Tag: news

Holocaust survivors speak at La Jolla library.

You have an extraordinary opportunity. Holocaust survivors and their family members have been speaking all year at the La Jolla/Riford Branch Library. See the above schedule. The next speaker will be at the La Jolla library on Tuesday, May 13.

The second floor of the La Jolla library is currently hosting the exhibition RUTH: Remember Us the Holocaust, which recalls the horrors of a nightmarish period in human history that no one should ever forget.

I blogged about this exhibition several years ago when it was showing in Chula Vista. See those photos here. I’ll be blogging about the current exhibition in La Jolla (which is even more powerful) shortly.

Meanwhile, please spread the word. Holocaust survivors will continue to recall their personal experiences the second Tuesday of each month. Bring your friends. This is incredibly important.

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Photographs of Cinco de Mayo in the Gaslamp!

This year, Cinco de Mayo was celebrated a couple days early in San Diego’s festive Gaslamp Quarter. And I’d like to share a collection of photographs!

Entertainment on a couple of stages, exciting Mexican lucha libre wrestling, “Fast and the Furriest” dog races, cool lowrider cars, a beer garden, tasty food… People smiling, laughing, dancing, enjoying a good time…

It was a bit amusing to see so many people in business attire at this very casual, family event. Around lunchtime, a small army of professionals had streamed up Fifth Avenue from the San Diego Convention Center, where the Digestive Disease Week 2025 conference is being held. Gaslamp restaurants were packed!

The guy with the typewriter in the next photo wrote a poem about “Dog Races” for me. A shout out to creators who strive for truth.

Karl M. Stout (@astrotheosis) completed his poem: …the friends we made along the way.

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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!

Lucha libre surprise for Cinco de Mayo!

A huge lucha libre audience looked on with amazement as the unforeseen happened in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter during today’s Cinco de Mayo celebration!

The first high-flying match was amazing, as exciting as anything you’ll see on television or in a big arena. The luchadores of World Power Wrestling (WPW) entertained everyone with their moves, and the good guy (despite having his mask removed and eyes viciously raked when the official wasn’t looking) was victorious!

That wasn’t the big surprise, however. That came in the second match.

Miguel Lopez, General Manager of Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, took to the ring with two other wrestlers, promoting his establishment. As the two wrestlers (one appearing like an evil clown) began to grapple, Miguel suddenly removed his outer clothing and revealed his lucha libre costume! Like a sudden flash of lightning he decimated the evil clown!

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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!

Free Comic Book Day in San Diego’s Gaslamp!

May 3rd is Free Comic Book Day!

Today, in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, not only can you enjoy the big Cinco de Mayo festival along Fifth Avenue, but if you spot Rolling Wave Comics among the vendors, you’re invited to grab free comic books! Those are some in the above photo!

I see DC and Marvel and independent publisher titles. I see Superman, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Godzilla and more superhero and comic book favorites.

If you’re heading down to the Gaslamp today, keep your eyes open!

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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!

60,000 yellow ribbons on the USS Midway.

If you’ve seen the USS Midway Museum in the past few days, you’ll notice the historic aircraft carrier is covered with yellow ribbons.

I learned today that the approximately 60,000 ribbons honor the same number of members of the United States Armed Forces who were killed in action during the Vietnam War.

The ribbons, tied several days ago around the edge of the aircraft carrier, will remain in place through Memorial Day. Visitors who go to the flight deck’s information stand can ask to tie their own yellow ribbon.

I notice some of the ribbons have messages written upon them. Loved ones can be remembered in this way.

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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!

Gaslamp trolley umbrellas for Comic-Con.

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) workers were testing a new development at the Gaslamp Quarter trolley station this morning. They were setting up that large umbrella in my photo!

I learned that during upcoming Comic-Cons and other similar events near the San Diego Convention Center, temporary umbrellas will be installed at the station platform to provide shade. One of the umbrellas, I was told, will shade a spot for police canines. Dogs can overheat in San Diego’s summer sunshine!

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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!

Local artists at new downtown Courthouse Gallery!

