Tag: weekend

So many colorful events today in Balboa Park!

What is a photographer to do? There were so many colorful events going on today in Balboa Park, I drained my camera’s battery trying to capture it all!

I’ve already blogged about the San Diego Heart & Stroke Walk, the Master Gardeners Plant Sale, art activities at the Exchange Pavilion, and a performance by San Diego Yosakoi!

I have yet to share my photos of today’s CleanUp Kitsune event, and classes provided by the San Diego Museum of Art. Stay tuned for that!

But what should I do with various photographs of other events? I’ll share them now!

These first few photos were taken at the International Cottages. Balboa Park’s four Latin Houses (House of Colombia, House of Mexico, House of Panama and House of Spain) would celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a colorful lawn program.

I walked through before the event began in earnest…

When I walked past the Old Globe theatre complex, I noticed people were setting up for this evening’s Globe Gala 2024…

Over at the Municipal Gymnasium, the San Diego Senior Games were underway! Food awaited the athletes outside. Inside, the basketballs were flying!

The weekly Saturday greyhound walk passed by…

Some friendly guys dressed as superheroes were participating in the CleanUp Kitsune parkwide litter pick up activity. I’m hoping to receive additional photographs. I’ll blog about it tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, Balboa Park’s usual cultural wonderfulness was to be seen everywhere!

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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 X.

Another wild and crazy Saturday at Comic-Con!

Huge crowds–crowds so humungous and dense that a body can barely move! Sudden celebrity sightings! Amazing cosplay absolutely everywhere! Uninhibited creativity run amok! It must be another Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con!

Comic-Con 2024 has come roaring back after several difficult years due to COVID and a writers strike. This year it seems like nothing had happened at all. Practically everyone loves Comic-Con and San Diego is fortunate to host such a wildly popular and simply wonderful international event.

As someone who traveled to San Diego from out-of-state told me (after asking for directions to the convention center): this is nerd heaven!

Yes, I had to walk outside Comic-Con a couple times today, to experience the wild and crazy atmosphere. I took some photos of what I happened to run across, including one very famous actress out in the crowd!

Enjoy!

Wall to wall humanity behind the San Diego Convention Center.

Here comes Emilia Clarke off the IMDb Boat, leading actress in Game of Thrones!

Just walking along…

Looks like they’re taking a break.

Ranch dressing cosplay. You don’t see this every day.

Yes, if you don’t like crowds, this might not be for you!

The Incredible Hulk flexes for a photo!

A street musician.

Looks like the chef has emerged from Tacos El Gordo.

Spidey.

I can’t recognize about half the cosplays, sadly. Perhaps you can help me with this one.

A typical sight in the Gaslamp on the Saturday of Comic-Con.

Chainsaw Man cools down in the shade.

An arrival from a galaxy far, far away…

Those MTS workers at the trolley station have a front row seat to the Comic-Con craziness!

Happily promoting Grim Death.

Cosplay of Lucifer Morningstar from Hazbin Hotel.

Sword and shield at the ready!

Don’t ask me. I’m keeping my distance.

Oh, nooo! A mutant-seeking Sentinel has arrived. All those Wolverines now in San Diego better watch their back!

Phew! Doctor Strange has sent the Sentinel away using powerful magic.

These crazed Psycho guys have been hanging around Comic-Con all week. Someone should send them back to the Borderlands.

How sweet!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

Photos of 12th Annual East Village Block Party!

The 12th Annual East Village Block Party is being held today along several blocks of J Street, just north of Petco Park. The event, usually held on the San Diego Padres opening weekend, was originally scheduled for March 20, but rainy weather that day caused a postponement. In 2024 it’s a summer block party!

I walked along J Street late this morning to absorb some of the festive atmosphere. Many of San Diego’s other sports teams were present. There was music and art and lots of smiling Padres fans. And there was a ton of food, too!

If you read this in time, you might head down to the East Village Block Party before it ends at 4:30 pm. It takes place on J Street between 7th and 10th Avenue.

A sunny day in San Diego’s East Village.

Kid has fun at San Diego Legion rugby challenge.

Special shout out to the San Diego Mojo professional volleyball team. I won a cool t-shirt!

One of many smiles! That Topo Chico sparkling mineral water was great!

Peter Seidler in an awesome Padres baseball spray paint mural created by @dyseoneclothing, @hasler.88 and @bigchill8825.

A blessed smile at the East Village Block Party in San Diego!

Providing block party music!

Lots of Padres merchandise could be found.

Larry Turner, candidate for San Diego Mayor, smiles for a photo!

More smiles!

A fine Saturday in downtown San Diego.

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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 X.

Wooden Boat Festival this Father’s Day weekend!

Looking for something great to do this coming Father’s Day weekend? The 33rd Annual Wooden Boat Festival is taking place next Saturday and Sunday on Shelter Island!

Sons, daughters and fathers will enjoy exploring dozens of beautiful wooden vessels, large and small, docked at the Koehler Kraft boat building company. There will be a wide array of incredible vintage wooden boats that have been beautifully maintained and restored.

It’s the premier event of its kind in Southern California. Visitors will be able to board many of the wooden craft and be awed by the fine craftsmanship.

I enjoyed the festival seven years ago and took these photographs.

Tickets are very affordable and kids are about half price, so you can bring the whole family. There will be artists, live music, food and raffles, and all proceeds from the event go to benefit the Sea Scouts.

Visit the Wooden Boat Festival website here to learn more!

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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 X.

