Tag: southern california

Native American Heritage Festival in Escondido!

The First Annual Native American Heritage Festival was held this afternoon in Escondido’s Grape Day Park.

The free community event was hosted by the Native Youth Foundation and featured Native American culture, education, crafts, food, music and fun for the entire family.

The festival brought together tribes from around the Southern California region to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day. It was a celebration of Native voices shaping the future.

I came by in the late afternoon as the festival was kicking off. When I departed about an hour later, a good crowd had gathered for this inaugural event.

I enjoyed listening to the Campo Bird Singers, visiting various booths and eating crispy tacos.

What are some of the things I learned?

I learned the people in the next photo represent Volunteer Escondido. They’re neighbors who come together to help build a stronger community and enhance the quality of life for all!

You can visit their website here! Check out their event calendar and perhaps you can participate as a volunteer in their good work!

I was interested to learn from the next group of smiling people that there is a National Native American Hall of Fame!

The organization, with its headquarters in Oklahoma City, honors Native American achievements in contemporary society, from the 1860s to present day!

Visit their website here! There are various ways that you can support them!

Look! More friendly people at the next booth!

They represent the La Jolla Generations Program, a tribal youth program of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians.

They would be demonstrating basketmaking later during the festival!

In the late morning, the Campo Bird Singers were on stage performing traditional, sacred Bird Songs.

Lots of tasty food, including carne asada and Kumeyaay frybread!

…

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!

Borrego Springs artist’s sculptures in San Diego!

People in downtown San Diego have a special treat this weekend! Four metal sculptures by Ricardo Breceda (whose famous landmark sculptures can be seen around Borrego Springs) are on display in front of the San Diego County Administration Building!

Check it out!

There are two bighorn sheep about to butt horns, a giant coiling rattlesnake, and a fierce dinosaur on a flatbed! They’re on display in the sunshine on the grass near Harbor Drive. You can’t miss them!

Ricardo Breceda’s sculptures in Borrego Springs have won the artist international renown. He brought these four pieces here so residents of San Diego can enjoy some of his work, and so everyone is hopefully inspired to head out to the desert where over 130 of his incredible sculptures can be viewed. Here’s his website.

(Five years ago I photographed his Wild Horses public art installation in Vista, California. You can see those photos here!)

…

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!

A San Diego Milestone in Horton Square.

A plaque in downtown San Diego relates a bit of our city’s early history. It’s titled A San Diego Milestone.

You can find the bronze plaque in Horton Square, an outdoor area north of the old Horton Plaza shopping mall. (Not to be confused with larger Horton Plaza Park.)

The plaque states:

San Diego bay is a natural harbor. First sighted in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the bay was originally named San Miguel. Next visited in 1602, Sebastian Vizcaino renamed the bay after a canonized priest, San Diego, from Alcala, Spain. Seldom visited for the next 150 years, Father Junipero Sera came overland from Mexico and founded the first of the California missions in San Diego (Old Town) in 1769. The mission grew and officially became an American town in 1846.

The bay was too shallow for ships to come close in, so passengers were taken to shore by rowboat to the water’s edge and then carried to dry land on the backs of sailors or Indians. Then they were taken by wagon to town…a few miles north to Old Town. In 1867, Alonzo E. Horton first came to San Diego and was immediately convinced that “the town should be down by the wharf.”

This plaque is one of several in Horton Square. Two bronze statues stand among them.

Apparently, according to one corner of the plaque, all together these make up the Horton Walk.

Twelve years ago, back when Cool San Diego Sight was brand new, I photographed the other statues and plaques. See those by clicking here.

The old statue of Ernest Hahn has since been moved–I don’t know where. If you know, please leave a comment!

…

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!

69th Annual Massing of the Colors next Saturday!

The 69th Annual Massing of the Colors and Service of Remembrance will be held this coming Saturday, October 11, 2025 in Balboa Park. Everyone is invited!

Dozens of color guards from all around San Diego County will come together for an amazing patriotic event at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. The event will take place between 10:30 and 11:30 in the morning. It’s free and open to the public.

