Hundreds of runners and walkers headed along San Diego’s Embarcadero this morning during the Padres Pedal the Cause fundraiser. They were participating in the 5K Walk/Run!
Lots of thumbs up and smiles spontaneously appeared as a stream of humanity flowed down the boardwalk.
Funds were being raised for Curebound, an organization that helps to further cancer research. Local institutions they help include the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, Salk Institute, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Rady Children’s Hospital, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, and Scripps Research.
Two huge golden grizzly bears have come to life in San Diego, and are ready to stand on a Balboa Park rooftop!
Yesterday the two amazing sculptures were previewed. I took photographs!
The life-size bronze bears–each weighing about 400 pounds–will soon be placed atop the roof of the 1935 California State Building, which today is home of the San Diego Automotive Museum. The sculptures will stand on the front corners of the building, as bears once did almost a century ago, back when the building debuted for the 1935-1936 California Pacific International Exposition.
Artists Mike and Kevin Matson of Bellagio Precast have been busy working on these new bear sculptures at their San Diego studio. Perhaps you remember my blog post from late 2021 with photos of one partially cold cast bronze bear.
The two huge bears are now one hundred percent finished and ready for transportation to Balboa Park! Once the roof of the San Diego Automotive Museum is structurally prepared for the heavy sculptures, they will be lifted by crane up to their respective corners. All of this should occur in April. Watch for it!
As I mentioned, the original 1935 bears were only temporary (likely made of plaster-like material) and disappeared long ago. A few old photographs show them atop the California State Building. Here’s one:
In the above enlarged photograph, you might also glimpse a flagpole over the building’s front entrance. Two flagpoles are also returning to the historic California State Building! Brackets for them have already been created:
The new bears and flagpoles are part of an ongoing effort by the Balboa Park Committee of 100 to restore the Palisades area of Balboa Park to something more like its original 1935 appearance. The organization has been working to preserve Balboa Park’s historic architecture, gardens and public spaces since 1967.
The Committee of 100’s initial undertaking in the Palisades was the reproduction of historical murals above the entrance to this same building. Perhaps you’ve seen those beautiful tile murals. If you haven’t, click here.
The California State Building’s new life-size bears have been years in the making. At yesterday’s event we were shown small working models that preceded the finished sculptures. Kevin Matson held them up for examination:
So how exactly were life-size cold cast bronze bears made?
Each of the finished bear sculptures has a Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete skin that is about 3/8″ to 1/2” thick. Two sculpture halves are joined together with a stainless steel frame inside. Each bear’s volume is then filled with a high density urethane foam.
How awesome are these golden grizzlies? Take a look!
The Balboa Park Committee of 100 is engaged in another fantastic project! They are recreating a large historical mural that will be placed above the entrance of the Municipal Gymnasium building. It, too, will be breathtaking!
I’ll be blogging about that shortly!
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You know St. Patrick’s Day is coming up in San Diego, because the House of Ireland had their big lawn program this afternoon in Balboa Park!
What did I see?
Smiles throughout the big crowd! Lots of green! Irish coffee! Irish stew! Traditional baked goods! A rousing opening parade involving all of the event participants! The Cameron Highlanders with bagpipes and drums! Sprightly tunes! Energetic step dancing! Reels and jigs! The audience clapping along to the music!
If you missed it, I suggest you catch the House of Ireland lawn program next year!
I learned that San Diego Comhaltas is looking for new members. This group loves to perform Irish music and dance! Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of traditional Irish culture!
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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 Twitter!
San Diego’s largest Rummage Sale is taking place all this weekend in Balboa Park! You’ll find it in the Activity Center at 2145 Park Boulevard, to be exact.
It’s the annual Thursday Club Rummage Sale!
The Thursday Club is a local volunteer-driven non-profit that’s over a century old. They raise money for a variety of San Diego charities, including deserving organizations in Balboa Park. Here’s their website, where you can learn more about the Thursday Club and this year’s Rummage Sale!
