Hello San Diego!
Welcome to the latest edition of the San Diego Participant Observer Newsletter! Our recipe of the month is for Poulet au Vinaigre (French Vinegar Chicken), a lovely dish that is easy to prepare and boasts a sauce that is exquisitely tasty! Our book of the month is Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard by the acclaimed Indian author Kiran Desai. And our international music CD of the month is Journey to the Steppes by Turkmen dutar master Oghlan Bakhshi, who non-coincidentally is performing next Friday for the Center for World Music's concert at the La Jolla Community Center!
Lots going on in San Diego this week and next. The Japanese Friendship Garden's annual Cherry Blossom Festival got underway yesterday and will continue through Sunday. The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival is tomorrow (Saturday). The House of Ireland will host their Annual St. Patrick's Day Lawn Program on Sunday. Also on Sunday, the San Diego Iranian School will host their annual Nowruz Celebration to ring in spring.
San Diego is also alive with music and dance! Tonight and Saturday, the WinterWorks dance show at UCSD's Mandell Weiss Forum will feature the works of three different choreographers. Saturday and Sunday at the California Center for the Arts, Motown the Groove that Changed America returns spotlighting classic Motor City tunes. Mexican pop star Peso Pluma will perform at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre on Saturday. Mega-group Gipsy Kings will perform at Sycuan on Saturday. Escondido Choral Arts will present An Irish Spring – Music of the Heart concert on Sunday. On Monday, Villa Montezuma Museum will host a program they call Songs of the Ancient World. Tuesday, at the California Center for the Arts, Highland Way will perform with the dancers from Rose Academy of Irish Dance. On Wednesday, Indian Carnatic singer KS Resmi and her trio will perform at Mesa College. Also on Wednesday, there will be an Iranian Music presentation at the San Carlos Library. Next Friday, the Primavera Fest at the Babylon Palace Banquet Hall will feature 12 Latin grupos. Also next Friday, Turkmen dutar master Oghlan Bakhshi will perform at the La Jolla Community Center. As always, the Center for World Music is offering a discount to our readers for the performance. Just use the code WVP10 when purchasing your tickets!
Cross-culturally infused theater is alive and well in San Diego with Somewhere Over the Border at "The Joan" in Liberty Station, The Book of Will at La Mesa's Lamplighters Community Theatre, the musical Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 at the Theatre for Young Professionals, The Recipe at the La Jolla Playhouse, Hedda Gabler at the Old Globe, SIX (Teen Edition) at Canyon Crest Academy, and Vignettes: Stories from the Latina Experience at New Village Arts this Sunday and next Sunday.
Friday and Sunday at the Digital Gym, German Kino Currents will screen the film From Hilde, With Love. We are all super excited about the 2026 San Diego Latino Film Festival, which opens on Wednesday. Films and events will take place at the Mission Valley AMC and Media Arts Center's own Digital Gym in East Village. On Wednesday, the Ukrainian film Mavka, The True Myth will screen at the UltraStar in Hazard Center. Next Thursday, at La Paloma, the Italian Film Festival will present the film C’è ancora domani (There's Still Tomorrow).
Other worthy and embraceable events around San Diego include two comedy shows, Brincos Dieras tonight and Cristela Alonzo tomorrow at Balboa Theater, a German Flea Market at the Hall of Nations in Balboa Park on Saturday, the Unrolling Paradise textiles exhibit at the California Center for the Arts on Saturday, and next Thursday's exhibit of works by Italian surrealist painter Aladino Ghioni at Petra Stone.
Lastly, the Worldview Project, which produces this newsletter every week (and does lots of other stuff too!), is a non-profit organization. Supporting cross-cultural awareness, understanding, and engagement has never been more critical than it is now. As you may have noticed, we don't annoy you with advertisements or constant fundraising appeals. But we need your support to continue to do what we do. In particular, we are seeking our readers' help in funding the further development of our Cultures in the Classroom™ curriculum project to inspire children to connect with and appreciate the wonder of cultures around the world. You can show your support by clicking on the "Donate to the WVP" button above and making a tax-deductible donation to the WVP. No donation is too small— even a dollar would be appreciated!
Cross-Cultural Events in the Next Two Weeks:
Festivals, celebrations, and community events: Cherry Blossom Festival • St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival • House of Ireland Lawn Program • ISSD Nowruz Celebration • SDUSD Indian Ed Youth & Social Powwow • Fangaea 2026 • House of Iran Lawn Program • Soirée en Egypte. Music and/or dance performances: WinterWorks • Motown, the Groove that Changed America • Peso Pluma • Gipsy Kings • Irish Traditional Storytelling Music • Songs of the Ancient World • Highland Way featuring Rose Academy of Irish Dance • KS Resmi South Indian Carnatic Music Trio • Iranian Music Presentation • Oghlan Bakshi • Primavera Fest • Ticitozaá Folklorico Dance Festival • Gypsy Jazz & Brazilian Choro • Enjambre • 19th Annual Indian Music & Dance Festival • Kourosh Taghavi. Interesting talks around town: Excavating Southern California’s Lost City. Film festivals and special movie screenings: From Hilde, With Love • 33rd San Diego Latino Film Festival • Mavka, The True Myth • C’è ancora domani (There's Still Tomorrow) • Rapito (Kidnapped). Books and literature lovers are sure to enjoy: RefugeeNet Story Fest. Local theatrical productions: Somewhere Over the Border • Musical: Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 • The Recipe • The Book of Will • Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler • SIX! (Teen Edition) • Vignettes, Stories from the Latina Experience • Opera: Giulio Cesare • Opera: Carmen. Visual Arts events: Exhibit: Unrolling Paradise • Art Exhibition: Aladino Ghioni. Comedy performances: Brincos Dieras • Cristela Alonzo. Other notable events: German Flea Market • Performance: Doodle POP • Workshop: Sword Casting Class • Soirée en Egypte: Music & Flavors of Egypt .
Everyone here at the
San Diego Participant Observer and the
Worldview Project wish you fulfilling, illuminating, and culturally-rich experiences in the days ahead. See you next week!
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