San Diego band 8 Track Highway filled Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion with classic 70s and 80s rock ‘n roll music this evening, and the concert was free! Do you know about the concert series Twilight in the Park?
During the summer, Tuesday through Thursday, a wide variety of musical performers entertain all comers for free up on the stage of the historic Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Concerts last one hour, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
It’s the 45th anniversary of Twilight in the Park. Can you believe it? They’re providing 28 concerts this year–right through the end of August.
Offerings include everything from Jazz to Blues to Zydeco to Classic Country to Musicals to Oldies to Funk, to songs by the Beatles, the Pretenders, Santana and much more! You can see the upcoming schedule (and perhaps help them out with a donation) by clicking here.
This year Twilight in the Park is partnering with Save Starlight, the organization working to revitalize the Starlight Bowl amphitheater in Balboa Park. Their mission is to repurpose San Diego’s abandoned historic Starlight Bowl, restoring and modernizing the facility under community collaboration into an inclusive and innovative interaction of arts, culture, and education for all.
With the help of the San Diego community, Save Starlight has been making progress toward their goal.
I’ve supported the organization over the years. I have great memories of the Starlight Bowl from my youth.
One way you can help revive the Starlight Bowl is by becoming a Legacy Donor. Among other perks, you’ll get a personalized star on the Walk of Fame and a commemorative plaque on the Donor Wall! And you’ll help bring one of San Diego’s most iconic outdoor venues back to life!
To learn more about Save Starlight and many different opportunities, visit their website here!
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San Diego Wave FC held their 2026 Season kick-off rally this evening in Balboa Park! A bunch of fans came together at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion to root for the team and make great memories!
Activations around the pavilion included unique giveaways, a merchandise station, kids activity station, and numerous photo ops. The San Diego Sirens independent supporters group was present. So was Forever Balboa Park. Upbeat music gave the event a fun, festival vibe.
When the players filed into the pavilion around 5:30, everyone cheered! The players would then pose for photos with fans at the different stations, and even autograph posters and clothing before photos were taken.
I saw many families. Young ladies were particularly excited to see their sports idols.
San Diego Wave FC is celebrating their fifth year. They’ll have their Home Opener in several days at Snapdragon Stadium.
The club made the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs last year. Hopefully in 2026 they’ll have even more success!
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A KPBS film crew was in Balboa Park this afternoon. Why? Up on the stage of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, three San Diego musicians were performing for a series now in development by KPBS!
The local musicians were Divina Jasso, James Spaite and Shua. I listened to the first two. They had amazing voices. These photographs show Divina Jasso.
I was told that the music series, whose official name is not yet determined, will be available on the podcast The Finest. Here’s the link to The Finest. Videos of these performances will also be available on YouTube and elsewhere in the future.
Right now, the nascent music series is operating a bit like a pop-up. Today’s performance was unannounced. The audience in Balboa Park simply walked up–like me!
Very cool!
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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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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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Who was that in Balboa Park today, rehearsing their upcoming December Nights rock concert? It was Organ-ism, the Organ Pavilion Rock Band!
People wandering through the park settled onto the pavilion’s benches to enjoy the awesome practice session. How does the Spreckels Organ sound when accompanied by drums and electric guitar? It rocks!
Funny how the huge Christmas tree on the stage was simultaneously being tested, opening and shutting for no apparent reason. The tree will be more central to other traditional December Nights performances.
The free rock concert will be held on Friday, December 5th at 4:00 p.m. in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. The music? Classic rock favorites!
If you enjoy holiday music, you’ll want to take a seat in the pavilion on Saturday, December 6th at 2:40 pm. That’s when San Diego Civic Organist, Raul Prieto Ramírez, will perform holiday and all-time favorites.
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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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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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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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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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It’s November 9th. It’s still considered early November, right? In any event, I enjoyed a fun and very unique walk through Balboa Park today.
I found evidence Veterans Day is almost here–now just two days.
Before we know it, Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season will be here, too!
Enjoy some photos of interesting sights…
First up, the San Diego Potters’ Guild was having their Semiannual Patio Show in Spanish Village Art Center this weekend. While people watched, one guild artist was demonstrating the use of a potter’s wheel.
Next, some photos of the badly deteriorated Convair Sea Dart mounted in front of the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
Time is running out to see this very rare, experimental supersonic seaplane. It’s going to be replaced in front of the museum by an F-14A Tomcat fighter jet, as soon as the latter is restored at the museum’s annex near Gillespie Field.
The replacement won’t be just any ordinary F-14A, either. It will be the very plane used in the filming of Top Gun: Maverick!
Next, the free two o’clock Sunday concert at the Spreckel’s Organ Pavilion was a Veterans Day Celebration.
San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez played Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, various rousing John Philip Sousa marches, the United States Armed Forces Medley, and, yes, some good old Bach.
Toward the end of my walk, I stumbled upon something rather unique! A row of chess boards was set up in the Plaza de Panama, and a Chess Grandmaster, Two-Time National Champion was competing against multiple random people at one time!
I learned the Chess Grandmaster is also candidate Patrick Wolff, who is running for California Insurance Commissioner. His people were filming the proceedings for their campaign’s social media.
This is something you don’t see every day!
Chet, who plays guitar in Balboa Park, was causing the Grandmaster to pause and think a long while!
Lastly, I saw the Old Globe’s Dr. Seuss Christmas tree was getting ready for its annual lighting this evening. I didn’t have a reservation for the free event, however. Maybe next year…
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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 X.
Very scary monsters were welcomed to Balboa Park today. The terrifying creatures were kindly helped onto the stage of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
Vampire, spiders, skeleton, spooky ghost–all will be entertaining a big crowd this evening.
The fearless humans who take the stage with these monsters will provide a Phantom of the Opera concert at 6:30 pm! (If you read this in time–today is Saturday, October 25th–perhaps you’ll have time to make the concert.)
Just some fun photos that I took during my afternoon walk through Balboa Park.
Enjoy!
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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 X.
