Balboa Park in Spring: Lots to See & Lots to Do!

The Old Globe

Are you still feeling the hangover of the winter doldrums? Is it still in fact basically winter where you are? (We’ve been shuddering looking at some of the forecasts for other parts of the country—yikes!)

Well, allow us to unroll one giant and sunshiny welcome mat for you: an invitation to join us here at the Sofia Hotel in Downtown San Diego for a springtime visit to America’s Finest City! It happens to be a fabulous time to mark the vernal season over at one of San Diego’s signature landmarks, Balboa Park, which is just a short trip from our boutique hotel here on West Broadway.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the upcoming happenings in Balboa Park, one of the country’s great urban greenspaces.

Art Alive at the San Diego Museum of Art

One of the San Diego Art Museum’s signature fundraisers, Art Alive is back for its 38^th edition this April 12^th through the 14^th. Better than 100 floral creations bedeck the Balboa Park museum for this spectacular weekend installation, which draws thousands of visitors every year and never fails to impress. A whole slew of art workshops and other activities help mark the occasion as well.

Performances at the Old Globe Theatre

Among America’s top regional theaters, the Old Globe has been wowing Balboa Park audiences since the 1930s, and has launched more than a few Tony Award-winning plays and musicals that have gone on to Broadway. The current productions at the Old Globe include Life After, a musical about loss, grief, and love that runs through April 28^th, and They Promised Her the Moon, which tells the story of the aspiring female astronauts who trained in the shadow of the Mercury Seven.

Arts & Crafts—and Craft Beer—at the Spanish Village Art Center

On April 26^th, swing by Balboa Park’s Spanish Village Art Center to admire some gorgeous locally produced artwork and sip some of that world-famous San Diego craft beer! Arts & Craft puts on display (and sale) pieces from the Spanish Village Art Center’s 200-plus resident artists while pouring unlimited beer tastings from Automatic Brewing Co., Burning Beard Brewing, Boochcraft, and Mike Hess Brewing. You’ll also to get enjoy food courtesy of the Cohn Restaurant Group as well as live music and various hands-on art lessons.

Garden Blooms

Balboa Park’s also famous for more than a dozen varied gardens, and their blossomy spectacle and perfumery are sure to fill you with the spirit of spring. The Japanese Friendship Garden just hosted its 14^th annual Cherry Blossom Festival (which we recently wrote about here at the Sofia blog), but there’s plenty of blooming splendor to be seen there still, and meanwhile the rosebushes of the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Garden tend to put on their peak flower show this month and next. Don’t forget the homegrown glories of the California Native Plant Garden, either!

Give Yourself a Spring Escape in San Diego With a Home Base at the Sofia & a Daytrip or Two to Balboa Park

Now’s a wonderful time of year to take in the many attractions of the grand garden-scape of Balboa Park—and to call the Sofia Hotel your springtime headquarters here in Downtown San Diego. Have a look at our special packages to make your getaway all the more action-packed, and join us soon for some much-needed spring sunshine!