Tag: news

FilAm CreatorCon 2025 in Chula Vista!

An amazing free event that attracted creative talent from around our region was held in Chula Vista today. FilAm CreatorCon 2025 brought together lots of Filipino-American artists and their fans!

I was surprised by the huge popularity of this annual convention. It was my first time.

The interior of the Chula Vista Library was filled with artist tables overflowing with fantastic artwork: posters, prints, comic books, graphic novels, stickers, jewelry–you name it!

Several community rooms hosted panels or screenings; a fundraising art auction was open to all; and outside, on the library patio, there was plenty of food and even musical entertainment. Neighborhood families came out to the fun event, kids were active and exploring, and smiling artists were busy showcasing and selling their artwork.

What a great experience!

I loved the positive creative energy! I even recognized some of the artists or their great work!

I started out on the patio…

I saw the following information poster.

Bridge the Gap is a nonprofit organization based in San Diego dedicated to celebrating and preserving Filipino-American representation and heritage.

In the spring they have a Creative Summit which supports the next generation of Filipino creatives.

Now I’m inside the main Chula Vista Library.

Look! It’s super nice artist Mary Jhun!

You’ve seen many examples of her distinctive art on Cool San Diego Sights. Click here and here and here and here.

Some of her work:

Here’s another cool artist and illustrator: Robert Rodriguez (@robz_drawings).

Some of his great stuff…

Watch out! Godzilla is energizing his dorsal spines!

This is Raina Ramos (@thrillustrated). She likes to create dog portraits and other cool stuff, like Star Wars art!

Ron Rubio (@rubiobroscartoonstudio), Director, Animator, and producer of smiles!

He has worked on King of the Hill and The Cleveland Show! His brother who has worked on Avatar: The Last Airbender, and for Pixar and others was present, too.

Little Yellow Jeepney author Jocelyn Francisco, Ph.D. was at the con, too! Literacy is more important than ever.

The FilAm CreatorCon panel From Roots to Resonance: Crafting Filipino Stories with Universal Appeal was fully attended.

Look at all the people at FilAm CreatorCon in Chula Vista!

Big respect!

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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!

Trolley Dances return to Mission Valley!

Do you love to watch dance? Yes?

Then don’t miss the annual Trolley Dances, which are being performed in 2025 near three San Diego Trolley stations in Mission Valley!

The weekend event, produced by San Diego Dance Theater, is a fun outdoor adventure for mobile audiences.

I caught the first of six dances and took some photos. As you can see the Trolley Dances begin near the Fashion Valley Transit Center, in a corner of Town and Country’s resort’s riverfront park.

Mobile audiences go in groups from dance venue to venue, riding the trolley’s Green Line and walking a bit. Yes, it’s a very unique social experience!

The dancing is fluid, athletic, graceful. The performers I watched seemed to defy gravity as their dynamic movements and gestures expressed powerful emotion.

To learn more about Trolley Dances, visit this website, before all tickets sell out!

I snooped around and got these friendly dancers to smile before the noon audience arrived…

Here comes the audience now!

A lone figure approaches across the grass…

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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!

Deep Flight submersible arrives at Maritime Museum!

Check out what arrived at the Maritime Museum of San Diego yesterday! This super cool “Deep Flight” submersible!

This electric, one-man submersible was developed about 15 years ago by Hawkes Ocean Technologies. It’s now on display in the museum’s steam ferry Berkeley, in a spot where many model ships can be viewed.

I’m reasonably sure this is DeepFlight I, a submersible that served as a technology testbed for DeepFlight II. You can see a photo and learn more about Hawkes Ocean Technologies on this website.

The exhibit is so brand new, the submersible is still on rollers and there’s no information sign in the museum yet. (I was told that to roll the submersible into the Berkeley, part of the museum’s front desk had to be removed!)

While I don’t know too much right now, I’ll endeavor to learn more tomorrow when the Maritime Museum of San Diego has a special member event. I’ll provide more info here in an update.

But look at how cool this thing is! Imagine lying prone, squeezed inside the narrow craft, down in the mysterious depths of the sea, flying along silently like an underwater aircraft, water and sea life all around!

