Ocean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off Festival SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013 | WWW.SDNEWS.COM 34TH ANNUAL 34TH ANNUAL 2013 SPECIAL EDITION ■ EVENT OVERVIEW, WELCOME — 3 ■ INSIDE THE CHILI COOK-OFF — 4 ■ KIDS FUN ZONE ACTIVITIES — 5 ■ ARTISTS’ ALLEY — 6 ■ MUSIC OVERVIEW — 7 ■ STAGE MAPS, SHOW TIMES — 8, 9, 16 ■ VENDOR BOOTHS LOCATOR — 8,9 ■ MUSICAL SPOTLIGHT — 12 ■ COMMUNITY MURAL PROJECT — 13 ■ VOLUNTEERS MAKE IT HAPPEN — 13 INSIDE: The Ocean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off Festival returns for its 34th installment on Saturday, June 22. An estimated 70,000 visitors are expected to revel in the streets and take in the sights and sounds of this sun-splashed seaside hamlet that prides itself on community spir- it and its unrivaled location adjacent to the glistening Pacific. The theme of this year’s street fair is “Wonderland,” below, a 100th-year cel- ebration of San Diego’s first amusement park right here in Ocean Beach in 1913. Cover photo by Jim Grant I The Beacon
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Ocean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off Festival
SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013 | WWW.SDNEWS.COM
34TH ANNUAL34TH ANNUAL
2013 SPECIAL EDITION
� EVENT OVERVIEW, WELCOME — 3
� INSIDE THE CHILI COOK-OFF — 4
� KIDS FUN ZONE ACTIVITIES — 5
� ARTISTS’ ALLEY — 6
� MUSIC OVERVIEW — 7
� STAGE MAPS, SHOW TIMES — 8, 9, 16
� VENDOR BOOTHS LOCATOR — 8,9
� MUSICAL SPOTLIGHT — 12
� COMMUNITY MURAL PROJECT — 13
� VOLUNTEERS MAKE IT HAPPEN — 13
INSIDE:
The Ocean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off Festival returns for its 34th installment on Saturday, June 22. An estimated 70,000 visitors areexpected to revel in the streets and take in the sights and sounds of this sun-splashed seaside hamlet that prides itself on community spir-it and its unrivaled location adjacent to the glistening Pacific. The theme of this year’s street fair is “Wonderland,” below, a 100th-year cel-ebration of San Diego’s first amusement park right here in Ocean Beach in 1913. Cover photo by Jim Grant I The Beacon
PAGE 2 | SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2013 | THE PENINSULA BEACON
34TH ANNUAL OCEAN BEACH STREET FAIR & CHILI COOK-OFF FESTIVALSATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013 • 10AM - 8PM • OBSTREETFAIR.COM • OCEANBEACHSANDIEGO.COM
It’s true that pretty much every neigh-borhood has some sort of communitygathering on its annual calendar. But inSan Diego, nothing compares to theOcean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off Festival. Now in its 34th year, theevent’s seaside location and friendlyatmosphere makes it easy to see whymore than 70,000 visitors annually takepart in the festivities.
Visitors strolling down NewportAvenue and the cross streets will find amultitude of fun activities to stimulatethe senses. With more than 250 ven-dors and artisans on hand, fairgoers willbe able to find foods from around theworld, as well arts and crafts rangingfrom jewelry to paintings.
Denny Knox, executive director of the
Ocean Beach MainStreet Association,has been associated with the street fairsince its inception. She said she’s amazedat how the event has expanded over thedecades.
“We grew it from a couple of picnictables and barbequing on a Weber grill— with a little music — into what it istoday, with tens of thousands of peopleexploring the streets of Ocean Beach,”she said.
Among the street fair’s highlights arethe wildly popular chili-cook off compe-tition and six stages of music, but alsoincreasingly popular is the Artists’ Alleysection. Now taking up two blocks ofCable Street, this part of the street fairhas grown into one of the top eventslocally for original arts and crafts.
