On May 12, 2012, Britain’s Jonathan Brownlee kicked off his Olympic season with his dominating win - this being his second ITU World Triathlon Series.  Second place went to Switzerland’s Sven Riederer and third place to South Africa’s Richard Murray.

Up until T2, a huge pack of over 50 athletes were neck to neck.  It all came down to the run, where Brownlee and Murray were charging through as the front-runners for almost 10km.  Finally, Brownlee kicked off to win in 1 hour 48 minutes and 47 seconds.

Hunter Kemper and Manuel Huerta of USA, both qualified for the U.S. Olympic team with fifth and ninth-place finishes.  This was Kemper’s first race of the year.

The next series of the Triathlon is taking place in Madrid from May 26th to the 27th.

To learn more about this event, visit the ITU World Triathlon Series website here.

No matter what season you visit the market, you’ll be sure to find many of the famous fruits and vegetables California is known for. Most of the produce is available year round but certain veggies and fruits are seasonal. In the spring and summer months, you’ll find local strawberries, avocados, melons, apples and ripe melons whereas in the fall and winter, basil, beets, artichokes, broccoli, and figs are at their finest.

Aside from the local produce, you’ll find a variety of vendors selling locally handmade crafts and foods. Whether it’s a gift or a souvenir, you’ll be sure to find it here! Many of the vendors sell one-of-a-kind seashell crafts, which capture the beach-town feel of Carlsbad. Other crafts include stain glass, jewelry, handcrafted fashions and natural skin care products.

Spend the afternoon sampling homemade baked goods, chatting with the locals, and learning about Carlsbad’s agriculture. The Farmer’s Market is the perfect location to spend time with your family or with a special someone for a low-key afternoon date.

If you’re visiting the Carlsbad area during market hours, we highly recommend visiting. You’ll not only try some of the juiciest fruits you’ll ever taste but also be supporting the local community.  The Market is located between 2930 Roosevelt Street and Grand Avenue. For more information about the Farmer’s Market, please visit our front desk.

The Faire has become so popular that it attracts people from not only the SoCal area but from many other surrounding states. Some guests even plan their vacation around the bi-annual event.

This year’s fair included over 800 vendors selling everything from clothing, jewelry, plants, home décor and antiques. Many of the fair’s vendors travel from far and wide to set up their booth.

As with every year, the international food court was a major hit. This year, there were over 50 booths offering everything from bratwurst and corn dogs to authentic Thai and Hawaiian food.  Among the booths was, Johnsonville Big Taste Grills, a sausage stand located in a 90 – foot- long truck.

The children’s area this year is one the kids will be talking about all summer long! The area featured games, live entertainment, a rock-climbing wall, a bounce house, and best of all, a super slide!

Aside from the shopping, delicious food, and children’s games, fair goers could adopt a greyhound, receive a massage, or ride a pony. All in all, it was an eventful day filled with fun and excitement on the beautiful seaside of Carlsbad. 

If you missed out on this May’s Carlsbad Village Faire, don’t worry! A similar fair occurs in November on the first Sunday of the month.

Marcus Allen- NFL Player

Marcus Allen is a former American football running back that played for the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997. These days, he prefers to indulge in football outside of the field, as a football analyst for CBS.

Staciana Stitts Winfield – Olympic Breaststroke Swimmer

Though Olympic gold medalist Staciana Stitts Winfield, wasn’t born in Carlsbad she had spent most of her childhood as residence and still considers it home.  In 2000, Stitts and her University California, Berkley teammates broke the world record in the 4x50 medley relay with an astonishing timing of 1:49.23.  She currently coaches at the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California and is a motivational speaker at the National Alopecia Areata Foundation’s Teens Conference Camp and has been the spokesperson for the Children’s Alopecia Project.

Tony Hawk – Professional Skateboarder

You can’t be a parent of a skateboarder without knowing the name Tony Hawk.  The professional skateboarder was born in Carlsbad and still resides near by in Encinitas. It was here, where he learned how to hone his skills on the board.

