Tag: photography

Festival of Trees decorated for December Nights!

The San Diego Floral Association is putting on another Festival of Trees during this year’s December Nights. The glittering roomful of uniquely decorated Christmas trees is one of the December Night’s most beloved attractions!

A whole host of San Diego and Balboa Park organizations were getting their Christmas trees ready today when I peeked into Room 101 of the Casa del Prado. The trees are decorated to reflect the organization they represent.

The Festival of Trees will actually have a special preview today, Thursday, December 4, 2025. The public can freely enjoy the sparkling displays from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Imagine the room darkened and hundreds of bright tree lights on!

There will be cookies available for purchase, too!

Of course, the trees will be on display throughout December Nights on Friday and Saturday. The Festival of Trees typically has a sign out on El Prado directing visitors in. Look for it!

Hello! Folks from the Balboa Park Senior Lounge, as they added ornaments to their (ever so slightly leaning) tree, gave my camera a big smile!

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Spirit of the City mural in Chula Vista.

What you see in these photographs, taken a couple days ago, is what remains of a much larger mural. It was created in Chula Vista by renowned artist Mario Torrero and local students.

The artwork was painted on the exterior of the parking structure beside the Gateway Building, at Third Avenue and H Street.

I learned about the public art from this brochure, published in 2013. It’s evident the mural once covered a much larger area and contained imagery that sought to capture the essence of Chula Vista.

I have no idea why most of the original mural was painted over. The radiant face that remains is very beautiful, but faded by its exposure to sunlight.

If you happen to know this mural’s history, please leave a comment below.

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Balboa Park almost ready for December Nights!

With two days to go until December Nights, activity in Balboa Park was in high gear today!

I enjoyed another walk through the park with my camera, catching much of the action. There isn’t much time to finish the immense preparation.

December Nights, one of the largest holiday festivals in the United States, will take place Friday December 5th from 3 to 11 pm, and Saturday December 6th from 11 am to 11 pm.

Make sure to give yourself extra time for traffic and to find parking. Better yet, use public transit or one of the free shuttles. You can find the “Getting to December Nights” webpage by clicking here.

Festive red ribbons are now on the Cabrillo Bridge lamp posts.
A sign and wreath bids Welcome to December Nights at Balboa Park’s west entrance.
Huge crowds will stream into December Nights by foot, passing the Museum of Us and the archways of the California Quadrangle.
Workers getting strings of holiday lights ready in the Plaza de Panama.
Cheerful lights will be strung everywhere!
Sadly, I suppose San Diego’s Community Christmas Tree encircled by its historical fence will be forgotten again. (I’ve spoken to multiple people about this over the years, but nobody seems to know or care.)
The Community Christmas Center’s traditional Nativity scenes are set up already. They must have done that during the last couple days.
I saw the enormous Christmas tree on the Spreckels Organ Pavilion stage being assembled!
One might say the Organ Pavilion will be at the center of December Nights, with many special holiday performances.
Barricades being readied in the Palisades area of Balboa Park, where there will be plenty of December Nights activity, too!
Signs are up at the various parking lots.
San Diego Parks and Recreation workers were all over the place, cutting grass and making everything perfect.
I noticed one of the fences on the west side of the Lily Pond has been removed, now that this section of the new Central Gardens outside the Botanical Building is ready.
Getting the annual San Diego Floral Association Festival of Trees ready in Room 101 of the Casa del Prado. There will be a special free preview on Thursday December 4, from 4 to 7 pm!
These smiling Balboa Park Garden Stewards were on their way out to beautify the park when I happened by with my camera!
Hanging stars at the Museum of Photographic Arts inside the Casa de Balboa!

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Mural on National City Public Works building!

This beautiful mural was painted a couple months ago. It decorates the National City Public Works building at 1726 Wilson Avenue, next to the 18th Street underpass of Interstate 5. The vibrant public art is a positive vision of life in this South Bay community.

The mural was the work of the Vision Culture Foundation and their team of inspired artists.

The building and other nearby walls had previously been the target of taggers whose vandalism required repeated removal, at the expense of the city.

National City Vice Mayor Marcus Bush helped drive an effort to paint beautiful murals on the walls, instead, providing graffiti artists with a chance to earn money while creating enduring public art!

This awesome project aims to create murals all around National City!

A young gentleman whom I met during my walk told me the long wall along 18th Street opposite this mural was also painted as part of the same project. The spray painted art appeals to kids with Christmas images from Toy Story, the Grinch and more!

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Holiday Season sights in downtown Chula Vista!

I went on another fun “Holiday Season” walk today–this time in the South Bay through downtown Chula Vista.

Given that Christmas is about three weeks away, it wasn’t surprising that I found lots of holidays related sights!

Most of my photos are of shop windows along Third Avenue.

Can you believe the Grinch, Gingerbread Man, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Charlie Brown were painted all in one window? Those characters together would make a very inventive, peculiar Christmas television special!

Wandering through Chula Vista’s historic downtown, I discovered plenty of great stuff…

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año!

I know, I know–Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin is more of a Halloween thing, but I liked this anyway…

Downtown Chula Vista will celebrate the holidays on Saturday, December 6, 2025 with the Starlight Festival from 3 – 9 pm, and the Starlight Parade at 6 pm!

Find out more by clicking here.

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Carlsbad Village is ready for the holidays!