However, what truly separates thisstreet fair from the others is the neigh-
borhood feel and community unity.Family friendly, the event includes a funzone for children, but beyond the rides,food and music, there is a real sense ofcivic pride to the proceedings. It’s inher-ent from the street fair’s main-stageopening with youngster Jaylin Brownsinging the National Anthem and theopportunity for fairgoers to participate inthe painting of a community mural.There will also be a raffle with prizesfrom area vendors, as well as donation
boxes, with proceeds going to help fundthe community’s annual Fourth of Julyfireworks display.
Wonderland Amusement Park takes center stage again after 100 years
This year’s street fair theme celebratesthe 100th anniversary of the short-livedbut historically rich WonderlandAmusement Park. Operating between1913 and 1916, the park’s openingkicked off the era of Ocean Beach as a
resort town. When Wonderland opened on July 4,
1913, it drew a crowd of 35,000 peopleto Ocean Beach, which was then a com-munity of only 300 residents.
Although the early amusement park— the first to be built in the city of SanDiego — only lasted for three years, itsbrief existence was pivotal to the devel-opment of Ocean Beach, according to
WELCOME TO THE FESTIVAL! 3SATURDAY · JUNE 22, 2013THE PENINSULA BEACON
A special message from the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association (OBMA)
Welcome to our celebrated and eagerly anticipated year-ly community tradition. This year, the street fair is celebrat-ing the 100th anniversary of an Ocean Beach icon — theWonderland Amusement Park. The street fair offers fun inthe sun for all ages and interests, including:
• Six stages of live, free and continuous music, providinga tune for every ear.
• Artists’ Alley hosts handcrafted and uniqueitems, along with entertaining art demonstra-tions.
• Community Mural Art Project — Join inthe fun and paint a square in one of the com-munity murals paying homage to Wonder-land’s 100th anniversary and a beach-themedmural. Children and adults of all ages are wel-come in creating these masterpieces.
• “Wonderland Take Two” — In addition to the Won-derland children’s area located in the 4800 block of NewportAvenue, we’ve added a “Wonderland Take Two” area inSaratoga Park to re-create the amusement park feel for allages. Ride a mechanical shark, hang from a Velcro wall,enjoy the animal playland.
• Chili cook-off from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., or when the chiliruns out at the foot of Newport Avenue. Tickets go on sale at
10 a.m. so get there early! • Beachside Beer Garden and Liquorland (sponsored by
Winston’s Beach Club) — will be located right next to theMain Stage for adults to quench their thirst. Don’t miss outon the second annual bloody Mary contest from 11 a.m. to2 p.m.
• Scrumptious food vendors and local restaurant fare in adazzling array for all appetites. Colorful merchandise will
also line all three blocks of Newport Avenue and theside streets.
• The amazing raffle — This event raisesmoney for the Fourth of July community fire-works show that goes off from the Pier everyyear. Win an Ocean Beach Surf and Sun pack-age, Shop ’til You Drop package, craft beer and
live entertainment package and more. • A bike valet (sponsored by Therapie Day Spa)
will be available to help avoid the traffic, so let theSan Diego Bike Coalition do the parking for you. The first
25 people will receive a free foot scrub and anyone who parkstheir bike in the valet will receive a free manicure or pedicurewith the purchase of another Therapie service.
For more information about the Ocean Beach Street Fairand Chili Cook-Off Festival and other activities throughoutthe year, visit oceanbeachsandiego.com, or call (619) 224-4906.
Welcome to the 34th annual Ocean Beach Street Fair
and Chili Cook-Off Festival!
OB’s street fair, chili cook-off poised to dazzle and sizzle
The theme of this year’s street fair centers on the 100th anniversary of the WonderlandAmusement Park in Ocean Beach — the very first amusement park in San Diego. Though itwas washed away into the ocean during a brutal storm after three years of operation, its ele-gance is still captured in photos. This is the Wonderland ballroom as it looked in 1913.
