Balboa Park Celebrates Its 150th Anniversary!
We are in LOVE with Balboa Park and couldn’t be happier to help it celebrate 150 years as San Diego’s most beautiful park, this Saturday May 26th!
Festivities include a busy schedule of lectures, a parade, a butterfly release, food trucks, and more! The Prado is also partnering with the Balboa Park Conservancy to host a very special Balboa Park Anniversary Dinner served in front of the park’s Botanical Garden in a beautiful outdoor setting.
History
On May 26, 1868, the City of San Diego’s Board of Trustees passed a resolution to set aside 1,400 acres just north of “New Town” (present-day downtown San Diego) for a large park space. Originally dubbed “City Park,” it made San Diego only the second city in the United States to dedicate a large park after New York City’s 1858 establishment of Central Park. And we are so glad they did!
Fiesta Botanica
The second annual Fiesta Botanica, a celebration of Balboa Park’s plants and gardens, will be at the center of the anniversary celebration activities. Kicking off the historic day’s festivities at 10:00 a.m. will be the colorful floral wagon parade. The parade will be followed by a full day of lectures, gardening demonstrations, kids activities, and tours showcasing the park’s rich horticultural history.
This year’s floral extravaganza will feature live entertainment by music prodigy Carmen Murray and her jazz trio, the venerable San Diego City Guard Band, the feel-good kids entertainer Kathryn the Grape, and special performances on the Spreckels Organ by Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez.
Families will be treated to four butterfly releases and kids activities in Zoro Garden, and more than a dozen food trucks will be on hand to serve hungry visitors. In addition, expert guides will lead tours of Balboa Park’s gardens, trees, and historic landscaping, and free lectures will address the history of the park and its gardens.
Don’t miss this unique event celebrating one of San Diego’s most historic sites!
See you there!