It was apparent at a very young age that Hawk was destined for fame. When he was only 14 he turned his hobby into a career by becoming a professional skateboarder. In 1999, at the age of 19, he was the first skater to ever successfully complete a 900. Hawk was the raining world champion of the National Skateboard Association competition for 12 consecutive years.

Shaun White – Professional Snowboarder/ Skateboarder

The Amazing Flying Tomato, better known as famous Californian snowboarder/skateboarder Shaun White, grew up in the beach town of Carlsbad. It was here where he would meet fellow Carlsbad native, Tony Hawk who would help launch is skateboarding career.

At a young age of 13, Shaun was sponsored by famous snowboarding brand, Burton. In the summer months, Shaun would often spend time shredding down the streets of Carlsbad on his skateboard. At the age of 9, Tony Hawk took Shaun under his wing and became his mentor and by the age of 17, Shaun had become pro.

Those are just a few of Carlsbad’s sports stars; perhaps during your stay you’ll spot a few athletes around town or witness some in the making!

Manta, the park’s new 10 million dollar rollercoaster, is the most anticipated expansion. The coaster features a 30-foot tall manta, dual launch zones, and 54-foot drop. The track is an incredible 2,800-feet, which spans across a subterranean trench including a lake shallow enough for the giant manta to make a dramatic wing side dip.

For those who choose not to ride the Manta, the park has set up an 100,000 gallon aquarium near the ride, where one lookers can get the experience of manta rays by feeding and touching bat rays. The Manta will take its first launch on May 26th.  So exciting!

In addition, dive into One Ocean, SeaWorld’s newest show featuring the popular showstopper Shamu! During the 25-minute show, audiences will be taken on a journey through the ocean’s spirit, sound and energy. 

The killer whales’ majestic movements and vivid colors capture the natural feel of the ocean. One Ocean not only educates viewers about the miraculous life living beneath the sea, but also teaches audiences that we are all connected through one world and that only we have the ability to change it.

If you’re planning to visit SeaWorld this summer, we strongly suggest attending One Ocean. It’s a one of a kind performance, which will leave you thinking long after the show.

Turtle Reef, SeaWorld San Diego’s latest exhibit, allows you to experience sea turtles in a new and exciting environment.

The sea turtle aquarium is rather unique, as it has been built from the ground to the ceiling. This unique layout provides audiences an impeccable view from any angle and the ability to witness sea turtles soaring above their heads.

Perhaps the most exciting feature of the exhibit is the interactive activities. Here, you and your family can learn about the endangered life of sea turtles by embarking on your very own rescue mission. Spread across the exhibit are giant interactive turtle links.  These turtle links allow you and your children to discover interesting facts about sea creatures through games and puzzles. This exhibit is fun and educational!

So if your summer goals include riding a 30-foot Manta, getting splashed by shamu and rescuing sea turtles, SeaWorld San Diego is the perfect place for you! 

For information on the park’s hours and ticket pricing please visit SeaWorld San Diego’s website.

LEGOLAND’s Pirate Shores will be receiving their new attraction, Pirate Bay this summer.  Pirate Bay will be the first ride accessible from both the main theme park and LEGOLAND Water Park. The ride will allow guests to embark on a high seas adventure. Guests have the choice to board either the blue or red ship. The opposing ships will battle against one another, using the water canyons to fire across at the ship and its passengers.  To add to the excitement, those who do not choose a team will be sent on a buccaneer-filled boat, which travels between the two battling ships. On this ride, no passengers will make it out dry!

The highly popular LEGO Star Wars located in the park’s Miniland USA, will be adding a never before seen LEGO Star Wars Gallery. In addition, new models will be added to the seven already existing Lego recreations of classic Star Wars scenes. The new Lego models include an underwater scene of Opee sea killer on Naboo, and a Jawia sandcrawler on Tattooine. Stay tuned for the launch date for this new addition.

Also, SEALIFE Carlsbad Aquarium has begun hosting its latest interactive exhibit, “Claws”. The exhibit allows families to have a hands-on and in-depth learning experience, about the world’s most misunderstood underwater creatures, the crustacean. The exhibit includes two lively Japanese Spider crabs, which can grow to be a astonishing 13-feet.  

