.

New plants for the new river park at SDSU Mission Valley.

The San Diego River begins in the Cuyamaca Mountains and flows west to the Pacific Ocean. It is the source of important biodiversity. In 1971, plans to replace the sometimes flooding river with a concrete channel were thwarted by intense public opposition. The vision of a more natural San Diego River, with innovative safeguards against flooding, would eventually prevail.

Photo of damaging flooding in Mission Valley circa 1980, before the adoption in 1982 of FSDRIP–the First San Diego River Improvement Project.

The Kumeyaay were the first people to live in this region. This sign explains they understood the importance of caring for the land, water, flora and fauna that are all a part of this intricate ecological system that relates and sustains all life in balance and harmony. A map of Kumeyaay territory includes San Diego County and the northern portion of Baja California.

A field without farms–playing soccer near Snapdragon Stadium at SDSU Mission Valley.

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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)!

Hubbell art at new SDSU Mission Valley river park!

Nine beautiful works of art by world-renowned sculptor James Hubbell can now be enjoyed by those visiting SDSU Mission Valley and its newly opened river park!

A soft opening of the river park at SDSU Mission Valley includes portions of the two-mile pedestrian and bike pathway that circles Snapdragon Stadium. Every quarter mile, medallions fashioned by James Hubbell and Emilie Ledieu (artist in residence at Hubbell’s Ilan-Lael Foundation) are embedded in the path marking the distance. Each mosaic medallion depicts a significant plant in local Native American Kumeyaay culture.

The first medallion you see in the above photograph can be found a very short distance west of the Stadium trolley station. The image represents Basket rush (Juncus textilis). It’s where our two mile walk will begin.

Here’s a map that shows exactly where each bit of Hubbell art can be found…

A sign in the nearby trolley plaza explains Ethnobotany and describes what each medallion represents…

Okay! Let’s go for the walk (late yesterday afternoon) and take a look at these small but very beautiful works of art, beginning at the Start medallion…

1/4 mile marker. Desert agave (Agave deserti).

1/2 mile marker. Coffeeberry (Frangula californica).

3/4 mile marker. Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera).

1 mile marker. Wild rose (Rosa californica).

1 1/4 mile marker. Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia).

1 1/2 mile marker. Elderberry (Sambucus nigra).

1 3/4 mile marker. White sage (Salvia apiana).

2 mile marker. Eastwood manzanita (Arctostaphylos gladulosa).

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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)!

Photos at 2023 NWSL Championship Fan Fest!

Enjoy some photographs that I took this afternoon, just as the 2023 NWSL Championship Fan Fest officially opened outside San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium.

Around two o’clock fans of the OL Reign and Gotham FC (as well as those who root for our own San Diego Wave FC or who simply enjoy watching National Women’s Soccer League action) began arriving in earnest to the free Fan Fest.

Many family-friendly activities welcomed the public on the grass. People kicked soccer balls around, made signs for the big game, enjoyed face painting, took advantage of various unique photo opportunities. Others played sports video games, and others danced to music spun on stage by a DJ.

Players would sign autographs, and those in attendance a bit later on could listen to a concert by Bishop Briggs.

Fans were lined up to buy official NWSL merchandise and game sponsors had fun booths all over the place. The championship trophy was on display, too!

I took the trolley over to Snapdragon Stadium after work and walked about and took these photos. I’m sure the crowd continued to grow after I left.

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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)!

New park at SDSU Mission Valley turns green!

Large sections of the new river park at SDSU Mission Valley appear to be almost finished!

Not only are there wide fields of new green grass, and newly planted trees, but basketball courts have been installed, along with climbing and other exercise equipment, a big playground for the kids and restrooms.

I stepped off the trolley at the Stadium station today and walked around. The area north of the station, where people can relax on benches on their way to and from Snapdragon Stadium (or future SDSU classrooms and dorms), is now open, green and inviting. You can see how this area looked when I took photographs back in March. Click here.

The wide grassy area that is mostly south of the trolley tracks is still fenced off, but one can walk along the fence and imagine how awesome this public park will be when it finally opens.

Kicking a soccer ball, picnics, kites, playing with a Frisbee, talking with friends, reading a book, completing a class assignment, going for a sunny walk–this will be the place to go!

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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)!

Wildlife street art on electrical boxes.

I spotted this great street art during my recent walk through the new Creekside Park in Mission Valley.

Depicted are wild animals, birds and insects that one can find in San Diego County’s vast backcountry. Mountain and desert habitats appear to be well represented.

I’m not sure who the artist is, but the artwork appears to be fairly new. I didn’t notice a signature.

These electrical boxes are located about halfway along linear Creekside Park, inside the Civita residential development. Look for them where the park’s main path intersects Westside Drive.

If you’d like to see more street art in Civita painted on electrical boxes, click 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)!