Photo courtesy of the Ocean Beach Historical Society
BY BART MENDOZA | THE BEACON
SEE WONDERLAND, Page 11
PAGE 4 | SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2013 | THE PENINSULA BEACON
34TH ANNUAL OCEAN BEACH STREET FAIR & CHILI COOK-OFF FESTIVALSATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013 • 10AM - 8PM • OBSTREETFAIR.COM • OCEANBEACHSANDIEGO.COM
Chili cook-off competitors find unique ways to turn up the heat Though there are dozens of activities
at the annual Ocean Beach Street Fair,the event’s signature component is thechili cook-off competition.
Taking place at Veterans Plaza at thefoot of Newport Avenue, the tastingbegins at 11 a.m. — though be pre-pared. The line typically begins formingat 10 a.m.
Tickets for tasting and judging theconcoctions of the various chili-makingentrants are $1 for two servings, or for$10, visitors can get a people’s choiceticket, allowing them to sample all of theteams’ chili offerings.
This year, there will be nearly twodozen competitors in two categories —restaurant and amateur — with judgingbased on consistency, smell, color andtaste.
According to Dave Martin, presidentof the Ocean Beach Town Council and
owner of Shades restaurant, there are, ofcourse, prizes for the winners. But Mar-tin said the main motivation betweenmany of the competitors is braggingrights.
“The entrants take this extremely seri-ously,” Martin said. “They work on theirrecipes all year round and do what theycan, go to whatever marketing extentthey can to get people to sample theirchili.”
He said this extends to the recipes thatgo into the various versions of the dish.
“It’s always great fun to see how peo-ple have decorated their booth to drawattention, or see the extent to whichthey’ll go to make things different,” Mar-tin said.
“I use ground corn in my recipe, butin the 10 years I’ve done this, I’ve seenjust about everything you can imagine,”he said. “I’ve seen them use gunpowderfrom a blank that’s been fired, I’ve seenthem use rattlesnake. A lot of them use
bison. Just about anything to make itstand out. However, a lot of people thesedays are going toward the vegetariantaste.”
The chili cook-off is an extremely pop-ular contest, with the sound of a bull-horn setting off a stampede of hungryguests.
Luckily, if the competition chili isgone, chili connoisseurs have the optionof buying some of the 60 gallons ofcommittee chili, provided by Shades.Both beef and vegetarian varieties willbe available at $2 a bowl.
“It takes us three days total to make,”Martin said. “It’s a day to get all theingredients together and then we cookall the way through the event.”
Visitors are advised to arrive earlybecause the chili pots are usually emptyby 2 p.m.
All the proceeds from the chili cook-offgo toward the annual Ocean BeachFourth of July fireworks display.
Servers dish up some tasty chili samples to visitors during last year’s chili cook-off compe-tition. A word of advice: get there early before the samples run out. Typically, the chili disap-pears by 2 p.m., if not before. Photo by Jim Grant I The Beacon
BY BART MENDOZA | THE BEACON
OB STREET FAIR & CHILI COOK-OFF 2013 5SATURDAY · JUNE 22, 2013
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Kids’ fun zone offers magical, wondrous experience for the younger sets
There will be plenty of activities, rides and games to keep young ones occupied during thestreet fair. The Fun 4 Kids area, which will carry through the street fair’s overarching themeof Wonderland, will include such activities as face painting. Photo by Jim Grant I The Beacon
The children’s fun zone area will again featurethe giant slide that never ceases to thrillyoung fairgoers. Photo by Mercy Arcolas I The Beacon
Of all the areas of the Ocean BeachStreet Fair, the component with the clos-est connection to this year’s theme of theWonderland Amusement Park’s 100thanniversary is the Fun 4 Kids area, alsoknown as Wonderland, in the 4800block of Newport Avenue.
While the entire event is family friend-ly, the younger will encounter a wealth ofactivities for ages 3-10. Like its century-old forebear, this mini Wonderland offersa mix of music, rides and fun things forkids and young-at-heart parents. There isalso no shortage of kid-friendly food ven-dors, ranging from traditional treats likesnow cones, kettle corn and cotton candyto healthier options.