If you’ve never witnessed the Massing of the Colors, you’re missing out on a very stirring spectacle. Representatives from the military, Junior ROTC, Scouts, and patriotic organizations around San Diego will honor those who’ve served and sacrificed by filling the Spreckels Organ Pavilion with a sea of flags.

The Massing of the Colors is presented each year by the San Diego Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars, a patriotic organization that was founded in 1926. Their motto is: It Is Nobler To Serve Than To Be Served.

Here’s the flyer concerning Saturday’s event:

…

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!

Beer, pretzels, dogs and fun in La Mesa!

Oktoberfest has returned to La Mesa!

The annual festival is just as epic as ever. Big weekend crowds are filling several blocks of downtown La Mesa and enjoying a big party.

As one might expect at Oktoberfest, there’s no shortage of beer, pretzels, bratwurst and, indeed, tempting German and International food of all types. There are plenty of activities for the whole family, including a big Ferris wheel and games for kids. And, of course, how can I forget the hilarious weiner dog races?

The festival continues on Sunday, with plenty to see and do. It’s free to walk in. The three biergartens, however, have an entry fee.

A good way to get to all this fun is by trolley. For more info, visit the La Mesa Oktoberfest website here.

Here’s my collection of colorful photos taken on Saturday afternoon…

…

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!

Geocache event locates fun in San Diego!

Today hundreds of geocaching enthusiasts converged on San Diego searching for fun. And they found it!

An event named Signal’s Island drew geocachers from around Southern California and the nation to the grass of NTC Park at Liberty Station.

While rubbing elbows with other members of the broader geocaching community, attendees could enjoy all sorts of challenging family activities. There were nearby hidden geocaches to find, puzzle-like “gadget caches” to figure out (including that one with a toilet in my first photo), interesting displays (including the last remaining item from the world’s first geocache–a can of beans), games like Geo Limbo and Coconut Bowling, photo ops, a mini-pie eating contest, a raffle, a geocaching trackables and pathtag exchange, and more!

Why the name Signal’s Island? Signal the Frog is geocaching’s official mascot, and the event was styled after Gilligan’s Island!

Okay, perhaps you’re a geocache novice, like me. Click here to learn about this fun, healthy and stimulating outdoor hobby! According to the Geocaching website, there are 6,602 geocaches to be discovered around San Diego!

…

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!

Sunday fun at Adams Avenue Street Fair!

75 musical acts on seven stages! Over eight city blocks of fun, food, vendors, more food, and entertainment!

Yes, today was the final day of this weekend’s epic 43rd annual Adams Avenue Street Fair!

This super popular street festival in Normal Heights is one of the biggest in San Diego. Indeed, it’s said to be Southern California’s largest free two-day music festival!

I walked along Adams Avenue, stomach rumbling from all the delicious smells. I stopped at several of the stages to listen to live music. Then, in the early afternoon, I enjoyed a performance by San Diego’s own Fern Street Circus!

The friendly folks in the next photo were representing the volunteer-based Adams Elementary Parent Teacher Community Organization. They were raising funds to support the neighborhood school. Check out their website here.

Have you seen the huge new Merrill Madness mural on Market Street in downtown San Diego?

The smiling guy in the next photo is one of the driving forces behind it: Marco (@marcticc).

Check out his website Marctic Creations for cool Padres related gear by clicking here!

…

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!

FilAm CreatorCon 2025 in Chula Vista!

An amazing free event that attracted creative talent from around our region was held in Chula Vista today. FilAm CreatorCon 2025 brought together lots of Filipino-American artists and their fans!

I was surprised by the huge popularity of this annual convention. It was my first time.

The interior of the Chula Vista Library was filled with artist tables overflowing with fantastic artwork: posters, prints, comic books, graphic novels, stickers, jewelry–you name it!

Several community rooms hosted panels or screenings; a fundraising art auction was open to all; and outside, on the library patio, there was plenty of food and even musical entertainment. Neighborhood families came out to the fun event, kids were active and exploring, and smiling artists were busy showcasing and selling their artwork.

What a great experience!

