Some Holiday Lights in Carlsbad for 2024 We took a drive last night through the Ho Ho Highland neighborhood as it was getting dark to see all the Santas lit up…and one Grinch! Then we took some time to explore a few other areas to see what we could discover. Quite a number of homeowners had gone all out with decorations and light displays - far too many to photograph.  The display on 2695 Medford Court (feature photo and video below) was the most impressive with elaborate lighting and coordinated music. There was quite a crowd in their cars as well as in front of this home enjoying the show. It’s clearly very popular as there are multiple online references and YouTube videos. Here’s a short video I took. You can’t help but be impressed. Not only that but I looked up the public record an... 12/23/2024

Another Visit to Ho Ho Highland in Carlsbad A bunch of neighbors living along Highland Drive in Olde Carlsbad (just east of Carlsbad Village) celebrate the holiday season with large inflatable Santas at the front of their properties. You can’t miss them - there's one right at the corner of Highland and Carlsbad Village Drive (a major road) at the light. I was out running errands today and took another drive down Highland south of Carlsbad Village Drive. I only discovered them for the first time last year despite living in Carlsbad since 2005. I counted 30 of the large inflatable Santas along the 6 block drive I took but I believe there are more further down Highland and on the North side of Carlsbad Village Drive for a total of around 60. They are all pretty similar and I’d estimate mos... 12/18/2024

Carlsbad Village Holiday Window Decorating Contest Holiday events are in full swing in Carlsbad and it’s time once again for the Carlsbad Village Window Display Contest. Carlsbad residents will certainly recall the Holiday Window Display contest in Carlsbad Village from previous years. The Contest is sponsored by the Carlsbad Village Association and there are always some fabulous displays.  I’m not sure if ALL retailers participate but there is certainly a high percentage who do. Public voting online is on-going now through December 16th for the “People’s Choice Award.” The online ballot is on the Carlsbad Village Association website. A panel of judges will select the “Best Holiday Window for 2024,” and a group from the Carlsbad Boy’s and Girl’s Club will pick the “Kids Favorite Award” ... 12/11/2024

What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Market Report for November 2024 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to change, with shifts from October and 1 year ago. Private sales, mobile homes and multi-family housing are not included (the numbers are taken from the MLS and believed to be accurate as reported but are not guaranteed). Media market reports typically are very generalized. As a result they do not reflect local Carlsbad housing market conditions (read more - How Local IS Local?). Up-to-date information, and analysis, about local market conditions will benefit you when you want to make important buying and/or selling decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 64 homes sold in Carlsbad in November (92008, 92009, 92010 a... 12/04/2024

Thankful for our Cookie-Making Tradition We have a long-standing cookie-making tradition at Thanksgiving. It’s been going on for decades, and I have shared it before. After all, it’s tradition! Both daughters and their families (4 grandkids) will be with us this Thanksgiving and for cookie-making. Making Honey Lebkuchen has been a tradition on the maternal side of my wife’s family for several generations, and we started our own tradition when we first started dating. Other family members make them as well but ours are the best! We make the cookies the Friday after Thanksgiving and depending on the size, and varying shapes with grandkids involved, there are usually about 15 dozen. I would estimate we’ve made more than 8000 Honey Lebkucken since our tradition began, not including other co... 11/27/2024

I'm Grateful for Homeownership These 3 simple words in the title mean so much, and no doubt for others who own their homes. Indeed, it goes beyond owning a home but would include a rental that is your home. But for this post, my focus is being thankful for home ownership. We are in our 10th primary house (there have been a couple of vacation homes, too, on Cape Cod) that we’ve owned – perhaps not a lot compared to many others, but the number is not important. We’ve also lived in 4 rentals (2 apartments, 2 single family homes) in our life journey together. Some were due to the relocation process before buying a home in the new location and some were personal choices. These rentals met our needs on a temporary basis. But there was something particularly meaningful to us about living in a ... 11/23/2024

Holiday Tree Lighting in Carlsbad Village~ December 8, 2024 ~ The 39th annual Holiday Tree Lighting takes place on Sunday, December 8th in Carlsbad Village. As is tradition, the Holiday Tree Lighting is at the front entrance to the Carlsbad Village Faire shopping center at 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, just west of the railroad tracks. The feature photo is from 2023. This festive event runs from 2:00 – 4:30 pm. There will be a music program with Adrienne Nims in the Courtyard from 12:00 until 2:00 pm. The Tree Lighting festivities will certainly put you into the holiday spirit if you aren’t already! Come join this popular celebration, along with plenty of Carlsbad residents, in the heart of the Village. Here's a photo of the event from several years ago.  The Holiday Tree Lighting and fes... 11/20/2024