There is plenty to do for the activeyoungster. The most visible attraction atWonderland is the giant inflatable slide,perfect for little daredevils. But organizers
said the most popular spot is the ponyride. Even children who don’t want toride the ponies want to watch them,ensuring a picture-perfect spot for par-ents. Low-cost rides are available forthose 6 months and older and weighingless than 100 pounds.
Visitors will also find carnival-stylerides for a reasonable price, includingchair swings and spinning teacups. Addi-tionally, various bounce houses and asmall merry-go-round will be on site giv-ing smaller children plenty of options.
Other activities include face painting,caricature artists and mimes. It all addsup to Wonderland being a fun and color-ful area that will hold a young child’sattention and imagination for hours.
Entertainment on the adjacent Won-derland Stage features primarily acousticacts, except the bands Destructo Bunnyat 3:30 p.m. and The Krass Brothers at 5 p.m.
One of the more popular sections ofthe Ocean Beach Street Fair is Artists’Alley, where artisans display and sell theircreations. Over the last two years, thisonce small part of the street fair hasbecome a mini-festival within a festival,expanding to take in two blocks of CableStreet at Newport Avenue.
A particularly colorful and vibrantarea, it’s the perfect place to get uniquehandmade gifts. Visitors will find every-thing from jewelry to paintings, clothingto musical instruments — all of themhandcrafted. Guests will encounter some-thing for every taste at the booths alongCable Street.
Faron Shear has been organizingArtists’ Alley for 10 years.
“I actually helped out the people whoran it before me, so I kind of inherited it,”Shear said.
With 75 vendors taking part thisyear, there is plenty to check out at thestreet fair.
“There are so many [media] out there,you want to get variety of artisans so thatit’s not all just one thing,” she said.
In the decade she has run Artists’ Alley,she said she’s seen many trends come andgo, but she’s particularly happy to seemore young people becoming involved.
“The group of artists that are in their20s and 30s are really coming up withsome interesting stuff,” she said, notingmore men have begun to take part now.
For this year’s event, she has groupedmany of the newer artists in the parkinglot at Newport Avenue and Cable Street.
As a prime opportunity to get one’swares in front of a large group of poten-tial customers, spots in Artists’ Alley arecoveted and go quickly once online regis-tration opens.
“We have up to a 50 percent returnrate,” Shear said. “We have a lot of SanDiego people and quite a few fromOcean Beach, but they come from allover California. Some of these artistshave been coming to this longer thanI’ve been here.”
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PAGE 6 | SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013 | THE PENINSULA BEACON
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Artists’ Alley continues to shape OB community’s love of art
Artists’ Alley is one of the more popular components of the street fair where visitors can immerse themselves in artwork spanning the spec-trum, from jewelry to paintings. Photo by Maria Epsten I The Beacon
BY BART MENDOZA | THE BEACON
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Along with the seaside location andtasty chili, the biggest attraction to theannual street fair is likely the huge selec-tion of music to be found across its sixstages. Throughout the day, visitors willfind everything from world music to hip-hop and from Americana to tributebands.
Booked by Ted Wigler, owner of Win-ston’s Beach Club and the 710 BeachClub, as well as Michael Head of HeadTrap Recording Studios, the 2013 OceanBeach Street Fair will feature music from38 performers.
“The first thing we look for is a varietyof bands,” said Head. “We really try tooffer a diverse and entertaining lineup.”
He said the performers are mostly cho-sen by online submissions or press kits.
“We try to offer a very fair share ofbands from Ocean Beach, but we haveartists from all over San Diego andthroughout California, as well as nation-ally.”
He said far more performers submitmusic for consideration than organizershave space for.
“Bands know this is a cool gig,” Headsaid. “Between the big crowds and thelocation, it’s hard to beat.”
The stages at the street fair follow gen-eral themes, based on their location.
