On May 22, 2025, we welcomed over 200 community members, advocates, and partners to the third annual sPARK Awards, held in the newly revitalized Botanical Building and Gardens and the historic Prado Ballroom. The evening celebrated the creative visionaries who are sparking positive change throughout Balboa Park and beyond.

The night began with a golden hour reception under the Botanical Building’s iconic lath dome, followed by an inspiring awards program emceed by Ramel Wallace. Guests enjoyed live jazz from Young Lions Jazz Conservatory, panel reflections from Jennifer Luce, Patrick Montgomery, and Susanna Peredo Swap, and heartfelt acceptance remarks from this year’s winners:

 

🏆 Crossing Boundaries: Park TakeOver

Park TakeOver exemplifies the power of community storytelling. Launched by a coalition of artists, educators, and activists, this youth-centered arts and culture festival has transformed Balboa Park into a canvas for intergenerational creativity and connection. With music, movement, and mural-making, Park TakeOver blurs the line between performer and audience, inviting participants to reimagine the park as a stage for equity, joy, and belonging. Their work crosses cultural, age, and social boundaries—making Balboa Park feel truly public and radically welcoming.

 

🏆 Igniting Innovation: Balboa Park Online Collaborative (BPOC)

Balboa Park Online Collaborative (BPOC) has long supported the digital infrastructure and storytelling power of museums and cultural institutions in Balboa Park and beyond. This year, they deepened their commitment to workforce equity and community partnership through new capacity-building programs that train cultural workers, advance data-driven practices, and empower underrepresented voices in the digital humanities.

As stewards of innovation, BPOC has also been instrumental in guiding park institutions through digital transformation—with an emphasis on collaboration, accessibility, and sustainable tech solutions. Their office, located right upstairs in the House of Hospitality, is a hub of digital creativity and support. Their work continues to reimagine how people experience culture—both online and on-site—and reflects a bold, future-forward approach to public engagement.

 

🏆 Enhancing Ecosystems: California Native Plant Society – San Diego Chapter

The California Native Plant Society – San Diego Chapter has brought to life a community-rooted transformation in Bird Park, a beloved neighborhood space on the eastern edge of Balboa Park. In collaboration with the City of San Diego’s Parks and Recreation Department and other community groups, CNPS-SD launched a native plant habitat restoration project that converted turf-heavy lawns into thriving, water-wise gardens.

Their efforts replaced over 30,000 square feet of non-native grass with locally appropriate native species, dramatically improving biodiversity, conserving water, and creating an urban refuge for pollinators and parkgoers alike. Beyond the physical transformation, CNPS-SD provided hands-on volunteer training, plant education, and youth engagement, turning Bird Park into a living classroom and model for sustainable urban landscaping. Their work has inspired neighbors and naturalists alike, proving that ecological restoration can be both beautiful and deeply community-driven.

 

Celebrating Innovation

Each of these organizations exemplifies the creative stewardship, community collaboration, and ecological care that help our public spaces thrive.

The event was made possible thanks to the generous support of COX Communications, San Diego Foundation, Burnham Center for Community Advancement, AO Reed, and Maximova Creative (in-kind).

As we reflect on the past year and look toward the future, Forever Balboa Park remains deeply grateful for the advocates, volunteers, and partners who ensure the park remains a place of innovation, inclusion, and inspiration.

📸 Stay tuned to our Instagram @foreverbalboapark as we spotlight the winners and share moments from the evening.