Tag: san diego

Community gathers for Green Corridor Holiday!

A special event was held today in National City, near that city’s border with Southeast San Diego. The Green Corridor Holiday brought together local families to celebrate the holidays and to connect with community organizations.

The Green Corridor is a name for the area north of Division Street and east of Palm Avenue/47th Street. Transforming the bare space, near a tangle of Interstate 805 and ramps, has been the subject of much discussion. Many in the community have advocated making this Green Corridor into a proud cultural center and green space.

I was told many would also love to have the freeway pillars painted with beautiful murals–a sort of smaller Chicano Park. I’m no expert concerning the project, or where it stands, but it all sounds great to me! The place does seem ideally located for a native garden and park.

The Green Corridor Holiday event brought families together for music, tasty food, arts and crafts, a toy distribution, a tree giveaway, fun with Santa Claus and the Grinch, and Azteca dancing (which I unfortunately missed). I did notice an artist was painting one of the freeway pillars.

Organizations working to improve the neighborhood were present, including Mundo Gardens, the Urban Collaborative Project, Caltrans, the San Diego Library, and others. They were happy to connect with one and all, listen to community members, and provide empowering information.

If you’d like to get involved, check out the two links above!

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Holiday decorations appear at Maritime Museum!

The folks at the Maritime Museum of San Diego have begun decorating for the holidays!

A beautiful Christmas tree sparkles in their gift shop, and the elegant passenger deck of historic steam ferry Berkeley appears even more amazing than usual. The handsome wooden benches bathed with the light from art glass windows now look upon green wreaths, red ribbons, and Christmas trees large and small!

And I’m told much more holiday decoration is coming!

I know the museum’s Pilot boat is being strung with lights for the 55th annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights, and a small Christmas tree will soon be hoisted to the top of Star of India’s mainmast!

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John Lennon’s new friend in Pacific Beach!

John Lennon in Pacific Beach has been joined by a new friend!

The cool John Lennon mural decorating the west side of 365 Reloaded Smoke Shop has expanded. A beautiful face has been spray painted next to John. I noticed this for the first time while walking down Garnet Avenue a few days ago.

I’ve tried to verify who painted the new artwork and exactly when, and who in particular the female face might represent. So far, no success. If you know anything, please leave a comment.

I considered the face might belong to a young Yoko Ono, but the resemblance doesn’t seem great, based on historical photos I’ve examined. What do you think?

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Festive sights at the AgeWell Holiday Dance!

My friends in Balboa Park’s Senior Lounge told me the AgeWell Services Holiday Dance was taking place this afternoon, so I had to poke my nose into the Balboa Park Club building to see what might be going on. What did I find? All sorts of fun holiday sights!

Folks were enjoying a break between dances when I arrived, so I just wandered about the big ballroom.

I spied Santa, Frosty, the Grinch, silly elf Minions, very beautiful Christmas trees, and a sparkling variety of colorful holiday decorations! Happy people, too!

Look what I found!

A smiling, dancing Christmas tree!

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Nature’s beauty at Courthouse Gallery in San Diego!

The Courthouse Gallery in downtown San Diego has a second exhibition. It’s titled: San Diego Pastoral – From the Desert through the Mountains to the Sea.

From the sidewalk, anyone walking down Broadway near Front Street can gaze into the large windows of the Edward J. Schwartz Courthouse and view juried artwork by local artists. The pieces celebrate the natural beauty and biodiversity of the Southern District of California, which covers San Diego and Imperial Counties.

The displayed art is primarily beautiful paintings. Beaches to canyons to foothills to mountains to the desert beyond them, the depicted region is immense. These varied landscapes support what is said to be the greatest biodiversity in the United States.

I blogged about the very first exhibition of the new Courthouse Gallery earlier this year here. This second exhibition runs October 6, 2025 to February 2, 2026.

Yesterday I took a few photos at an angle through the windows to avoid reflections from the street…

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Fun, festive photos at December Nights!

December Nights has arrived!

I walked around Balboa Park this afternoon and into the early evening. There were so many colorful sights to be seen in San Diego’s big holiday festival…

First up, a couple of Santa’s helpers with Save Starlight smiled for my camera. If you’d like to help this worthy organization revive the historic Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park, please check out their website here.

I was completely surprised to find a honest-to-goodness live reindeer! His name is Murphy. He’s visiting San Diego from Wild Things/Conservation Ambassadors.

Checking out Spanish Village Art Center during December Nights…

This beautiful little Christmas tree was created by artist Helen Munroe, who works out of Studio 34B and 25 in Spanish Village.

Okay, what was going on in the Plaza de Panama?

What was going on at the International Cottages?

I swung by the Spreckels Organ Pavilion when the Peninsula Singers were performing on the stage by the big Christmas tree…

Folks were checking out the Community Christmas Center nativity scenes…

I bought a soda at the Gingerbread House.

Entry to the San Diego Natural History Center was free, so I had to check it out. There’s a dinosaur Santa!

And a Homo sapiens Santa (and friends) by the elevator!

View of Plaza de Balboa and Bea Evenson Fountain from the museum rooftop. December Nights is just getting underway…

Now I checked out the Festival of Trees in the Casa del Prado. The theme for 2025 is Rooted in Wonder!

This cool gentleman is with San Diego Civic Dance Arts. Youth would perform on the nearby stage later in the evening.

Inside the Municipal Gymnasium, families were lined up to greet Santa Claus at the North Pole!

Dozens of food vendors filled the Palisades parking lot!

Superheroes greet visitors to the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park during December Nights!

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675 Poinsettias in Balboa Park’s Botanical Building!

This holiday season, if you have a chance, head into Balboa Park’s Botanical Building. You’ll discover 675 poinsettias! That’s what I was told by a representative of Forever Balboa Park!

There are poinsettia displays at the center of the Botanical Building, beside the fountains at either end, along windows, and here and there planted in the surrounding lush greenery.

All that holiday color is a sight to behold!

Enjoy these photographs which were taken during the first day of December Nights…

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The Art of Turning: Masterpieces in Motion.

You don’t often see exhibitions of wood art in Gallery 21 in Balboa Park’s Spanish Village Art Center. You have the opportunity right now, however!

The Art of Turning: Masterpieces in Motion is a fine exhibition presented by the San Diego Woodturners.

The pieces in the gallery were all made with lathes by members of the San Diego Woodturners. You might have seen these artisans demonstrating their craft in the Design in Wood exhibit at the San Diego County Fair. (They’re the folks who create all those tops and wooden pens.)

One of the artists, Hal Gorss, was kind enough today to explain how many of these gorgeous artworks were made. A great deal of effort and skill is required.

The objects include bowls, vases, utensils, trays, decorative art and more. They’re on sale, just in time for Christmas gift giving. So why not head into Gallery 21 during December Nights and check it out!

The Art of Turning: Masterpieces in Motion continues through December 15, 2025.

One other thing–these good people support Turn Around for Vets, which teaches wood turning to active duty service members and veterans at the Naval Medical Center (NMC) San Diego, the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Camp Pendleton and the Veterans Affairs Aspire Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program in San Diego.

Awesome!

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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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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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If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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