Come on down to the 33rd Annual Ocean Beach Street Fair June 23rd! The streets of OB will be filled with people all looking to celebrate 125 years of San Diego’s finest beach community! Three B Zine has all the info you need right here, including an interview with Denny Knox of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association!
At 10am Saturday June 23rd the streets of Ocean Beach will be filled with locals and San Diego visitors alike all looking to have a great time celebrating 125 years of one of our greatest beach communities. The Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off is back for its 33rd year and looks to be bigger and better than ever before. The day will be jam packed with activities including six stages of continuous live music, local food vendors, a beach side beer garden, chili cook-off festival and TWO community mural art projects just to list a few. Admission to the Street Fair is absolutely free.
The chili cook off festival has become a staple to the yearly Ocean Beach Street Fair. Visitors will be able to try nearly 30 different chili recipes from amateur chili cooks.
The community mural art project has been a festival tradition for 14 years. Street Fair visitors are able to purchase one of 216 square tiles that will be put together to create a mural. This mural will then be displayed permanently on a building in Ocean Beach. Because we are celebrating 125 years on June 23rd, organizers offer not one, but TWO mural art projects for visitors to participate. “The community mural has to be one of my favorite activities for the day,” says Street Fair Chair and President of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association, Barbara Iacometti. “It’s not only fun for those who participate, but it’s a significant part of Ocean Beach’s beautification.”
Visitors can also visit Artist’s Alley where they can check out local artists do demonstrations and see work that will be displayed. Speaking of art, on the 4900 block of Newport Ave the people of Coors Lights will be presenting a 3D street painting.
Fair visitors will be treated to six stages of non stop music throughout the day. The stages feature many different styles of music and promise to have something for every music fan. From punk and ska to rock n roll, blues, americana and acoustic. For a full list of bands, stages and set times, please check it out here.
A very special addition to this years Street Fair, is award winning brewery Pizza Port’s presentation of their hand crafted limited release ‘Ocean Beach 125th Anniversary American Pale Ale’. This beer is light in body and big in flavor. A Pale Ale made with Amarillo, Centennial, Cascade and Columbus hops and is said to be “very generously dry hopped”. We asked Pizza Port Brewmaster, Yiga Miyashiro about the inspiration that went into this special release beer. “I wanted something that was like OB. Full of flavor and character, but still easy to be around (or drink in the beers case).” To celebrate 125 years of Ocean Beach Pizza Port has put together a brilliantly crafted American Pale Ale that will be served at the Street Fair’s beer garden, and in restaurants in Ocean Beach. Restaurants serving the limited edition brew include (Just to name a few) Bo-Beau Restaurant, Newport Pizza and Ale House, The Pearl Hotel, Olive Tree Tasting Room, and of course Pizza Port Ocean Beach. For a full list of restaurants (PDF form) serving this limited edition Pale Ale please click here.
The fair also has plenty to offer to its younger visitors. Also at the fair this year is the Wonderland Children’s area which offers pony rides, bounce houses, and games is located in the parking lot by US Bank.
New this year, is a huge water slide and a full laser tag area located in Saratoga Park by the beach. In fact, the water slide and laser tag will also be there on Sunday and will be raising money for the Fireworks fund.
The Ocean Beach Street Fair will take place Saturday June 23rd from 10:00am – 8:00pm. The fair festivities will be taking over the 4800-5000 blocks of Newport Avenue, along the waterfront and out into the pier parking lot. Trolley services from the Bacon Street and West Point Loma Blvd as well as the intersection of Sea World Dr. and PCH will be free from 9:30am-9:00pm. Parking in specified trolley lots will be free. For fair visitors arriving by bike, feel free to take part in free bike valet services while attending the event.
To learn even more about the Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili-Cook Off, please look below to check out our conversation with Executive Director of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association Denny Knox.
For people who have yet to visit an OB Street Fair, in your own words what are some of the wonderful things they can expect to experience Saturday June 23rd?
Wonderful things about the Street Fair – Chili Cook-Off is wild and lots of fun. We have a giant water slide this year and laser tag at Saratoga Park adjacent to the Lifeguard parking lot. We’ve added a new stage this year called Electric Ladyland – our only indoor stage. We’ve added an extra community mural because we have to turn away hundreds of people each year who want to paint a square of the mural. The two murals are: The regular street fair mural with a surfing theme and the 125th Anniversary mural. There will be almost twice the number of squares to paint. This is the 125th Anniversary of Ocean Beach so it will be a great event. There are so many people who love this community and enjoy celebrating it.
What does the mural art project represent to the community of Ocean Beach?
You can see the murals installed all over Ocean Beach and the OB MainStreet Association pays for the installation and maintenance. We also put out a walking brochure – self guided tour of all the murals.
How do artists come up with the idea for the mural project each year?
Some members of the Street Fair Committee meet with local artists and review some ideas. Right now, Janis Ambrosiani is the artist who works with us to come up with the designs. She’s a muralist and loves Ocean Beach so it is a good match.
Will there be multiple breweries serving beer in the beer garden? If so who can we expect to see?
Winston’s will be running the beer garden and they will have many types of beer. They are still negotiating with their distributor so I don’t have that information right at this moment.
With the fair going on its 33rd year, how long has the chili cook off been a part of the festivities? When and how did it become a staple at the OB Street Fair?
For most of the years actually. It has taken a number of different forms – Sanctioned Chili Cook-Off and Amateur Chili Cook-Off.
Did anyone with the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association give any input or work with Pizza Port on the 125th Anniversary Ale? Have you been lucky enough to try some yet and if so what was the reaction from OBMA members?
Yes, the head of our Promotion Committee, Tevia Schriebman, thought of the idea and Liz (from our office) contacted Pizza Port and it all started. Yes, we’ve all tried the beer and love it. Pizza Port is having trouble keeping up with the demand since we have many bars and restaurants who want to carry it. Liz talked to Yiga, the Brewmaster, and he is trying to keep up but they have had a couple of setbacks with their equipment. We’re hoping these problems will be solved soon but we don’t know how much will be available.
What would you say is your personal favorite event at the OB Street Fair?
Strolling along Cable Street and looking at all the Artist Alley booths (over 70 this year). It’s always fun and then going down to Bacon street and painting a square on the mural.
Please finish this sentence… At the OB Street Fair you will…
never be bored because there is something for everyone to enjoy.
We would like to thank Denny Knox and the OB MainStreet Association and Stacie Tharp with Brown Marketing Strategies. Please visit the Ocean Beach official website for official information on the Street Fair. All photos were used with permission by OBMSA.