I loved the positive creative energy! I even recognized some of the artists or their great work!

I started out on the patio…

I saw the following information poster.

Bridge the Gap is a nonprofit organization based in San Diego dedicated to celebrating and preserving Filipino-American representation and heritage.

In the spring they have a Creative Summit which supports the next generation of Filipino creatives.

Now I’m inside the main Chula Vista Library.

Look! It’s super nice artist Mary Jhun!

You’ve seen many examples of her distinctive art on Cool San Diego Sights. Click here and here and here and here.

Some of her work:

Here’s another cool artist and illustrator: Robert Rodriguez (@robz_drawings).

Some of his great stuff…

Watch out! Godzilla is energizing his dorsal spines!

This is Raina Ramos (@thrillustrated). She likes to create dog portraits and other cool stuff, like Star Wars art!

Ron Rubio (@rubiobroscartoonstudio), Director, Animator, and producer of smiles!

He has worked on King of the Hill and The Cleveland Show! His brother who has worked on Avatar: The Last Airbender, and for Pixar and others was present, too.

Little Yellow Jeepney author Jocelyn Francisco, Ph.D. was at the con, too! Literacy is more important than ever.

The FilAm CreatorCon panel From Roots to Resonance: Crafting Filipino Stories with Universal Appeal was fully attended.

Look at all the people at FilAm CreatorCon in Chula Vista!

Big respect!

…

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!

Oceanside hosts U.S. Open Adaptive Surfing Championships!

The 8th Annual U.S. Open Adaptive Surfing Championships officially opens tomorrow in Oceanside. The public can watch and cheer on the participants!

During the next four days, September 4th to 7th, 2025, physically challenged athletes will take to the surf north of the Oceanside Pier and vie for thousands of dollars in prizes in different surfing competition categories. The event is brought to the city of Oceanside by the Stoke for Life Foundation and the U.S. Open ASC Competition Committee.

Last year 96 adaptive athletes from 18 countries from around the world competed, and this year it should be bigger than ever!

You can find more info, plus the U.S. Open Adaptive Surfing Championships daily schedule, by clicking here.

Today during a walk I spotted tents set up on the beach. I missed a special opening parade because I didn’t know about it. Near the pier I noticed workers getting everything ready at the announcer stand.

After walking out on the pier, I observed one of the athletes catching a wave while prone on a surfboard. He was practicing for the competition.

Good luck to everyone!

…

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!

Exhibit shows evolution of Hotel del Coronado.

Would you like to see an outstanding exhibition concerning the Hotel del Coronado?

The Jewel in Coronado’s Crown: Over a Century of Historic Preservation at the Hotel del Coronado can now be enjoyed at the Coronado Historical Association museum.

Numerous displays in the free museum show how the iconic Del was built in the late 1800s and has periodically evolved and expanded. Through old photographs and descriptions, visitors can observe how, over the past 137 years, preservation of the hotel’s unique heritage and architecture have remained a priority.

If you enjoy learning about the history of San Diego and Coronado, this exhibition is a must see.

A little of what you’ll find, including a detailed timeline…

The Victorian beach resort was designed by architect James W. Reid and debuted as one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. With 399 rooms, it was the world’s largest hotel resort. The Del made history as the first hotel to have electric lighting.

The charming architecture’s complexity and asymmetry help make the Hotel del Coronado one of California’s most recognizable and cherished landmarks.

Luxury and elegance. Since 1888, presidents, world leaders and celebrities have enjoyed staying at the Del, along with tourists vacationing by the beach in our sunny, temperate Southern California climate.

Postcards, menus and more ephemera are displayed.

Many historical photographs in the exhibit document how the hotel has changed and expanded as time rolls on.

The beautiful Coronation Window was finally moved to a prominent position viewable from both inside and outside the hotel.

This exquisite fresco was revealed by workers removing a low ceiling in the Ocean Ballroom.

A recent lobby renovation has made the Victorian hotel’s interior entrance lighter and even more attractive.

In San Diego? Enjoy a walk through and around the Hotel del Coronado, and experience its magnificence yourself!

…

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!