Of the five outdoor stages, The Artist’sAlley Stage features Americana, bluesand jazz with a bill topped by Cajun andZydeco favorites, Billy Lee and theSwamp Critters at 6 p.m. The Wonder-land Stage is groove, acoustic and hip-
hop oriented, with featured sets from hip-hop locals Destructo Bunny at 3:30 p.m. and soul jazz hybrid The KrassBrothers at 5 p.m. The Sparkling IceStage (formerly the Bacon Sun stage) fea-tures Americana and Alternative rockwith Head’s own band, The CountryRockin’ Rebels at 1:30 p.m. and retrorocker Chris Leyva at 4:30 p.m. amongthe highlights. Meanwhile, the 92107OB Stage has a focus on Ocean Beachartists, including such favorites as acous-tic trio Black Bottom Pie at 10 a.m. andthe New Orleans-inspired blues rock ofthe Lady Luck Review at 1:30 p.m. Final-ly, the main stage is possibly the mostdiverse of the venues, set to includemusic from Grateful Dead tribute groupThe Electric Waste Band at 5:15 p.m. andworld music favorites Todo Mundo at6:45 p.m.
The indoor stage of the OB Playhousewill be the site of the street fair’s sixthstage, featuring more experimental andexotic sounds, like Unidentified FusionOrangement at noon.
Head said staging outdoor eventsoffers unique challenges, from movingbands in and out through crowds to thevariables of weather.
“However, they are the best type ofevents because so many different peoplelove them,” he said. “You can movearound and take in a variety of acts in asingle day.”
Sitarist Greg Vaughn of Gypsy rockand bellydance group Danyavaad & theShimmy Sisters (OB Playhouse at 3 p.m.),agrees.
“We love playing shows where we can
be experienced by lots of people whohave never seen or heard us before,” hesaid. “Events like the street fair expose usto lots of new people. It’s fun to watchpeople react to our show and becomenew fans.”
Local rock and reggae group Jet West,which performs on the OB Music Stage at6 p.m., has played the street fair in thepast.
“We love Ocean Beach and we lookforward to this gig every year. The culture
and vibe OB brings really helps you feelright at home when on stage,” said JetWest guitarist Chris Warner.
This will be Head’s third straight yearbooking music for the street fair, but he’s
OB STREET FAIR & CHILI COOK-OFF 2013 7SATURDAY · JUNE 22, 2013THE PENINSULA BEACON
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Street fair music lineups again stacked with talent and punch
Ocean Beach provides the perfect backdrop for local, state and national musicians during the OB Street Fair and Chili-Cook-Off, whichthis year will feature six stages and 38 performers. Photo by Jim Grant I The Beacon
SEE MUSIC, Page 12
BY BART MENDOZA | THE BEACON
PAGE 8 | SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013 | THE PENINSULA BEACON THE PENINSULA BEACON | SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013 | PAGE 9
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OB STREET FAIR & CHILI COOK-OFF 2013 11SATURDAY · JUNE 22, 2013
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members of the Ocean Beach HistoricalSociety.
The park even included the largestroller coaster on the West Coast at thetime.
Originally located at Abbott Streetbetween Volatire Street and the ocean,the park is long gone, washed away bythe sea in a brutal storm. But it’s legacylives on, in a way, in the San Diego Zoo.
When Wonderland closed, it’smenagerie was rented to the Panama-California Exposition taking place in1915-16 at Balboa Park. The menageriewas later sold to the zoo.
More details about the street fairThe Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili
Cook-Off continues to be the showcaseof the community, with its wealth ofactivities, food offerings, arts displaysand people watching.
But another key ingredient to theevent’s success is its huge lineup of musi-cal entertainers, which this year will fea-ture 38 performers on six differentstages, ranging from from Americana tohip-hop.
This year’s performers were onceagain booked by Winston’s Beach Clubowner Ted Wigler and Head Trap MusicStudio chief Michael Head.
“We had hundreds of artists apply,”said Head. “The chance to play in frontof a large, all-ages audience like this iscoveted by bands from throughout thecountry.”
Jeffrey Dewine of the soul-jazz hybridband The Krass Brothers, which per-forms on the Wonderland Stage at 5 p.m., agreed.
“We were recently discussing the con-cept of performing for people who don’t
have the means to go out for a night atthe club. This event allows everyone inthe community to have an opportunityto enjoy live music and arts for free,” saidDewine.
