Now in its 36th year, The Ocean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off remains one of San Diego’s best community events. With its mix of sun, surf, food and music, it’s safe to say there is nothing else like it. More than 70,000 are expected to enjoy the good vibes, great weather and top-rate performers along the town’s downtown corridor. Eventgoers strolling down Newport Avenue and its cross-streets will find tons of free activities to stimulate the senses along with the fresh sea air. Meanwhile, more than 250 vendors and artisans will be on hand, offering foods from around the world, arts and crafts from jewelry to paintings and even a few unique rides for kids of all ages. The fair’s location, both right on the water and in the heart of the town, as well as its neighborhood spirit, make it a unique and important happening on the yearly calendar
“There’s a great community feel to this,” said Ocean Beach MainStreet Association executive director Denny Knox, who has been with the street fair since the very beginning. “We have almost every nonprofit in the area participating. This is a huge fundraiser for so many of them, including us. There’s something for everyone. There’s murals to paint, a hamburger eating contest and so much more.’
This year’s theme is “It’s All About the Music,” so naturally the event has a terrific list of musical performers. The centerpiece to the event will be an interactive music area located on the 4900 block of Newport Avenue, sponsored by local full-service music facility Rock and Roll San Diego.
“This is going to be amazing,” said Knox. “They’ll have all kinds of musical instruments and instructors there and show anybody how to perform a song in ten minutes.” How realistic is it to think that someone can play in ten minutes? “It has worked every time we try it,” said Rock and Roll San Diego owner Mark Langford. “We break the song down to its basics, such as the root of each chord, and many songs only have two or three chords,” he explained. No musical skills are needed? “No, just the desire to try,” Langford said. “The singing is a bit trickier, but we pick songs that most people have heard before, so they already have it in their head, and we give them a lyric sheet with the words. We also try to pick songs with a few words that repeat,” he commented. There will also be a musical “petting zoo.”
“That’s a term we came up with,” he continued. “It’s an area filled with different types of instruments that people can see, touch and play to get acquainted with, including drums and percussion, a half-dozen guitars both electric and acoustic, a couple basses, a piano, an autoharp, accordion, mini-sitar and a few other instruments.” Langford hopes the free mini-lesson will inspire some to investigate music further. “We want them to have a lot of fun and hope that a spark will ignite inside them that gives them the desire to explore music from that time on, throughout their life.” Keeping things fresh for the audience, songs such as “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Wild Thing” and “Horse With No Name” will be rotated every 20 minutes, with “students” backed by a group made up of Rock and Roll San Diego’s instructors. Rock and Roll San Diego will also be handing out lots of swag to those who participate and have additional raffles, as well as a card for free additional lessons. Among the street fair’s annual highlights are the Chili Cook-Off and five stages of music as well as the increasingly popular Artists Alley section. Other events sure to draw crowds to the beer garden stage include a bikini contest, a bloody Mary contest between local bars and restaurants and the second annual Hodad’s Burger Eating Contest, an event that promises to be extra-memorable in the wake of the passing of owner Mike Hardin earlier this year. The name of the winner will be placed on a commemorative license plate and hung in a place of honor at the famed restaurant.
After all these years, Knox is still thrilled to see the crowds on the day of the event. “We start at 3 a.m., and it’s all cleared out by 11 p.m.,” she said. “So it’s a big day. But it’s such a joy to see people streaming into the area and to see the community come out and support things like our mural. That never gets old.”
Anyone hoping to avoid traffic on event day will want to take advantage of the four free trolleys running continuously every half hour throughout the day, from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eventgoers can park their cars at two outer parking lots (Robb Field and The Sunrunner lot at Pacific Coast Highway and SeaWorld Drive) and shuttle directly to the street fair. The dropoff is right at Artists Alley. Meanwhile, those heading to the street fair on their bicycles will find a valet service in front of Winston’s on Bacon Street courtesy of Clif Bar and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition.