Last Saturday, as I headed to the Lemon Festival, I walked along downtown Chula Vista’s principal street, Third Avenue. And I spotted all sorts of colorful art that is either fairly new, or that I had missed on previous walks!
The above shark swims directly opposite a cool Manny Machado mural, which has been painted on the north wall of the historic Vogue Theater. For photos of the Manny Machado mural, click here!
The hungry shark and the school of minnows forming the City of Chula Vista logo were painted by Ground Floor Murals.Colorful graffiti creatures. I believe this is an example of the Horrible Monster Scenes that are painted around San Diego by @barfalamul.Beer, a hot dog and pretzel painted in front of Tavern at the Vogue by artist Nicholas Danger.Cheerful bands of color painted at entrance to the ThirdandF building in Chula Vista.Cool graffiti art near a rooftop includes a walking skull with mohawk!Person with megaphone announces Upright Citizen Vintage.Heart Open to the Potential that Exists when I strive to survive. Inspiring words by the door of Rico’s On 3rd, The Salon.
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This year, the festival is primarily taking place in Memorial Park, where families can enjoy Arts in the Park. A full day of entertainment is scheduled for the big stage, and artist booths abound. The event is produced by the people of OnStage Playhouse, which is a community theatre located in Chula Vista.
I enjoyed the first hour or so of the festival, which included an inspiring dance performance as you’ll see in the upcoming photos!
Lots of family fun can be enjoyed at Arts in the Park during the 2021 Chula Vista Lemon Festival.Artes en el Parque includes music, dance, and an evening performance by the Fern Street Circus!A familiar piratical smile. I believe I’ve spotted it during past Comic-Cons!A smiling mermaid!Volunteers from Arts in the Park pose for a photo!Students from Chula Vista Learning Community Charter Middle School were making art! And the community joined them!Painting our beautiful Earth.A String of Stories at one of the school’s tables is about Sharing in Community.Unidos por la paz. United for peace.I took some photos as I waited in Memorial Park’s amphitheater for the entertainment on stage to begin.The helpful Honda people came by and offered me a water bottle! Thank you!
Do you know anyone who could use a helping hand? Check out the San Diego Honda Dealers “Random Acts of Helpfulness” web page here. Maybe they’ll provide some assistance! I hope so!
Okay! The program begins with a couple of short speeches…
Ashley Gardner from OnStage Playhouse is introduced. She was instrumental in organizing this great event. Hopefully it becomes a long-lived community summer tradition!
Then the entertainment begins!
An amazing, super positive and energetic hip hop dance group from Steele Canyon High School takes the stage! They’re the Club Groove Dance Team!
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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!
Another super cool San Diego Padres mural debuted recently! This one, created last month in Chula Vista, depicts MLB baseball superstar Manny Machado with the bold words: SKY’S THE LIMIT.
I’ve already photographed a couple other Padres murals painted by Ground Floor Murals, which you can see here and here.
This awesome Manny Machado mural reflects the third baseman’s intensity and team leadership, and both his offensive and defensive prowess. The artwork was illuminated early in the morning when I walked past it.
The mural is located in Chula Vista on Third Avenue, a short distance south of E Street, on the side of the historic Vogue movie theater building.
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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!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
A few weeks ago, as I waited for a Memorial Day ceremony at National City’s War Memorial and Veteran’s Wall of Honor, I walked around the nearby intersection of 12th Street and D Avenue, where there’s a traffic roundabout.
In the center of the roundabout I discovered five medallion-like plaques that honor five branches of the United States Armed Forces. But what really caught my eyes were the colorful red, white and blue star mosaics that decorate several walls surrounding the intersection!
I believe this public artwork was part of the 2015 improvement project that you can read about here.
I love the how the stars in the patriotic mosaics look like they’re flying, bouncing and dancing, or unspooling like musical notes. They also sort of appear like bursting fireworks!
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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!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Yesterday, as I waited for the Memorial Day ceremony to begin in National City, I wandered a short distance down 12th Street from the Veteran’s Wall of Honor. I was surprised to encounter colorful butterflies along the median, and lots of art at a bright building on the north side of Kimball Park. The building, I learned, is home to ARTS, which stands for A Reason To Survive.