The Main Stage sits at the foot ofNewport Avenue, next to the beer gar-den. Here, in addition to music through-out the day, you’ll also hear the singingof the National Anthem by Jaylin Brownwhen the event officially kicks off at10:50 a.m.
The naming of this year’s winners inthe chili cook-off competition takes placeat 2 p.m.
New this year is a game and small-ride area at Saratoga Park, located atEbers Street and Saratoga Avenue, withinteractive activities for all ages likebungee runs and wall climbing.
For anyone who would rather avoidthe traffic and parking situations inher-ent in such large gatherings, there willbe four free trolleys running continu-ously every half-hour from 9:30 a.m. to9 p.m.
Fairgoers can park their cars at twoouter parking lots (Robb Field and TheSunrunner Lot at Pacific Highway andSea World Drive) and shuttle directly tothe street fair, with the dropoff directly atArtists’ Alley.
Meanwhile, those opting for a green-er form of transportation will find a bicy-cle valet service in front of Winston’sBeach Club on Bacon Street, courtesy ofthe Bicycle Coalition.
With 34 years of working on thestreet fair to her credit, Knox said she isthrilled to witness what the event hasgrown into since its inception as a trulygrassroots neighborhood party.
“I love the wonder of it all when peo-ple come to the event,” she said. “Juststanding there, you can see all the peo-ple and how much fun they’re having.That’s my favorite part.”
WONDERLANDCONTINUED FROM Page 3
Visitors pack the chili cook-off competition in 2012. The wildly popular component of the Ocean Beach Street Fair draws thousands ofpeople eager to taste the latest and greatest recipes cooked up by locals and merchants. Photo by Jim Grant I The Beacon
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34TH ANNUAL OCEAN BEACH STREET FAIR & CHILI COOK-OFF FESTIVALSATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013 • 10AM - 8PM • OBSTREETFAIR.COM • OCEANBEACHSANDIEGO.COM
PAGE 12 | SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013 | THE PENINSULA BEACON
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been a longtime volunteer. “It’s funny, Iworked for the Artists’ Alley Stage rightout of high school,” said Head. “It’s been
full circle.” After all this time, he said hisfavorite part of the event remains thesame.
“It’s seeing all of the happy faces andpeople all enjoying the event. It really iswhy we put this thing on every year,” hesaid.
MUSICCONTINUED FROM Page 7
A variety of musical acts willl take to the oceanfront main stage (above and below) and fiveother stages during the street fair. Photos by Jim Grant I The Beacon
Some musical acts to watch for in the OB Street Fair’s stage lineup
The Artists’ Alley Stagefeatures Americana,blues and jazz with a billtopped by Cajun andZydeco favorites BillyLee and the SwampCritters, left, at 6 p.m.
The Wonderland Stage is groove, acoustic and hip-hop oriented,with featured sets from hip-hop locals Destructo Bunny at 3:30 p.m. and soul jazz hybrid The Krass Brothers, above, at 5 p.m.
The Sparkling Ice Stage (formerly Bacon Sun stage) featuresAmericana and alternative rock with The Country Rockin’ Rebels(above) at 1:30 p.m. and retro rocker Chris Leyva at 4:30 p.m.
Be sure and stop by at the Street Fair and vote for your
favorite photo in the Beacon’s Annual Photo Contest
Beacon Booth #118(4900 Block of Newport, near Cable)
Long before the advent of onlinesocial networking, people were connect-ing through community art and, in theprocess, giving neighborhoods a senseof history and identity.
In Ocean Beach, community muralslocated on buildings around the neigh-borhood capture the essence of the sea-side town. Defining and engaging, muralthemes range from surfing to cars andflag-waiving Americana.
On June 22, visitors to the 34th annu-al OB Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off Fes-tival can put their talents to the test asthey celebrate the 100th anniversary ofthe Wonderland Amusement Park,which thrilled residents at the turn ofthe century briefly on the shoreline ofOcean Beach around 1913. Childrenand adults of all ages are welcome tocreate masterpieces
The spaces sell out quickly, so partic-ipants are encouraged to come early tobuy a space. The mural will be stationedat its traditional spot at Surf ’n’ Sea Cus-tom Wetsuits, 1874 Bacon St. Squaresare $10 each.