San Diego Cactus and Succulent event this weekend!

The San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society’s big annual Summer Show and Sale takes place this weekend!

Vendors and members of the society were setting up at the Casa del Prado in Balboa Park this afternoon. In addition to cacti and succulents, visitors this Saturday and Sunday can check out gardening information, art, crafts, and perhaps purchase something beautiful for their home!

I happened to be walking through the Casa del Prado’s outdoor courtyard when I saw the long tables full of potted plants that will be for sale. I then peeked into Room 101 where the show will take place.

To see the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society’s web page concerning their 2024 Summer Show and Sale, click 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 X.

Tour the new River Center at Grant Park!

The public has a special opportunity to tour the new River Center at Grant Park this Saturday. The amazing nature center beside the San Diego River in Mission Valley is currently under construction. Completion is scheduled for this summer. The goal is to have 10,000 students connecting with nature each year in the River Center’s unique outdoor classroom!

Saturday’s family tour is one activity of many during the San Diego River Park Foundation’s annual River Days event. Other activities along the river through this weekend include gardening, clean ups, wildlife hikes and bird walks.

To view a listing of all the free River Days activities in 2024, click 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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Chula Vista celebrates San Diego FC!

It’s obvious that many in Chula Vista are looking forward to the debut season of San Diego FC next year. Huge crowds have come out today for the San Diego FC Chrome Ball Tour stop in downtown Chula Vista!

As the free street festival opened, soccer games were already underway up and down Third Avenue. Kids, adults, even the Chula Vista Fire Department and Police Department would participate in hard fought competition!

I walked about shortly after noon, as people were arriving from every direction for the event. I took some photographs while checking out games, lowriders, vendors and enthusiastic San Diego FC supporters. Entertainment including live music and a fashion show on the big stage hadn’t begun yet, nor the Lucha Libre wrestling exhibition, which would start in the evening.

Thumbs up! La Masia SD is a very successful local soccer team. Many of its past players have gone on to play professionally at different levels!

Paul Jimenez of Ground Floor Murals prepares a big canvas for some live spray paint art. I didn’t hang around the event long enough to see its progress.

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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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Jokes, Jazz, and Razzmatazz in City Heights!

Looking for something fun to do in San Diego this weekend? Head over to City Heights both Saturday and Sunday for the premier of Jokes, Jazz, and Razzmatazz!

The Jokes, Jazz and Razzmatazz multimedia art installation is opening at the City Heights Culture Atelier. The Atelier is a new cultural center in City Heights where local artists collaborate in the development of personal and collective works. (Perhaps you recall seeing my photos of their Beyond the Anthropocene installation last year.)

The event includes an artist reception, stand-up comedy show and live Jazz! The art, music, and comedy experience will be spontaneous and unpredictable . . . a razzle-dazzle razzmatazz!

The Atelier is located at 4425 Home Avenue, at the intersection of Home Avenue and Fairmount Avenue (the Columbus Club of San Diego building).

The free event welcomes the public both today and tomorrow starting at 2 pm. See the graphic above for the schedule!

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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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Family Discovery Day at Spreckels Organ Pavilion!

An awesome musical event was enjoyed today at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park!

Family Discovery Day brought together seven outstanding local college bands, a pair of organizations that promote musical education, and a table full of instruments that the public was invited to play!

The bands participating in the epic three hour concert included: the Southwestern College Concert Band; the California State University San Marcos Concert Band; Point Loma Nazarene University; the San Diego State University Symphonic Band; the Cuyamaca College Concert Band; the University of San Diego Concert Band; and the Grossmont College Concert Band. Some of the pieces were conducted by students!

San Diego Civic Organist Raul Prieto Ramirez, when not introducing these excellent student bands, also performed beautifully on the famous Spreckels Organ.

I stayed for about an hour and was impressed by the fine musicianship. Complicated pieces were played with ease and precision. I really enjoyed SDSU’s fantastic, haunting Angels in the Architecture, by Frank Ticheli.

SDSU also provided the musical instruments that could be tried by curious kids to one side of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

That’s Raul Prieto Ramirez on the left. Not only is he a world class organist, he’s a super cool guy! He’s working to expand the reach of the incredible Spreckels Organ and one of San Diego’s most amazing concert venues.

Music Discovery is a two year program of the San Diego Youth Symphony for young children, with classes at Liberty Station or Balboa Park.

Music produces smiles!

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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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Gravity-defying dancers at UC San Diego!

An incredible performance by gravity-defying dancers was enjoyed this afternoon at UC San Diego during the La Jolla Playhouse’s 2024 WOW Festival!

Dangling high in the air, the BANDALOOP vertical dancers wowed a big crowd watching from below, near UCSD’s new Epstein Family Amphitheater. The dancers floated down from the roof of the multi-story Design and Innovation Building to whale song and watery music in a graceful ballet that made everyone ooh and ahh.

The dancers whirled, flew, even crawled like Spider-Man on the building’s side–it was anything but ordinary!

The Without Walls Festival quick guide describes Downstream (tributaries) as a “mix of dance and climbing technology guided by impermanence, wisdom and the memory of shared waterways.”

As you can see from my photos, the BANDALOOP performers were absolutely incredible. Just imagine the physical strength, steadiness and courage that is required for such a high-flying dance!

Personally, I really liked how the dancers’ shadows and reflections in windows danced right along with them!

To see the La Jolla Playhouse WOW Festival programming for tomorrow, Sunday, click 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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!