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Culture of San Diego facts for kids

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The culture of San Diego, California is a cool mix of American and Mexican influences. This is because San Diego is right on the border with Mexico. It also has a lot of people with Hispanic backgrounds. Plus, it used to be part of Spanish America and then Mexico.

San Diego has also been connected to the U.S. military for a long time. This adds another special part to its culture. Today, San Diego is full of fun historical places and tourist spots. It has a great music and theater scene, many exciting events, and yummy food. It's also known as one of the best places in America for craft beer.

Little Italy SD Street Art
A street painting festival in San Diego's Little Italy.

Fun Things to Do in San Diego

San Diego has lots of attractions that make it a popular place to visit. These include famous spots like SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo, and the San Diego Wild Animal Park. There's also Legoland nearby.

You can see San Diego's Spanish past in many historic places. These include the Mission San Diego de Alcala, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, and Balboa Park.

San Diego's food scene is very diverse. You can find delicious wood-fired pizzas, amazing Mexican food, and tasty East Asian dishes.

Some big yearly events in San Diego are Comic-Con, the San Diego/Del Mar Fair, and the Street Scene Music Festival.

San Diego's Military History

San Diego has been a military city for over 100 years. You can still see this history today. There are places like the USS Midway Museum and Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. These spots honor the city's military past.

Each year, San Diego celebrates its military with events like Fleet Week and the Miramar Air Show.

Delicious Food in San Diego

San Diego has a huge variety of foods because of its many different cultures. You can find Mexican, Italian, French, Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese, Greek, German, Indian, and Middle Eastern foods. There are also lots of seafood restaurants and steakhouses.

Because San Diego is so close to Mexico, it has many real Mexican restaurants. You can find local dishes, border foods, and fancy meals.

San Diego's sunny weather and ocean access make it great for fishing. It's also good for growing fruits and vegetables. The city used to be a big center for the tuna industry. This means it has a lot of fresh seafood.

Many popular restaurants are in areas like the Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy, La Jolla, Hillcrest, and Old Town.

Local Food Specialties

Here are some special foods you can find in San Diego:

  • Mexican dishes like carne asada, street tacos, California burritos, fish tacos, enchiladas, carne asada fries, and ceviche.
  • Wood-fired, California-style pizza.
  • Many kinds of Southeast Asian foods.
  • All sorts of fresh seafood.
  • Local wines from areas like San Pasqual Valley.
  • Hard and sweet apple cider, and Julian apple pie from the mountains near Julian.
  • Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. These include avocados, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, oranges, lemons, strawberries, and apples.

Several well-known restaurant chains started in San Diego. These include Jack in the Box (1951), Pat & Oscar's (1991), Souplantation (1978), and Rubio's (1983).

San Diego's Craft Beer Scene

Fish taco-1
A delicious fish taco, a San Diego specialty.

San Diego County is famous for its craft beer. It has over 100 local brewpubs and microbreweries. Some people even call San Diego "America's craft beer capital."

Men's Journal magazine listed San Diego as one of the "Top Five Beer Towns in the U.S." The Full Pint website said San Diego is "one of the country's premier craft beer destinations."

San Diego brewers have created new beer styles, like the American Double India Pale Ale (Double IPA). Three breweries in San Diego County are often ranked among the top 10 in the world: AleSmith Brewing Company, Pizza Port/Port Brewing Company/Lost Abbey, and Stone Brewing Co..

The first new local brewery in San Diego was the Karl Strauss Brewing Company, which opened in 1989. Later, breweries like Port, Stone, and Alesmith helped the craft beer scene grow even more. Stone is now the largest local brewer.

Every year, San Diego celebrates its beer culture with events like San Diego Beer Week in November. There are also many local craft beer festivals.

Arts and Entertainment

San Diego has a growing art scene. In Little Italy, "Kettner Nights" lets you see art and design shows in stores and galleries on certain Friday nights. "Ray at Night" in North Park has small art galleries open on the second Saturday of each month. La Jolla and nearby Solana Beach also have many art galleries.

Museums and Science Centers

Several art museums are in Balboa Park. These include the San Diego Museum of Art, the Timken Gallery, and the Museum of Photographic Arts. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) is in La Jolla and has another location downtown.

Balboa Park is home to many museums and gardens. You can visit the Museum of Man, the San Diego Natural History Museum, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, and the San Diego Air & Space Museum. The San Diego Children's Museum is located downtown.

Near San Diego Bay, in the Columbia district, you can find the Star of India and other old ships at the San Diego Maritime Museum. There's also the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum, which is a huge ship you can explore.

Music and Theater

The San Diego Symphony performs regularly. The San Diego Opera is one of the top 10 opera companies in the U.S. Other music groups include the San Diego Master Chorale and the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus. You can also hear free organ concerts at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. It has the world's largest outdoor pipe organ!

San Diego has a lively local music scene. Many rock bands started here in the 1990s, like Three Mile Pilot and Rocket From the Crypt.

The Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park has been putting on plays and musicals for over 70 years. The La Jolla Playhouse at UCSD also creates new shows. Both theaters have had plays and musicals that went on to win Tony Awards on Broadway.

Other theater groups include the San Diego Repertory Theatre and the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. There are also many smaller theater groups that put on shows throughout the year.

Cool Places to Visit

Dolphin jumping
A dolphin jumping at SeaWorld.

Here are some exciting places to check out in San Diego:

Yearly Events

  • Asian Film Festival
  • Carnevale, a fun mask and costume event in Little Italy
  • Comic-Con
  • Farmers Insurance Open Golf Tournament at Torrey Pines Golf Course
  • Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium
  • Jewish Film Festival
  • ¡Latin Food Fest!
  • Italian Motorsport Show in Little Italy
  • Over-the-line at Fiesta Island
  • Parade of Lights on San Diego Bay in December
  • Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium
  • Street Scene Music Festival

Images for kids

  • Little Italy, San Diego, CA 92101, USA - panoramio (15)

    Little Italy, San Diego

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