“The community mural has to be oneof my favorite activities of the day,” saidBarbara Iacometti, street fair chairwom-an and president of the Ocean BeachMainStreet Association. “It’s not only alot of fun for people who participate, butit is a significant part of Ocean Beach’sbeautification. People love coming downand seeing all the art we have displayedacross town.”
Ocean Beach artist and communityactivist Rich James started the art projectin 1999. When he died in 2008, hisfriend and mentor Janis Ambrosianitook over the mural project.
Locations for this year’s completed
murals will be announced after thestreet fair.
For more information, call (619) 224-4976, or visit oceanbeachsandiego.com.
— Staff
OB STREET FAIR & CHILI COOK-OFF 2013 13SATURDAY · JUNE 22, 2013
THE PENINSULA BEACON
Interactive community mural letsyou express your own artistic flair
Volunteers help keep paintsand supplies organized asstreet fair visitors leave theirown marks on the communi-ty mural. Courtesy photo by Joe Ewing
Youngsters show off their artistic talents asthey make their own contributions to thecommunity mural during last year’s OceanBeach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off Festival.
Courtesy photo by Joe Ewing
Year after year, volunteersare the backbone of streetfair, chili cook-off festival
The single-most important aspect ofthe Ocean Beach Street Fair is volun-teerism. It simply wouldn’t be possibleto stage the street fair or other civicevents without the tireless dedication ofthose who toil behind the scenes for nopay and, in large part, without anydesire for recognition of their selfless ser-vice.
Many volunteers intentionally shyaway from the spotlight when it comesto kudos and media exposure.
According to Denny Knox, executivedirector of the Ocean Beach MainStreetAssociation, there is a 35-member StreetFair Planning Committee. But on top ofthat, there will be around 140 volun-teers on the day of the festival to keepthings running smoothly.
SEE VOLUNTEERS, Page 14
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“We order 175 shirts [for volunteers]each year and we use all but about five or10 of them,” she said.
Volunteers take care of everythingfrom manning information booths toassisting at stages or selling raffle ticketsto raise funds for the annual OceanBeach Fourth of July fireworks display.Knox said many people volunteer yearafter year out of a sense of civic duty.
“It’s a great way to give back to thecommunity,” she said.
One key volunteer is event chairwom-an Barbara Iacometti, who also serves aspresident of the Ocean Beach Main-Street Association. She considers the
street fair to be thetown’s showcase.
“It’s such a greatcommunity eventthat really brings alot of money into thearea,” said Iacomet-ti. “It’s really a greatthing to be a part of.”
As part of hercommitment asc h a i r w o m a n ,Iacometti said it’s all about organization,paperwork and planning before the event.On the day of the street fair, she pre-pares to be called upon for any mannerof situations.
“Anytime there are things that aren’tgoing quite right, I can smooth thingsover quickly and get things organized,”
she said.While it all makes for a long day, she
said she enjoys watching the ebb andflow of activity.
“I come out at 3 in the morning andI get to watch it all get set up as the peo-ple from the bars are going home,” shesaid. “It’s great watching people comeout and enjoy what Ocean Beach hasto offer. I usually stay until 10 p.m.”
She praised all the volunteers for theirkey contributions.
“They are what makes this all possi-ble. They’re important,” Iacometti said,who credits the success of the event to agroup effort.
“We couldn’t do it without the peoplewho come out and donate four hoursof their time,” she said. “They are real-ly what makes the street fair work.”
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Come check out the Beacon booth and say “Hello!”During your travels up and down the street fair, make it a point to swing by the PeninsulaBeacon booth on Newport Avenue and vote for your favorite photo in the Beacon’s annualamateur photo contest! Also, grab a copy of our 2013-14 Ocean Beach/Point Loma Visitors’Guide that gives you complete listings of community activities and attractions throughout theyear.