Holiday at the Rancho in Carlsbad December 7, 2024 The holiday season is well under way in Carlsbad with a number of fun events coming up. The annual Holiday at the Rancho takes place at Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park on December 7th from 5 until 8 pm. The 2024 Holiday at the Rancho in Carlsbad offers holiday festivities with a bit of western history. Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park is located at 6200 Flying LC Lane off Melrose in the Rancho Carrillo area of Carlsbad. The park is about 1 mile south of Palomar Airport Road, a short distance past Poinsettia Avenue at the next light (west side of Melrose).  You’ll find lots of holiday decorations and beautiful lights, of course. And this popular holiday event offers fun for all: face painting, holiday cookie decorating, holiday-themed c... 11/19/2024

Holiday Makers Market in Carlsbad Village The 2024 Holiday Makers Market, the 8th annual, will take place on Saturday December 7th from 9 am until 4 pm. The Holiday Makers Market has been a popular event in Carlsbad Village for 7 years. Because of their popularity the Makers Market has expanded, and now includes multiple events during the year, along with the special one for the holidays. The Holiday Makers Market is free to attend. And don’t forget to bring credit cards or cash for your holiday shopping. The Holiday Makers Market is held outdoors at St. Michael’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church, located at 2775 Carlsbad Boulevard in the Village. The Makers Market should be a wonderful shopping opportunity with the approaching holidays. You can expect self-designed and handcrafted items fro... 11/16/2024

Celebrate Small Business Saturday 2024~ Carlsbad Village on November 30 ~ The holiday shopping season is approaching and seems to arrive earlier every year. Halloween is now a distant memory, and Thanksgiving is just 2 weeks away. That means the 15th annual Small Business Saturday in Carlsbad Village is coming soon. The first Saturday after Thanksgiving is the traditional day to support small businesses throughout the US. And there are abundant opportunities at our Carlsbad Village retailers to #shopsmall. Many residents, and visitors, support small businesses in Carlsbad already but this is special opportunity! And with the holiday shopping season upon us, that’s good news. Mark your calendar to #ShopSmall in Carlsbad Village on Saturday November 30th. You’ll probably be surprised at t... 11/13/2024

16th Annual Veterans Day Military ReviewCarlsbad ~ November 11 The 16th Annual Veterans Day Military Review and parade takes place in Carlsbad on Monday, November 11, at Bliss Stadium on the campus of the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad Village. The stadium is just north of the Village at 2600 Carlsbad Boulevard. The Veterans ceremony runs from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon. The ceremony will include a presentation by Colonel George J. Plys, a Military Review by the ANA Corp of Cadets, a wreath-laying presentation and Taps. There will also be a flyover by the Salute Formation Flying Team. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. The memorial and military review is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Carlsbad and the Army and Navy Academy and is free to the public. This memorial is a po... 11/09/2024

I'm Thankful for Wonderful Neighbors We have several wonderful neighbors next door and across the street in our neighborhood, and I am so very grateful for them for multiple reasons. We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well in the 10 years we have lived here and know we can call on them, and they us, at any time should a need arise, night or day. There are loads of examples of kindness I could share, but here are just a few. When my wife had her back surgery last December these neighbors provided meals for several days which was a huge help to me since she was laid up in bed. They also offered to grocery shop for us as needed. My wife recently fell and fractured her kneecap in 2 places. We needed to go to a nearby Urgent Care (our preference over the ER), and since she was in a great... 11/08/2024

What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Market Report for October 2024 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to evolve, with shifts from September and 1 year ago. Private sales, mobile homes and multi-family housing are not included (the numbers are taken from the MLS and believed to be accurate as reported but are not guaranteed). Media market reports typically are very general. Thus they do not reflect local Carlsbad housing market conditions (read more - How Local IS Local?). Current information, and analysis, about local market conditions benefits you when you need to make important buying and/or selling decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 87 homes sold in Carlsbad in October (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), down 1 ... 11/05/2024

