Getting Set for the OB Street Fair – What’s Happenin’?

Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off set for June 25

It’s that time of year when thousands will flock to the annual Ocean Beach Street Fair for food, drinks, chili, live music, art and people watching – all coming down this Saturday, June 25th.

This year is the 37th annual Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off Festival.

Here’s what the free one-day street festival will offer:

• Location, location, location – 4800 to 5000 blocks of Newport Avenue from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at cross streets of Bacon and Cable, at the OB Pier parking lot,
• Free bike valet at the intersection of Bacon Street and Newport Avenue, courtesy of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition.
• 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.
• The chili cook-off and competition – Chili tastings will begin at 11 a.m. and will end when contestants run out of samples from the more than 20 tastings from amateur entrants; they’re competing for Hottest Chili, Judges’ Award and the grand prize winner: People’s Choice Award. Tastings – $2 per chili entry, or a master ticket for $20 to try every recipe and vote for the best.
  

  OB Street Fair 2013 – by Tom Cairns

• 5 stages of nonstop music with acoustic, rock, blues, alternative, Americana and more.
• The Kiss tribute band will be back to support the Year of the Pier with their ’60s surfer best and rocking out to the Beach Boys.

• Vendor and food booths,
• Artists Alley,
• Beach beer garden,
• Carnival rides and games

• Highlight of OB Street Fair: a celebration of the 50th anniversary celebration of the OB Pier. It opened on July 2, 1966. The OBMA in partnership with the Ocean Beach Historical Society have plans to commemorate the pier anniversary with old photos and other good stuff from the Pier’s history. Pier activities 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 chance to sign up for the San Diego Junior Lifeguard Foundation’s annual pier jump.

• There’s the Rock and Roll San Diego’s booth to get a free 15-minute music lesson
• Hodad’s Burger-Eating Competition – it offers contestants a chance to be featured on the Hodad’s Wall of Fame at its Ocean Beach site.
• Bloody Mary competition – 15  local restaurants and bars compete 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.
• Purchase a $10 square to contribute to this year’s Community Mural Project.
• Cable Street Artists Alley
• Wonderland Fun Zone in the parking lot adjacent to US Bank near Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Newport Avenue with 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.

 San Diego Community News Group