San Diego/Alcalá Sister Cities Society celebrated with great success our 7th annual Cervantes Festival on February 29th in Balboa Park.  Sincere appreciation and congratulations to all who contributed to this success with their energy and imagination.

We honored Alcalá de Henares’ favorite son, Miguel de Cervantes and his favorite son, Don Quijote de La Mancha, with a record number of well-prepared readers, including 2nd graders, our youngest group ever. We added a new language this year, American Sign Language, and even added a new banner! Our festival is more inclusive and diverse every year.

Well-organized and hard-working volunteers made it all possible and the delicious House of Spain paella and their volunteers, along with fun and lively Spanish music and dance, completed the day with a taste of Spain.

In order to entertain and teach our youngest guests about Alcalá and Spanish culture, they were invited to enjoy several activities designed especially for them:  Spanish dress-ups, painting Spanish flags and maps, drawing and painting scenes from Don Quijote, and

constructing greeting cards from photographs of Alcalá and beautiful fans.  They showed their love of paint by painting on paper, the table, the grass and even themselves!

The collaboration, goodwill and generosity of the members of our society, the students, their instructors and parents set an example of how our community comes together to celebrate our sister city, make friends, learn skills and have great fun, all centered around the love of a 17th Century Spanish writer and his gift to humanity.

SanDISCA Delegation visit to Tijuana

On Feb the 2nd, 2020 , Turista Libre gave a private tour of Tijuana to sandisca delegation from San Diego. San Diego- Tijuana sister city society hosted the day trip.

Brunch, music and fun are the flavor of the day this Saturday 25 January 2020, with the San Diego-Perth Sister City Society’s Australia Day in North Park celebration, in association with the San Diego Lions Australia Football Club.

Australia Day commemorates the landing of the First Fleet under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. The First Fleet entered Sydney Cove on January 26, 1788 with its cargo of convicts from Great Britain. The Union Jack was raised, and the new colony was formed under the Governorship if Captain Phillip.

The advent of the First Fleet’s arrival was officially acknowledged as Australia Day, or Founders Day, in 1804. Since that time, Australian’s have joined together in celebrating this national holiday. Australians around the world invite friends, family, and all, to raise a pint and enjoy the day.

In San Diego, the San Diego-Perth Sister City Society and the San Diego Lions would like to invite you to Celebrate the Day!. Please join us at the following venues:

Consul general Gutiérrez of Mexico in San Diego and Consul General Saarnio of US in Tijuana attended the SD-Tijuana sister city reception in honor of Ambassador Gutiérrez.  Border Angels’ youth teaching team in Tijuana and Mission Bay youth mambo orchestra were recognized with a certificate by Dr. Shahrzad Kamyab, President of San Diego-Tijuana sister city society.

Be a part of history as we welcome 16th century explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo as he steps ashore on Ballast Point, Saturday, September 28, 2019. Journey back to 1542 when Cabrillo, a navigator sailing under the flag of Spain, landed at San Diego, becoming the first European to land on the west coast of what is now the United States of America.

Please join us on the evening of August 20th, from 5pm to 8pm, at the Sycuan Cultural Center for an evening to hear and share about the Kumeyaay customs and traditions, which have been passed down through the generations and those that are maintained to the present day.

On view from May 18 through September 2, 2019, a world-class exhibit of Spanish art at the SD Museum of Art, called Art and Empire: The Golden Age of Spain. The exhibit includes not only Spanish art of the Peninsula but also of the Spanish Empire of the 16th and 17th Centuries. The curation is splendid! Please don´t miss this stunning and highly prized exhibit. The Museum has organized parallel activities around the exhibit including some fascinating lectures by experts in the field, zarzuelas and ballet in the rotunda of the Museum and this Friday evening, the Museum has organized activities on the steps of the Museum to celebrate Spain.

Presentation of a proclamation to Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum and designation of July 11, 2019 as City of Tijuana Day in the City of Chula Vista in recognition of its 130th anniversary .

The proclamation was presented by Mayor of City of Chula Vista, Mary Casillas Salas.  Dr. Shahrzad Kamyab, chair of the San Diego – Tijuana sister city met With the Mayor of Tijuana and congratulated him on behalf of Her association and SANDISCA.

Council Members of city of Chula Vista and Tijuana were also present.