Thousands will flock to Ocean Beach to enjoy food, drinks, chili, live music, art and great people watching at the 37th annual Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off Festival on Saturday, June 25.
The free festival will include an oceanfront chili cook-off, vendor and food booths, Artists Alley, a beachside beer garden, live music and entertainment, family friendly activities, carnival rides and games, art, the Community Mural Project and more.
The street fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the 4800 to 5000 blocks of Newport Avenue, along the waterfront and in the pier parking lot, and along the cross streets of Newport Avenue at Bacon Street and Cable Street.
Free trolley services will run for people parking near Robb Field (every 30 minutes) and on Sea World Drive at Pacific Coast Highway (every hour) from 9:30 a.m.to 9 p.m. There will also be a free bike valet at the intersection of Bacon Street and Newport Avenue, courtesy of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition.
The highlight of this year’s fest will be the 50th anniversary celebration of the OB Pier, which opened on July 2, 1966. Ocean Beach MainStreet Association will commemorate the pier with photos dating back to its inception in 1966, and information about the OB Pier’s rich history in partnership with the Ocean Beach Historical Society.
Other pier activities will include a kids fishing game, photo kiosk with a lifesize photo backdrop of the pier’s opening celebration in 1966, Living Coast Discovery Center’s interactive crab display and the opportunity to sign up for the San Diego Junior Lifeguard Foundation’s annual pier jump.
The Kiss tribute band will be back to rally the crowd. This time they’ll support the Year of the Pier by donning their ’60s surfer best and rocking out to the Beach Boys. Attendees can stop by Rock and Roll San Diego’s booth to get a free 15-minute music lesson alongside the wild and zany Kiss tribute band, as they’re dressed in full face painting with long hair and Hawaiian shirts. The booth will also have drawings, giveaways and loads of cool stuff.
The chili competition will feature more than 20 tastings from amateur entrants competing for the titles of Hottest Chili, Judges’ Award and the grand prize winner: People’s Choice Award. Chili tastings will begin at 11 a.m. and will end when contestants run out of samples. Tastings can be purchased for $2 per chili entry, or attendees can buy a master ticket for $20 to try every recipe and vote for the best.
The Hodad’s Burger-Eating Competition is back by popular demand offering contestants a chance to be featured on the Hodad’s Wall of Fame at its Ocean Beach site.
The Bloody Mary competition will also make a return with 15 local restaurants and bars competing for the title of Best Bloody Mary in Ocean Beach. Tickets can be purchased for $20 to sample each entry and vote for your favorites.
Children and adults of all ages are welcome to purchase a $10 square to contribute to this year’s Community Mural Project. Visit the mural area on Bacon Street just south of Newport to reserve and then paint your square. After the Street Fair, the murals are sealed and installed in the community. On Cable Street, Artists Alley will feature accomplished artists and their handcrafted items.
Family-friendly attractions include the Wonderland Fun Zone in the parking lot adjacent to US Bank near Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Newport Avenue. The Zone will have a 20-foot slide, OB Express Train Ride for the little ones, Zip Line, Zorb balls, Hop ’n’ Rock, laser tag, kids games and more.
There will be five stages of nonstop music throughout the day. Music genres include acoustic, rock, blues, alternative, Americana and more.
For more information, visit www.oceanbeachsandiego.com.