UPDATE!

A few days later, I noticed two of the historic submersible’s wings had been reinstalled.

A sign also points visitors to a cool YouTube video concerning the DeepFlight I. Watch it here.

UPDATE!

A sign appeared later. I was surprised to learn DeepFlight I briefly appears in the introductory film sequence of Star Trek: Enterprise!

See it 34 seconds into the YouTube video 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!

Improving public transit near Santa Fe Depot.

Long construction fences along Kettner Boulevard in downtown San Diego protect workers who are implementing a public transit upgrade. The work is being undertaken by the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS).

As this webpage explains: MTS has embarked on the America Plaza/Santa Fe Depot Pedestrian Enhancement Project to improve the pedestrian experience in and around this important transit hub.

Today, while walking past Santa Fe Depot’s old baggage terminal building, I noticed how the sidewalk is being widened and made more attractive. Several bus routes have stops in the vicinity.

(Years ago the historic baggage terminal was the downtown location of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. In the future, the roomy building will be part of a new UC San Diego arts campus, referred to as “The Depot.”)

MTS will be making different improvements in the neighborhood of the Santa Fe Depot and America Plaza, and I’ll continue to follow the progress!

UPDATE!

Three months later, I saw how the different bus routes will have their own loading spaces, as is the case at other transit centers…

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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!

Frogman statue installed in downtown San Diego!

A lifelike bronze statue of a Navy SEAL frogman was installed this morning in downtown San Diego!

The frogman sculpture arrived by box truck, which parked on Kettner Boulevard near One America Plaza, just outside the future Navy SEAL Museum San Diego. (The museum opens very soon–on October 4, 2025.)

With extreme care, slowly, methodically, the new public art was removed from its crate and elevated to its black marble pedestal, which had been installed outside the museum a few days ago.

I and some bystanders were wondering how exactly the operation would proceed. We watched with great interest, and I snapped a bunch of photos.

Words engraved on the pedestal explain:

This statue is adapted from the original at the Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida. It depicts a SEAL placing a limpet mine, an underwater explosive device.

It was designed by master bronze portrait sculptor Lena Toritch, and honors the U.S. Navy SEAL combat diver: a symbol of unwavering courage, stealth, and precision, standing as a testament to their dedication, rigorous training, and selfless service to our nation.

Cleaning the top of the pedestal…

Injecting epoxy into four holes atop the supporting pedestal…

Aha! They’re going to use straps.

Tilting the diving frogman sculpture upright.

Up it goes!

So far, so good!

Centering it…

Workers screw in four rods, which will descend into the epoxy-filled holes on top of the pedestal.

Success!

As I understood it, the statue would remain this way for a while as the epoxy hardened. So I left.

I returned several hours later and found…

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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!

Building a new stage in Balboa Park!

A brand new performance stage is being built in Balboa Park!

The stage, when finished, will occupy a corner of the San Diego Sculptors Guild outdoor courtyard, in Spanish Village Art Center!

Funny how history can repeat. Many years ago an outdoor stage occupied the same courtyard.

During a historical tour of the neighboring artist studios, I learned that today’s Studio 36 Sculptors Guild was an outdoor theatre in the early years of Spanish Village. The front was a lobby and ticket booth. Writers, actors and set designers would act out plays on the inner patio.

Today I was told performances of every type will be welcomed at this newly constructed stage. One member of the San Diego Sculptors Guild, Justin Hammond, is part of a band that will play here! The band’s name is Auva Xuln (@auvaxuln).

What a super cool venue!

Imagine wildly creative sculptures all around, like a fantastic, silent audience!

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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!

River Studio at Grant Park almost ready to open!

Grant Park and its new River Studio are almost ready to open by the San Diego River!

Finishing touches are being put on the public park and educational center in Mission Valley. The River Studio at Grant Park will start educating local school students in mid-October.

As you can see from today’s photos, sun-filled Grant Park is receiving new greenery, while its amphitheater, shade structure and River Studio building have already been completed.

