Arbor Day Celebration Video

Click here to view a fabulous video of our recent Arbor Day Celebration produced by San Diego High School’s web design students!

Annual Friends of Balboa Park Awards Luncheon October 30, 2012

“Santa” receives an Inspiration Award from Councilman Todd Gloria

Our 12th Annual Friends of Balboa Park Luncheon was held at the Balboa Park Club on Tuesday, October 30. To view the event photos, click here.

This year we honored Patrons of the Prado and the House of Pacific Relations/International Cottages for our Millennium Award honor for their years of service and philanthropy in the park.

Five volunteers from organizations in the Park received Inspiration Awards on the basis of their contribution of community service to the Park or to one or more of the Park’s organizations. Our congratulations to:

• Jane Cowgill – San Diego History Center and The Old Globe
• Betsy Gardner – San Diego Junior Theatre
• Kay Harry – San Diego Floral Association
• Mary Toomey – San Diego Natural History Museum
• William Swank – Community Christmas Center

We thank all of you who attended and especially our underwriters and sponsors!

Balboa Park Family Activity Guide Now Available!

The Family Guide is designed with YOU in mind!  We hope you will stay longer and play more by doing these activities while visiting Balboa Park with your family.  There are activities for nine museums and twelve outdoor areas in Balboa Park.  Have fun exploring the museums and free outdoor gardens.  For some of the activities you will need a pencil, but for all of them you will definitely need your wonderful imagination.  The guide is a project of the Informal Curriculum Experience (I.C.E.) sub-committee of the Balboa Park Educators’ Council (BPEC).  Printed copies will be available at the Visitors Center, thanks to support from Balboa Park Central.  Have fun, be creative, and PLAY!  Click here to download a complete guide.

Friends of Balboa Park photo gallery

Check out our photo gallery to view photos from our past events including:

• Friends of Balboa Park Annual Awards Luncheon 2012
• Rotarians at Work Day April 2012
• Arbor Day April 2012
• 6th Ave. Playground Ribbon Cutting March 2012
• Poinsettia Party and Display Dec 2011
• Millennium Awards Luncheon Oct 2011
• Fall Park & Rec. Picnic Oct 2011
• Kiosk Dedication and Party Sept 2011

Plaza de Panama Update

On  July 9, by a vote of 6-1, the City Council approved the plan to remove cars from the Plaza de Panama.  For more information on the project, please visit the official website of the Plaza de Panama project.

Tapestry of Time now available online!

Enjoy stories written in this rich history of Balboa Park as told through people’s memories of Balboa Park from the Expositions in 1915 and 1935.  The stories were collected and published by Betty and Homer Peabody in 1997 in a volume entitled “Tapestries of Time.”  If you would like to contribute a memory or story of Balboa Park in the early days, please send to our office:  info@friendsofbalboapark.org.  We will add to our online collection.  The stories are organized by last name of the contributing authors.  Click here to download Tapestries of Time.

Postcard courtesy of David Marshall

Balboa Park Task Force Final Report

Regarding the Formation of a New Public Benefit Non-Profit Corporation & the Creation of a Public Private Partnership with the City of San Diego to Assist with Funding, Management, and Governance of Balboa Park. Click here.