Tag: south bay

Sweet times at Lemon Festival in Chula Vista!

The annual Lemon Festival in Chula Vista is one of the most popular street festivals in San Diego County. A huge crowd turned out today in Chula Vista’s historic downtown for lots of sweet family fun!

I walked down Third Avenue taking in the sights. Yes, there were lemons everywhere I turned: lemonade, lemon treats, lemony gifts, lemon-themed chalk art, and lots of people wearing yellow–some dancing to live music! Shame on me. I missed a lemon costume contest, a lemon cook-off, and a lemon squeezing contest!

Why is there a Lemon Festival each summer? As various displays at the South Bay Historical Society’s table explained, Chula Vista was once considered the Lemon Capital of the World!

Enjoy these photos!

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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 Twitter!

Painting a lemon tree mural in Chula Vista!

Look who was painting a very sweet lemon tree mural in downtown Chula Vista today!

Signe Ditona and Paul Jimenez of Ground Floor Murals were creating a cool mural on Third Avenue during the annual Lemon Festival!

Have you seen any of the awesome San Diego Padres baseball player murals around the city? The same couple!

The self-trained artists really got going during the COVID pandemic. Their story is very inspirational. Read it 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!

More murals in Chula Vista: old and new!

I spotted more colorful murals in downtown Chula Vista this morning during a walk. Some of the art is old, some is very new!

Read my photo captions for any information that I’ve found…

A big mural project is underway on the east side of La Bella Cafe & Games in Chula Vista. The above art is by Shirish Villaseñor (@shirishtheartist). Three other local artists will be painting the adjacent long wall!

Pizza and breadsticks give you wings! A finished mural, also by @shirishtheartist, on the south side of La Bella Cafe & Games. I’ve already shared a couple photos of this mural before it was completed.

New art all over the front of Urbn Sk8 in Chula Vista!

Crazy faces painted recently by @beanieboy_og.

These Horrible Monster Scenes were painted in front of Urbn Sk8 about a week ago by @barfalamul.

Headed north from Center Street up the alley just east of Third Avenue. I spotted this faded old mural depicting palm trees.

Graffiti artwork on north wall of the same building. (I magnified that logo in the upper left but couldn’t figure it out.)

A little farther up the alley, behind Irving’s at 273 Third Avenue, I spied this old mural. Never be afraid to reinvent yourself!!

Colorful bubbles and butterflies painted earlier this year in front of Chula Vista Smiles by artist @kurrrents.

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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!

Terrazzo shop entries in historic Chula Vista.

Want to feel small town nostalgia?

Take a walk along Third Avenue in Chula Vista’s historic downtown.

When I passed down the sidewalk on the east side of the street recently, I was pleased to see many shops with terrazzo entries that recall the names of past businesses.

I’ve paired photographs. The current building occupant is followed by old words spelled out in terrazzo at the front entrance.

Anyone more knowledgeable about the history of Chula Vista is invited to leave a comment!

Factory of Dreams Hall.

Sprouse Reitz.

Roy’s Jewelry & Loan

Jewelers.

Hidden Beauty Salon.

Karl’s.

Onstage Playhouse.

Bakery.

Maile’s Nail Spa.

Ferrantelli.

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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!

National City students create community murals!

Students in San Diego’s South Bay, participating in the Community ARTS program of A Reason To Survive, continue to beautify National City neighborhoods. I stumbled upon an example of this during my latest National City walk!

Colorful wildlife murals decorate a fence that encloses a San Diego Gas and Electric natural gas riser facility at the corner of Palm Avenue and 4th Street.

The stylish artwork is bold and really good. The young hands that painted the panels are not only learning about art, but are assuming roles of leadership as they work to create positive change in the community.

The project is a collaboration between SDG&E and A Reason to Survive (ARTS). I found one article concerning the partnership here.

Enjoy my photos…

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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!

Cultural leaders in a National City mural.

Last year locally and internationally renowned artist Mario Torero painted four murals for the San Ysidro Health building in National City, at the intersection of 8th Street and D Avenue.

The colorful faces depicted in these outdoor murals belong to labor and civil rights leaders: Cesar Chavez, Larry Itliong, Dolores Huerta, and Martin Luther King Jr. The faces of these cultural icons are rendered in Torero’s distinctive style.

Torero, co-founder of Chicano Park, is famous for his socially conscious artwork. You’ve likely seen his work elsewhere around San Diego.

I photographed the four postage stamp-like murals during a walk through National City.

Cesar Chavez mural by Mario Torero.

Larry Itliong mural by Mario Torero.

Dolores Huerta mural by Mario Torero.

Martin Luther King Jr. mural by Mario Torero.

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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!

Two cool murals in a Chula Vista alley.

Here’s one last blog post from my long walk in Chula Vista yesterday.

As I wandered down the alley directly west of Third Avenue, I discovered two very cool murals.

The first is north of Davidson Street. There’s a signature, but I’m not sure who the artist is. Leave a comment if you know…

The second mural is south of Davidson Street and is by artist Michelle Ruby, aka Mr. B Baby. You might recognize her artwork. It contains fun, colorful characters that often populate her murals…

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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!

Mario Lopez spotted in Chula Vista!

Celebrity superstar, Mario Lopez, has been spotted on Third Avenue in Chula Vista! His famous smile has been painted on a construction fence in front of the old Vogue theater building!

Mario was born and raised in Chula Vista, in San Diego’s South Bay.

Hey Preppy! Have you watched the Saved by the Bell revival on Peacock? If so, those words might ring a bell!

Mario Lopez first played Slater in the original, very popular Saturday-morning sitcom Saved by the Bell. Since then he’s reprised the role, plus he’s had many other film and television credits.

For over a decade, Mario was host of the television newsmagazine Extra. Now he’s an anchor on the entertainment show Access Hollywood.

And today he’s also hanging out on Third Avenue! With a smile painted by Ground Floor Murals (@groundfloormurals).

Are those his fluffy pink dice and keys? The key art is by Victor “Dogs” Rodriguez (@ThatOne_Dog).

Check out some San Diego Padres art on the same fence 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!

San Diego Loyal player in Chula Vista!

Look who has been spotted in Chula Vista! San Diego Loyal SC soccer player Alejandro Guido!

Alejandro, who is of Mexican descent, is the pride of Chula Vista, having attended Mater Dei High School.

Walk along Third Avenue in Chula Vista, south of E Street, north of the Vogue movie theater building, and you’ll see Alejandro. The defensive midfielder is running with the ball on a wall opposite Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres!

(Two days ago I discovered a mural of his San Diego Loyal teammate in Hillcrest!)

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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!

Baking pizza wings in Chula Vista!

What could possibly be better than pizza and wings? Pizza wings!

The painting of new murals is underway in Chula Vista! One, near the corner of Third Avenue and G Street, promotes La Bella Pizza. It depicts an angelic statue with pizza wings. I took a photo a couple weeks ago and then another a few days ago, so you can see the mural’s tasty progress!

The artists call themselves Arte Atolondrada (@arteatolondrada). I’ve learned another much larger mural will soon be painted nearby, on the east side of La Bella Cafe and Games. This fun project is being undertaken with help from a Create Chula Vista Art Grant.

Downtown Chula Vista continues to grow more colorful and dynamic!

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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!