ARTS is a special community center where youth are inspired to live positive, hopeful, creative lives free from destructive influences and the violence that might attract their peers.
According to their website, the mission of ARTS is “to heal, inspire, and empower youth facing life challenges through therapeutic arts, formal arts education, and college and career preparation…In 2012, ARTS moved to National City and opened a 20,000-sq. ft. ARTS Center in one of San Diego County’s most health-challenged and economically depressed communities…”
I urge you to visit the above link and read about how the ARTS program has gained national fame, and how you might personally contribute, volunteer or become involved.
Here come photographs of murals and other artwork I happened to see outside the building. Painted words encourage non-violence and provide A Reason To Survive.
The nearby butterflies at intervals along 12th Street represent a transformation into something beautiful.
Each butterfly is unique.
UPDATE!
I received a great comment concerning the butterflies and their origin. Please read the comments after the upcoming photos…
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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!
Late this afternoon I attended a Memorial Day ceremony at National City’s Wall of Honor.
It was a special event for the South Bay community. Those who served in the United States Armed Services and have passed on were remembered.
The Wall of Honor extends on either side of the National City War Memorial, which stands overlooking a corner of Kimball Park. Plaques on the wall are dedicated to loved Veterans. Through the memorial’s arch children could be seen playing on the park’s wide green grass, and looking through that arch during the ceremony was like peering through the window of Freedom.
National City’s mayor and various dignitaries were in attendance and spoke. The Navy was represented as well. Retired vets who had served their country received handshakes from all.
I took these photographs of the beautiful and very meaningful ceremony. Memorial Day is a time to recognize sacrifices, and to seriously reflect.
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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!
If you’ve driven through the intersection of Palomar Street and Broadway in Chula Vista you’ve no doubt seen it. A long, very colorful mural painted on the wall by nearby Orange Avenue, between a small city park and the El Mirador Trailer Court.
I believe the wall was painted fairly recently–that’s what a gentleman who works at Jack in the Box across the street told me.
I love the bright, cheerful designs! It appears that many refer to aspects of our region’s unique cultural and natural heritage.
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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!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in National City is one of the historic churches I paused to look at during my most recent walk around South Bay.
I was taken by how uniquely handsome this church appears. To my eyes, its unusual fusion of Gothic Revival and Tudor architecture is simultaneously elegant and welcoming.
According to Wikipedia: St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church …was built in 1887. It was designed by Chula Vista architect William Herman…inspired by a picture of a small church in the south of England…An Episcopal Society for National City was formed on January 30, 1882; the secretary was Frank Kimball, founder of National City.
In the late 19th century ambitious builder Frank Kimball hoped to make National City the western terminus of a transcontinental railroad. If you’d like to learn much more about his efforts and National City’s early history, you can check out a more detailed old blog post here.
I walked around the church and took some photos that you might enjoy…
The above sign near the church’s entrance reads:
National City Historic Site
St. MATTHEWS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Built on land originally set aside for a church by the Kimball brothers, but the gift of Elizur Steele. First services held July 3, 1887. Timbers were brought around the Horn. Construction is of California Redwood.
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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!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
I photographed several instances of great street art while walking along Coronado Avenue this weekend. As I headed west from Interstate 5 to Robert Egger, Sr. – South Bay Community Park, I discovered four birds and an historic first flight!
First up, two utility boxes just east of the freeway were painted with three raptors, including a bald eagle…
As I continued west down the sidewalk and passed in front of the City of San Diego’s Engine Co. 30 fire station, I noticed a unique box painted in honor of the world’s first controlled heavier-than-air flight, which took place about a mile east of where I stood.
I blogged about John J. Montgomery’s glider flights from a hilltop in Otay Mesa West and posted photos of the imposing wing monument that marks where aviation history was made here.
Finally, as I arrived at Robert Egger, Sr. – South Bay Community Park, I found a colorful work of street art featuring a beautiful nature scene and pink cockatoo!
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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!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
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