I swung by the sale early this morning and encountered a huge line to get inside. When I returned at noon–no line at all!
Should you head over to the sale tomorrow–Sunday–everything is half off! So instead of the two DVDs/Blue-rays for one dollar that filled my bag, you can get four for a dollar! Are you kidding me? Awesome!
San Diego firefighters are out at busy intersections today collecting donations for the Burn Institute. Drivers roll down windows and place a bill or two into a firefighter’s boot! The annual event is called Fill the Boot!
The Burn Institute, serving San Diego and Imperial County, provides important services for those who’ve suffered from burns, and they provide fire safety education in the community.
Would you like to make a donation? Haven’t passed through an intersection with friendly firefighters this morning? Then donate online!
Make your online donation at the Burn Institute website by clicking 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 Twitter!
Paintings by over twenty NCSFA member artists fill Gallery 21 in the Spanish Village Art Center. The exhibition, titled North County Creates, continues through March 14, 2023.
Anyone in San Diego who loves art should swing on by the gallery to enjoy the many fine pieces. And there are friendly artists with whom you can chat, too!
Today I was fascinated by a variety of painting styles as I visited the gallery. I noted that nearly all of the pieces are for sale, just in case you’re looking for something beautiful.
I also noticed small works of colorful art available for a suggested donation of twenty dollars. Donations support the organization’s high school scholarship fund.
Very cool!
Pathway, by artist Doris Bertch.Mirror, Mirror, by artist Minnie Valero.
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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 Twitter!
Wow! The House of India in Balboa Park put on one of the most colorful, dynamic events today that you’ll likely to ever experience!
Their cultural lawn program at the International Cottages was jam-packed with dance groups leaping and twirling to upbeat music, much of it inspired by Bollywood.
A large crowd watched the entertainment while sitting on the grass and eating traditional Indian food, like tandoori and, my favorite, samosas.
When each dance number concluded, there was enthusiastic cheering!
I took a couple of photos at the House of India cottage, checked out an art creation station and a game of carrom, then sat down on a bench by the International Cottages stage just before two-o’clock to capture some of the fun!
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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 Twitter!
This weekend the San Diego Wabi Chapter of the Ohara School of Ikebana presented their Annual Flower Show in Balboa Park. I strolled through Room 101 in the Casa del Prado and was amazed at the beauty assembled before my eyes!
Ikebana is traditional Japanese flower arrangement, and a sign at the entrance to the show this year promised Tranquility with Flowers.
Each work of ikebana appeared like a perfect work of art. Color, balance, form, human creativity, adherence to formal rules, and nature’s inherent beauty are combined with skilled hands and eyes into what you see 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 Twitter!
The new river park at SDSU Mission Valley is noticeably taking form. Particularly on the north side of the Stadium trolley station.
I got off the trolley near Snapdragon Stadium today and observed that many plants and trees have already been introduced to parts of the river park. My first batch of photos shows planted areas north of the elevated trolley tracks.
The large area south of the tracks still appears rather barren, but I’m sure that will be changing before too long! Last I read, SDSU Mission Valley’s new river park should be completed later this year.
I previously blogged that mile markers around a long looping path are being created by renowned local artist James Hubbell.
The following two renderings on a nearby construction fence are handy for comparison.
In the first rendering, that’s the north side of the park in the foreground. Note the interesting shade structure…
And here’s the river park’s south side, which will feature wide expanses of grass…
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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 Twitter!
San Diego Loyal SC soccer player Collin Martin has been honored with a mural in Hillcrest’s colorful Art Alley. The midfielder is proudly kicking it among other alley murals, which you can find by clicking here.
I spotted this new mural during a bus ride down University Avenue east of Fourth Avenue, and I had to jump off at the next stop for a photograph. Turns out the mural was completed just a day or two ago!
The talented young artists behind this cool street art call themselves Ground Floor Murals. You’ve possibly seen their many awesome San Diego Padres murals all around the city!
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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 Twitter!
Cool San Diego Sights! 