Dia de Los Muertos Celebration in Carlsbad 2024 Leo Carrillo Historic Ranch Park is a beautiful venue to visit in Carlsbad, and a very special resource for the community, with a number of special events during the year. (Feature photo is of a family altar - ofrenda - at a friend's house for theis Dia de los Muertos celebration several years ago) Enjoy a visit to Leo Carrillo Historic Ranch Park  One of the fun events is the annual 2-day Dia de los Muertos Celebration, the “Day of the Dead.” This event is free as is the kids craft activity on Saturday. This popular Mexican tradition, around Halloween time, is a celebration of life. It’s a time when the spirits of the departed return to visit their families on October 31 and leave on November 2. I have seen several different interpretatio... 10/20/2024

Halloween in Carlsbad Village The Annual Halloween in the Village takes place in Carlsbad on Saturday October 26th from 2:00 to 6:00 pm with all sorts of Halloween fun and games. The Halloween in the Village event is FREE, and so is the parking in Carlsbad. The Carlsbad Village Association does a marvelous job of promoting businesses and Village events, and Halloween in the Village is one of many.Kids in costume should stop by 2697 State Street early to pick up their free Jack-o-Lantern bucket (only 250 will be available) to hold their treasures. Kids can trick or treat at participating businesses in the Village. Just look for the candy corn decal in their windows. There will be costume contests for all at the Carlsbad Village Faire Shopping Center at 300 Carlsbad Village Drive at 4:00 ... 10/16/2024

2024 Halloween Pumpkin Plunge~ Alga Norte Aquatic Center in Carlsbad ~ Halloween is just around the corner and stores are filled with decorations, and have been for some time. The Carlsbad pumpkin patch and corn maze are open, and it’s a little over 1 week to the 2024 Carlsbad Pumpkin Plunge. This popular annual floating pumpkin patch is held at the Alga Norte Community Center in South Carlsbad (La Costa area), at 6565 Alicante Road (corner of Poinsettia Lane), on Saturday October 19th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. This event is one of several held each year at the Aquatics Center.  Carlsbad kids will have a chance to lasso their favorite pumpkin from the floating pumpkin patch, using a hula hoop, to take them home for carving, decorating, and Halloween festivities. You’ll likely find only the ... 10/09/2024

Spider on our Wall The spider on our wall is huge. And it's green.I am a bit of an arachnophobe, so I'm not entirely pleased about the situation. Good thing it's outside.Our nextdoor neighbors have 2 young children and they decorate their yard each Halloween with several inflatables. This year they added a new one - the spider - and asked if it could hang out on the wall. Of course we said yes. The grandkids won't get to see it in person this year but thought the photo I sent was great fun.  Here's the purple monster that hangs out in their yard, too. The kids love it when they have visited.  Halloween is in the air...and in lots of yards, no doubt with much more to come. 10/08/2024

Carlsbad Village Street Faire ~ November 3, 2024 ~ The Carlsbad Village Street Faire is a hugely popular event for 45 years, returning to Carlsbad Village Sunday, November 3rd. The Faire is hosted by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Kennedy and Associates. The Carlsbad Village Street Faire is reported to be the largest outdoor 1-day fair in the US. There is also a Carlsbad Village Street Faire held every May. The Carlsbad Village Street Faire is held from 8 am until 4 pm. That should be ample time to enjoy hundreds of vendors and shop to your heart’s content. (photos are from another of Carlsbad's well-known art fairs in the Village).  The Carlsbad Village Street Faire takes place in the center of town, along Grand Avenue from Carlsbad Boulevard to Jefferson. The Fa... 10/06/2024

What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Market Report for September 2024 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to shift, with changes from August and 1 year ago. Private sales, mobile homes and multi-family housing are not included (the numbers are taken from the MLS and believed to be accurate as reported but are not guaranteed). Media market reports typically are very generalized. As a result they do not reflect local Carlsbad housing market conditions (read more - How Local IS Local?). Current information, and analysis, about local market conditions benefits you when you need to make important buying and/or selling decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 88 homes sold in Carlsbad in September (92008, 92009, 92010 and 920... 10/05/2024

Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze in Carlsbad The Annual Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze are open at the Carlsbad Strawberry Company in Carlsbad. The popular pumpkin patch opened on September 20 and will stay open until November 3rd. What’s Fall and Halloween without pumpkins? There’s no question the Carlsbad Strawberry Company is known far and wide for its strawberries, and they sell a ton of them; you can buy them already picked or enjoy picking them yourself. Unfortunately, strawberry season is now over (end of January to mid July depending on weather). However, at Halloween time the Carlsbad Strawberry Company also offers a huge pumpkin patch with great photo opportunities. The Patch is wheelchair accessible. And of course, there’s the opportunity for everyone to pick their favorite pumpkin, ... 10/03/2024