Friends raise money for McKinley Elementary at annual event nestled between North and South parks

By Morgan M. Hurley | SDUN Assistant Editor

Deep within North Park’s sprawling closely knit neighborhoods and far off the traditional retail or commuter paths is an area bordering on the leading edge of South Park called T-32, near the corner of Thorn and 32nd streets. Here, over two dozen retailers are unexpectedly positioned, surrounded in each direction by houses within the bustling Altadena sub-division.

On Sunday, Dec. 2, a holiday party to benefit the neighborhood’s closest elementary school was a success, not only because it was for a good cause, but it was also equally compelling and satisfying to the school’s hipster parents and their friends.

For six hours, SoNo Park Holiday Fest & Chilipalooza brought live music, local craft beers and wines, gourmet food trucks, more than 30 local vendors, a huge kid’s zone, 150 gallons of chili, and loads of attendees – 6,000 to 10,000 – to one little neighborhood.

The event sprawled west on Thorn Street from Bancroft Street to Herman Avenue and overflowed onto on 32nd Street. The fully enclosed beer garden encroached upon the northwest corner property shared by Ripe Deli and North Park Nursery, where revelers could grab a brew, mingle with friends and catch up with other parents while watching live music.

Paul Hunyady, owner of the nursery and the adjacent Rusty Gold Design, said he was happy to support the event each year.

“While sacrificing sales, I am confident I have gained exposure for my business and ultimately raised funds for McKinley Elementary, which is what the event is all about,” Hunyady said. “North Park Nursery donated plants for centerpieces to be auctioned, as well as the beer garden space. I plan to do it again and again as long as we benefit the kids and community.”

Even with the beer and live music, the heart of the event was still the chili, where this year 25 area restaurants and bistros competed in the annual community-based event that was started 16 years ago by San Diego Ceramic Connection (SDCC) proprietor Kouta Shimazaki.

Hoping to grab the day’s Best Overall Chili, Best Meatless Chili, Hottest but Edible, or Most Unique Chili, these local eateries came up with some of the most unique combinations presented. In addition to all that chili made by the professionals, there were also dozens of crocks of chili made by members of the community up for tasting, which were judged in the same categories.

In order to sample the gallons of chili available, between 30 and 40 SDCC volunteers created chili bowls back in September, after which Shimazaki and his staff spent the remaining three months trimming, firing and glazing to perfection. This year, the yield was 1,300.

That was up 200 bowls from last year and there still was not enough for the crowds at this year’s SoNo. For $20, attendees could purchase a bowl and get unlimited tastes, but you had to act quickly as most were out of chili by 2 p.m.

Shimazaki is the unofficial mayor of the area, founding not only the original community chilipalooza, but also the arts program at McKinley Elementary School, one of three programs that the annual SoNo celebration now benefits.

Seven years ago when his son first began attending McKinley, Shimazaki said there was no art program at all. He began volunteering his time, clay and materials to his son’s class at the school, carrying equipment and the students’ projects back and forth to his studio daily. Eventually other teachers and parents wanted their children involved and soon the program expanded so much that Shimazaki, who teaches classes at other schools in the area as well as his studio, was forced to ask the principal for a room. She complied.

With a room to call their own they now needed tables, chairs and art supplies, so Shimazaki and “five other good-hearted people” founded the McKinley Arts Foundation, he said. Starting with a $650 budget in 2005, he and the other volunteers donated their time at bake sales, serving at Padres baseball games and sponsoring jog-a-thons to raise money for the school’s art materials.

Then, Shimazaki began donating 50 percent of money raised from his annual chili cook-offs to the school, every year.

Eventually the school’s Parent Teacher Club (PTC) got involved and the Foundation has since expanded to include support for music and Spanish language programs. Three years ago, Brooke Evans, then head of the McKinley PTC, came to Shimazaki with an idea to merge a struggling SoNo event they had been holding every year with the wildly popular chili cook-off he had started before.

Shimazaki agreed, and to enhance its appeal, he reached out to friends Tim Mays of The Casbah and Starlite Lounge, and Sam Chammas of The Whistlestop, The Station and Live Wire to help sponsor the event. Shimazaki also approached musician friends to play for the cause, and this year they had 13 bands across two stages. They also tapped local parents to seek out the proper permits to close the streets and allow for expansion.

Needless to say, the merger has been a huge hit, and over 100 parents and friends act as volunteers to help complete that success. Though the final tally is not in, Hunyady said this year’s fundraising goal was $25,000, up from last year’s $18,000 raised.

“It’s a neighborhood thing for a good cause, but unlike typical street fairs, our event is more interactive. People know each other; it’s homey,” Shimazaki said.

With SoNo taking on a life of its own these days, Shimazaki has taken a backseat, though churning out 1,500 bowls in three months with an all-volunteer staff is no small task.

T-32 is the area’s business association, and they produce a monthly “stroll about” event every third Saturday of the month. You can find them on Facebook under T32 Thorn & 32nd.

Chilipalooza winners

Professional chili cook-off:

Best Overall Chili: (tie) Ritual Tavern and Blind Lady Ale House

Best Meatless Chili: Rancho’s Cocina

Most Unique Chili: Urban Solace

People’s Choice: Kensington Grill

16th annual community chili cook-off:

Best Overall: Mine Okano

Best Meatless: Patrick Murray

Most Unique: Mine Okano

Hottest: Ned Imming

Best Dessert: Beth Waller

Best Cornbread: Fong Krause