San Salvador Sailing Adventure – a 4 hour sail aboard the San Salvador – The San Salvador is a replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s ship that arrived at the port we now call San Diego on September 28, 1542. This 4 hour Sailing Adventures are for people who love history and sailing. Very few people have sailed aboard Galleons of the sixteenth century and these day sails will offer the public a chance to be aboard the magnificent galleon, the San Salvador.
Sailings occur on Saturday mornings at 11:30 AM with tickets ranging from $49.00 to $99.00. Sailing dates are based upon availability of volunteers. You can check on the most current status by clicking here and selecting the San Salvador Sailing Adventure. San Salvador Sailing Adventure tickets include museum admission. You can check-in as early as 9:00 am, enjoy the Museum before or after your sail.
Fourth of July Celebrations
The Big Bay Boom – On July 4th, San Diego’s North Bay known as The Big Bay will light up with a spectacular fireworks display orchestrated to originally produced music selections. Given the natural amphitheater from Point Loma to Shelter Island to Harbor Island to Liberty Station to Little Italy to the North Embarcadero to Seaport Village and the South Embarcadero to the Coronado Ferry Landing, the “show” will capture the attention of hundreds of thousands of people. This is the largest annual event in the western United States with over 500,000 people viewing the show. Click here to see more.
House of Spain, Balboa Park – Saturday July 1, Sunday July 2 and Tuesday July 4 .This event is open from 12 Noon until 4 PM and celebrates the independence of the Unites States of America and the role Spain played in its establishment. The House of Spain, Casa de España, in San Diego is a non-political, non-sectarian, non-profit organization, which endeavors to foster and cultivate traditions from Spain, and to contribute, maintain and enhance the spirit of understanding, tolerance and goodwill among all the national groups residing in the city of San Diego by presenting the history and culture of Spain. As such, the House of Spain, Casa de España in San Diego adheres, without reservations, to the principles of the House of Pacific Relations. Click here to go to the House of Spain website.
USS Bennington (PG-4) Memorial Service – July 22 takes place at 11:00 AM at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. By way of background, on January 7, 1908 a large crowd gathered at the Fort Rosecrans Post cemetery to dedicate a 60-foot tall granite obelisk erected to the memory of the 66 sailors killed on July 21, 1905 in a boiler explosion aboard the USS Bennington while anchored in San Diego Bay. The obelisk is composed of 74 slabs of San Diego County granite roughly dressed and capped by a pyramid of polished granite. The principal address was delivered by Rear Admiral Goodrich, who was the Commander of the Pacific Squadron at the time of the explosion. During this year’s memorial service, a grand-nephew of Admiral Goodrich, Don Farnam, will read excerpts from the Admiral’s speech delivered at the dedication of the Bennington Monument in 1908.
Background information about the connection between San Diego, the Revolutionary War Battle at Bennington, VT, and the USS Bennington (PG-4) is available by clicking here.
Cabrillo Festival – September 30, 2017 between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm at Ballast Point, the site where Cabrillo came ashore in 1542.
Be a part of history and welcome 16th century explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo as he steps ashore on Ballast Point on for the annual Cabrillo Festival. The event is free and food will be available for purchase.
Sailing under the Spanish flag and taking those first steps onto what is now Ballast Point, Cabrillo became the first European to set foot on the west coast of what would become the United States of America.
The Cabrillo Festival is a fun event for the entire family, with educational activities, cultural demonstrations, and exciting folkloric performances. Brightly colored clothing and dramatic music and dancing bring to life the traditions of the Native American, Mexican, Portuguese, and Spanish cultures that are part of the Age of Exploration.
The Festival features booths with traditional foods, and cultural artisans will showcase their wares. You will also be able to view a display of Kumeyaay hunting and fishing artifacts and visit 16th Century Spanish soldiers living in a historical encampment.
The highlight of the Festival is the re-enactment of Cabrillo’s landing on Ballast Point beginning at 1:00 PM. Cabrillo, his soldiers, and a priest sail into the bay on the San Salvador (represented by the Californian), and once again claim the land for Spain. For more information click here to visit the official Cabrillo Festival website.