Ocean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-off

If you love the distinctive feel of strolling through the Ocean Beach farmer’s market as much as I do, prepare to get very excited. The 32nd Annual OB Street Fair is a huge-scale experience of the same variety and will be happening on Saturday, June 25 from 10am to 8pm. This annual summer event will take place on the 4500 and 4800 blocks of Newport Avenue, as well as the surrounding streets.

What to expect? The summer festival will feature five stages of continuous live entertainment and music, utterly unique vendors, fun rides, gifted artists, skate contests and shows, a pier-side beer garden, and loads more. Not to mention the absolutely unsurpassed people-watching only available in Ocean Beach.

Five stages of music will guarantee something for everyone, with top local bands scheduled to put on a show. Bands set to perform include Bad Science Fiction, Blair and Kymythy, Blow by Blow, Chi Club, Clay Colton, dazed and Confused, The Electric Waste Band, Jimmy Dean and the Sausage Kings, Mike Pinto, and many others.  

Perhaps the tastiest part of the day will be the much-anticipated Chili Cook-Off, where over 30 local chili masters will compete to take home the title. Both amateurs and restaurants will be competing in this event, making for a wide variety of tastes. Tickets for chili tasting cost only $1 for 2 samples, or $10 for all samples in the competition.

Make sure to stop by Artists Alley, where over 60 San Diego artists will be showcasing and selling their work. Creations will include soy candles, beaded jewelry, abstract paintings, digital prints, resin pendants, fine art, hand-painted silk scarves, murals, lotions and creams, eclectic home décor, and much more. Ladies, prepare to encounter a lot of amazing hand-made jewelry! Many other vendors will have booths set up as well, with tons of cool stuff for visitors to purchase. Food vendors will be tempting you with a delicious array of treats as colorful booths filled with knick-knacks catch your eye.

Kids will have plenty to do, since games will be set up all throughout the festival. The Wonderland section of the festival will include a Climb-It wall, pony rides, jump tent, mimes, caricature artists, face painting, and tons of vendors with products geared towards children. For the artists among us, mural squares for the 13th annual Community Mural Project will be sold for $5. All those who purchase a mosaic square will get to paint it and then piece it together with all the other squares. Only 216 pieces are available, so arrive early.

For further information and a full schedule of events, please visit oceanbeachsandiego.com.

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