Over a year ago, before much construction had begun, I posted photos of a tour of the site and wrote about the initial plans. At the beginning of this year I walked outside the project again and posted these photos of work underway.

If you’re curious about the mountain lion and bear in today’s photos–the sculptures will be positioned inside the park to delight visitors. Grass and native plants will fill the outdoor spaces. You’ll notice I spotted some tile art created by kids, too!

(You might find it confusing–the project has also been called “The San Diego River Discovery Center at Grant Park” and “San Diego River Center at Grant Park.”)

Approaching the outdoor amphitheater and River Studio from the nearby parking lot…

Grant Park dedicated July 25, 2025.

The amphitheater is home to The Conrad Prebys Stage. Kids will learn about the San Diego River and its life here.

A beautiful fountain at one end of the amphitheater.

Looking across Grant Park areas that still need to be planted.

Turn left here and what will you encounter?

A bear!

Bears no longer live around here. Human activity is to blame.

Walking beside the McGrath Family Commons. There will be a big grassy area ideal for picnics or play.

A shady place to sit, while gazing out at nature and river vegetation.

Walking along. A friendly worker was busy digging holes and putting in plants.

Wooden benches for relaxation.

Here’s that tile art I mentioned. Each tile depicts a river plant or creature…

Those vertical posts to the right of the River Studio will support a shady canopy.

Now let’s walk back to the River Studio…

I was privileged to be shown the interior of the River Studio, where student groups will learn about the San Diego River environment.

Students from local schools will observe the effects of urban runoff. Using microscopes they’ll examine water samples. They’ll learn how the organisms they observe reflect the health of the nearby river.

Those aquariums will contain live fish.

Also inside the River Studio, there’s a gallery wall with art created by members of the San Diego River Artists Alliance. The group celebrates the San Diego River ecosystem.

The works of art will change from time to time and will be available for purchase. Sales will help fund the San Diego River Park Foundation.

When it finally opens in mid-October, this important addition to Mission Valley is going to be amazing!

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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!

Heritage County Park improvements completed!

Take a look at these improvements now completed at Heritage County Park!

I visited the historical park, at the edge of San Diego’s Old Town, earlier this year. My wanderings then were limited by a construction fence.

Back then I noticed how paths had been created, new plantings were underway, a new gazebo had been built, and an outdoor classroom was almost finished. See those past photographs, taken from behind the fence, here.

Today I discovered the construction fence is down! The grassy expanse at the south end of Heritage County Park is open once again and everything is fresh, new and beautiful!

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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!

City of San Diego honors Constitution Week.

Kathleen Winchester holds City of San Diego Proclamation that recognizes and honors Constitution Week.

It’s Constitution Day and Citizenship Day!

Today is the 238th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States. September 17th was the date in 1787 when delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the historic document in Philadelphia.

The City of San Diego has issued an official Proclamation that celebrates Constitution Week. I was fortunate to see it close up!

The City of San Diego Proclamation, signed by Mayor Todd Gloria, includes the following words:

…celebrating Constitution Week serves as an important reminder of the historic rights, privileges and responsibilities the Constitution affords us…

…Constitution Week commemorates the week the Constitution was signed and delivered to the Continental Congress. It laid the foundation for the birth of a new nation and became one of the most significant chapters in United States history…

…the Constitution lays out liberties like freedom, opportunity, and rule of law…

As a writer and individual who loves to create, I cherish freedom.

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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!

Navy SEAL Museum San Diego gets ready to open!

The new Navy SEAL Museum San Diego is almost ready to open! Opening day is Saturday, October 4, 2025. That’s less than three weeks away!

This afternoon, walking past downtown’s One America Plaza building, I noticed the black marble pedestal that will support a Navy SEAL frogman statue has been installed outside. You can see it in my first two photographs. The nearby America Plaza trolley station is in the background.

I also observed new graphics have appeared near the museum’s front entrance!

Abandon Self – Embrace Team… The Deed is All – Not the Glory… Be Someone Special… The Only Easy Day was Yesterday

Responsibility – Service – Commitment – Discipline

Join the Team.

Here’s the museum’s website if you’d like to learn more.

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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!