Wolf in the Storm by Laura Green.

A new art gallery recently opened in downtown San Diego. Juried works by diverse artists can be freely viewed from the sidewalk in front the Edward J. Schwartz United States Courthouse!

From behind several large windows, works by local artists greet the curious eyes of those walking down Broadway. This new Courthouse Gallery of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California is now displaying The Art of Freedom.

The courthouse website describing the project and a call for submissions explains: The inspirations for this on-going, rotating art display are: making art more accessible to the public, enhancing civic engagement through the arts, and creating an opportunity for local artists to increase exposure to their work. The gallery will be featuring emerging and established artists 18 and older residing in San Diego and Imperial Counties.

It’s difficult to photograph through these windows with the reflections. Enjoy several pieces…

Woman Charging I by Cathy Deibler.
Forest Dance, by Leah Schaperow.
Remember When We Were Free by Cynthia Sue Kelly.

Years ago, these same windows displayed artwork created by students for San Diego County Bar Association’s Law Week Poster and Video Contest. See three years of those displays here and here and here.

Over the years, my photos of those Law Week posters have been viewed thousands of times through Google search–quite possibly by teachers and students around the nation and world. 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!

Crazy circus comes to UC San Diego!

The circus has come to UC San Diego!

La Jolla Playhouse’s annual WOW (Without Walls) Festival is taking place this weekend at several venues on the UCSD campus. FLIP Fabrique, a circus group based in Quebec, Canada, has drawn crowds to the Warren Mall, which is the central gathering place for the 2025 WOW Festival.

FLIP Fabrique’s performance is titled Summer Break–and it’s no usual circus act. It’s more like playful, energetic theatre with amazing acrobatics and breathtaking circus stunts! It’s crazy fun!

From the windows of the vacation bus excited summer campers wave. They’ve arrived and adventures await!

There’s laughter, a camp counselor, a water fight, kayaking, roasting marshmallows, falling down from a high place while inside a sleeping bag (and thankfully bouncing), and an epic pillow fight!

Don’t believe me? I’ve got the photos!

This super fun, highly original performance returns tomorrow, Sunday, at 2:30 pm. To see the entire WOW Festival schedule, click 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!

Photos of Lakeside’s Western Days Parade!

The rodeo has returned to Lakeside, and this morning the community celebrated their signature event with the 60th Annual Western Days Parade!

It was my very first time watching this parade. I was excited to see how it compared to other parades around San Diego County. And it was really great! The Western Days Parade provides a taste of both the Old West and contemporary life in rural America.

I saw local schools with their marching bands and cheer teams. I saw smiling queens, not only from Lakeside, but from Ramona and Julian, too! I saw floats with happy participants waving to everyone along the sidewalk. There were local community organizations, the usual politicians, law enforcement and young Scouts. And there were vintage cars, firetrucks, gigantic cranes, tractors…

Needless to say, horses and riders, and the nostalgic old-fashioned wagons and carriages were a highlight. It’s Lakeside! A true slice of Americana!

Enjoy these photographs…

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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!

Starting a cross-country bike ride in San Diego!

I met Dan Beaman today. He was with his bicycle at the Old Town Trolley station. His bike had an Iowa state flag, so I had to approach him and satisfy my curiosity!

I learned that Dan is biking all the way across the United States, starting in San Diego and ending in Daytona Beach. The ride begins in several days and should take about two months. He’s on a continuing quest for the best cookie in America! See his website and follow his progress by clicking here.

He had his traveling stuff in tow, including a tent. He told me he plans to ride a bit over 50 miles per day, and it’s mostly for the adventure of it. Taking a south route across the continent, he’s eager to see the Alamo, New Orleans and other fun places. He likes it warm and flat, so once he crosses our local mountains, he should really like the desert in Imperial Valley east of San Diego!

When I learned Dan is searching for really great cookies, I recommended he check out Uncle Biff’s California Killer Cookies in Hillcrest!

Hey readers, where is the best cookie in San Diego? Leave a comment!

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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!