Don’t miss out on the fun this summer! Visit California’s LEGOLAND and be among the first to experience the new rides and exhibits this world-renowned theme park has to offer! For information on opening dates and admission pricing, please visit the park’s official website.

Balboa Park is home of fifteen unique museums, including the ever popular Air & Space Museum, Model Railroad Museum, and the Timken Museum of Art.
Many of the museums are housed in the nearly century year old Spanish Colonial Revival buildings.  The buildings were originally constructed in 1915 for the Panam- California Exposition. The museums’ exhibits display a variety of internationally known artifacts, including sports memorabilia, world folk art and rare aircrafts.

San Diego’s largest arts organization, The Old Globe Theater resides in the park. Each year, the theater presents and performs at least 14 productions and 550 performances.

The park is also a pet friendly environment.  It offers three leash-free dog parks, family play areas and scenic picnicking spots. For those looking for some outdoor entertainment, tee off in a round of golf, partake in an afternoon hike across the canyon trails, or visit the exotic animals at the San Diego Zoo.

Balboa’s famous sports complex, Morley Field is a must see if you’re a sports fanatic. The facilities’ Velodrome Track has been used for the Masters World cup Championship. The complex also includes a disc golf course, swimming pool and USTA award winning tennis courts.

So if you’re looking for a day of fun, sports, and adventure, Balboa Park is the place to be! For more information on the park’s special events and admission prices, please visit Balboa Parks official website.

The 10-kilometer course begins at the beautiful Cannon Park and stretches along the scenic coast highway. The route allows for astonishing views of the ocean, making this run a truly unique experience.

In addition to the 10k run, a 6.2 mile walk will be provided for those who wish to participate, but would prefer to walk.  In addition, the Kids Space Race, allows children between the ages of five and ten to participate on the Earth Day activities as well!

To allow for a safe and spacious course, all roads on route will be closed to oncoming traffic. To help spread awareness of environmental issues, the directors of Earth Day 10k are asking all participants and on lookers to arrive dressed in green.

Keeping with the Earth Day theme, all participants will receive custom Plant-A-Tree Kits. Other prizes include $500, $250 and $100 cash prize, awarded to the top three males and females. Ribbons made of eco-friendly and biodegradable materials will be awarded to those who finish the run.

Earth Day 10k will be taking place April 21st, 2012 at 7 am at Cannon Park. To register and receive more information about the event, please visit the official Earth Day 10k webpage.  Have a green and eco-friendly Earth Day!

Eggstravaganza is perfect for an Easter family outing as the event features plenty of exciting activities for the kids. Taking place between 10 am and 12:30 pm is the classic “egg scramble.” In this event, children will compete against others to be the first to run the length of the baseball field without scrambling their egg.

Throughout the day, the city’s popular summer program will be offering families the opportunity to sample many of their fun filled activities.  Other attractions include a fun zone and the always-entertaining bunny balloon soak.

If you prefer to celebrate Easter festivities indoors, head over to the Carlsbad Premium Outlet Mall. Starting at 12:30 Sunday April 8th, the mall will be hosting a center wide Easter egg hunt. Hundreds of eggs containing special prizes will be hidden throughout the mall, just waiting to be discovered.

Once you’ve captured your “loot” take part in Easter crafts, and spend a quick visit with the ever-so-popular Easter Bunny.

For more information on the Easter festivities taking place at Carlsbad Premium Outlet Mall and Eggtravaganza, please visit the accompanying sites. We hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend!

This year’s event includes eleven different race courses, which have been specifically designed for each age and fitness group.  What makes this event different from others? The race is not focused on how fast participants cross the finish line but rather about having fun!  At Junior Carlsbad, every child is a winner.

Participants will be awarded a medal for finishing the race and receive a goodie bag, which includes a race t-shirt and a free admission to the SEA LIFE Aquarium.  The top three boy and girl runners will be awarded an additional prize.

The event makes for a great family outing and helps promote physical activity. If you and your family are visiting the Carlsbad area during this event, come out and participate! Proceeds from the race will benefit the Carlsbad Educational Foundation.

For more information on registration and scheduling, please visit the Carlsbad Junior website.