The Holiday Season is upon us and the Village of Carlsbad is ready!

I rode the Coaster train north to Carlsbad a few days ago for a pleasant walk, and this is what I found!

Festive decorations everywhere one turns: at storefronts, in windows, on street banners and signs. I saw Christmas trees, Santa, elves at the North Pole, candy canes, wreaths, Frosty, snowflakes, poinsettias, Rudolph, gingerbread houses…

A free Musical Kickoff to the Holidays will take place this Friday, December 5th, from 4 to 7:30 pm. It will be at the Carlsbad fountain parking lot at 2898 State Street.

You can expect middle and high school student musicians, hot cocoa and more!

A smiling Steven Blake was playing Happy Holidays music at the Carlsbad Village fountain! (His Instagram is @deverb.band.)

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Decking the halls for December Nights!

Balboa Park is “decking the halls” in preparation for December Nights! Families visiting the park this coming Friday and Saturday will enjoy cheerful holiday sights and sounds and tastes, and yesterday I saw how preparations are underway!

That’s a big wreath in Spanish Village above. Below, ornaments already hang from the trees around the patio…

Spanish Village Art Center will host Holidays in the Village during December Nights. There will be hot cocoa, crafts, Junior Theatre performances, and jolly Santa, too!

There’s a festive wreath on the rear of the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad train…

The stage inside the Casa del Prado courtyard is being resurfaced in preparation for youth performances during December Nights…

Big candy canes have appeared in the House of Hospitality courtyard…

The San Diego History Center has multiple Christmas trees and many poinsettias. Their “Bataan Café” will be serving AleSmith Brewing Company beer during December Nights.

There will be food galore at the International Cottages during December Nights. Many of the cottages are already decked out for the Holiday Season.

Here’s a Christmas tree among piñatas in the House of Mexico cottage…

An angel in the House of Mexico cottage…

Christmas tree in House of Panama cottage…

A small Christmas tree in House of USA cottage…

A tiny winter scene inside the House of Germany cottage…

In the House of Finland cottage, a member was creating Sydänkori heart baskets, perfect for hanging on Christmas trees…

Most Balboa Park museums will be open free to the public in the evening during December Nights.

I found this beautiful Christmas tree inside the San Diego Automotive Museum…

Fill up the Toys For Tots box at the San Diego Automotive Museum!

Jewels of the Season has again filled the Timken Museum of Art with hand made jewel-like ornaments and bright, twinkling splendor!

The Whoville General Store featuring oodles of green Grinch merch is now open at the Old Globe!

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San Diego Civic Youth Ballet performs The Nutcracker!

The San Diego Civic Youth Ballet will be performing The Nutcracker on December 10 to 21, 2025. The public was able to experience a free preview of the show this afternoon at the Sunday organ concert in Balboa Park!

The audience was amazed at the poise and grace exhibited by the young ballet dancers as they glided across the hard concrete stage. The dancers earned a huge ovation! If the selected dances in this preview are any indication, The Nutcracker will be sensational!

It was great hearing San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez providing much of the accompanying music. A world-class musician brought Tchaikovsky’s beloved holiday classic to life.

As always, the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet’s holiday performances will take place in the Casa del Prado Theater in Balboa Park. Find out more and purchase tickets by clicking here.

We also learned that 2025 is the 80th Anniversary Season of the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet!

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Fans excited at WWE Survivor Series in San Diego!

Super excited WWE wrestling fans gathered in downtown San Diego this morning before the start of 2025 Survivor Series: WarGames!

It seemed everyone I saw was either holding a sign, sporting a championship belt, or wearing a shirt that roots for their favorite WWE superstar! Most of the shirts commemorated John Cena’s farewell tour. He’ll be facing Dominik Mysterio in a highly anticipated match.

Savvy fans waited at the entrance to the Omni Hotel to see wrestlers jumping into cars or vans, to be transported to Petco Park.

I lingered for a while and briefly glimpsed CM Punk, and Jimmy and Jey Uso. Drew McIntyre was the one wrestler who didn’t dash into a vehicle. He greeted all the fans, took selfies with everyone, and was one very cool dude!

I then walked around Petco Park and through the Gaslamp Quarter again to take in the all the excitement.

Enjoy some photos!

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Rey Mysterio performs 619 in Logan Heights!

Legendary wrestler and San Diego hometown hero Rey Mysterio is performing his finishing move, the 619, in Logan Heights! I saw him in action today!

Yes, that’s him in a newly completed mural at the corner of Commercial Street and 30th Street, a short distance east of Petco Park where WWE Survivor Series: WarGames (2025) will be held tomorrow!

The mural which pays tribute to lucha libre debuted two days ago and Rey Mysterio himself showed up with his daughter Aalyah to admire it. And sign it! You can read an article about that cool event here.

If you come by to check out the mural, make sure to look at the west side of the same SA Recycling building. There’s a second mural depicting the Rey Mysterio family! I posted photos of that mural here (along with photographs of this newest mural’s early outlines).

Both murals were painted by local graffiti phenom Daniel “Dentlok” Angeles and a team of helping artists.

Will Chula Vista native Rey Mysterio show up at tomorrow’s Survivor Series in San Diego? I’d say that’s highly probable! I see his son Dominik will be wrestling against John Cena, who is retiring after his own legendary career!

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