Take slackliners, drum circles and dancers, add acro yoga, hula hoops and huge soap bubbles to the mix, and Wednesdays in Ocean Beach have reached a new level of chill. Along with the Farmers Market, this vibe fits perfectly into the relaxed bohemian neighborhood.
Keep walking along Newport Avenue by the colorful stalls selling crafts, clothes, and cuisines, eventually one ends up at the little grass area next to the beach, which is filled with creative people playing music, balancing on bodies and slacklines, all the while going with the flow. “There are a lot of people doing different things and it is also a good place to meet other people doing slacklining,” said Eric Hake, who comes to Ocean Beach from Mission Valley on Wednesdays to slackline. Hake moved to San Diego about a year ago and thinks it is a perfect city for slacklining, which he does five days a week in OB and Bonita Cove. “It is just a lot of fun. You can do it almost everywhere. You just need two places to make hangers,” Hake said. The grassy area off Abbott Street is also filled with young women dancing around with hula hoops and plenty of acro yoga enthusiasts. “I come here because there are so many beautiful people and that helps me relax in the middle of the week,” said Casley Shannon, who is a student at San Diego State University. Shannon likes to hula-hoop and she comes to the Ocean Beach Farmers Market every Wednesday with her friends.
“I like the energy and all the creativity that is happening. There is a very loving, accepting, and creative vibe here,” Shannon said. As the sun gets closer to the horizon, the drums beat louder, and the crowd grows larger around the grassy area as visitors watch the young people expressing themselves. “I think it is fantastic to watch people being creative with athletics and yoga. I am an athlete myself and the things they are doing are really hard to do,” said Sandy Valone, who lives in Point Loma. Valone brought her sister, who was visiting from Hawaii, so she could see the new things happening around the OB Farmers Market. “I think it is a really nice and helpful thing,” said Valone.