OB Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off

Thank you for your unwavering support and excitement for the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association’s events throughout the year. Our events bring thousands of Ocean Beach and San Diego community members alike, as well as people from around the world. Because of this, we are always committed to providing fun and safe events for our community.

After careful consideration and seeking advice from health and government officials, we have decided to postpone our Annual Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off to June 26, 2021. Along with this postponement, we want to let everyone know of other important event updates:

As previously mentioned, the Annual Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off will be postponed to June 26, 2021. If you are worried about missing out on your annual t-shirt, don’t worry – we will recycle our logo and celebrate the 41st anniversary of our beloved street fair as planned.
The popular Ocean Beach Farmers Market will be back in early summer of this year. Please check back for more updates and an official date.
The Fourth of July OB Fireworks have been postponed to 2021. Although we will miss celebrating our country on this important and patriotic date, we want to protect our community members by avoiding overcrowding in light of current events. We hope everyone will honor this date in the best and safest way possible.
The Annual OB Oktoberfest, slated for October 9 and 10 of 2020, will keep its original date. We will monitor the current climate and provide updates if necessary.

The health and safety of our community, attendees and supporters is and will always be our priority. We wish everyone health and strength during these difficult times.

“Because our events bring local, national and international attendees, we must take extra precautions and careful consideration in our decision-making,” said Denny Knox, Executive Director of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association. “We will do everything we can to make our events as safe as possible for everyone in attendance. We remain just as excited for our upcoming events and we look forward to celebrating the 41st Annual Ocean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off with everyone.”

For further information, please contact Denny Knox at the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association office at 619-224-4906.

Sincerely,

The Ocean Beach MainStreet Association

The 41st Annual

Ocean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off Festival offers attendees eclectic fun in the sun for all ages. More than 70,000 visitors will attend the Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off from 10am to 8pm on Saturday, June 26, 2021, for tasty festival nosh, art, beachfront entertainment, shopping, and more. Entry to the Street Fair is always free! The Chili Competition featured tastings from amateur entrants competing for the titles of Hottest Chili, Judges' Award, and Grand Prize: People's Choice Award.

Street Fair Attractions

OB Chili Cooker, Vendors, Artists, Sponsors and Volunteers

Vendor Applications If you have questions about any of our applications, please contact Ocean Beach MainStreet Association at (619) 224-4906 or [email protected]. Thank you! Click one of the following links to view the application.

Four Stages of Continuous Music

There will be four stages of nonstop music throughout the day at the Annual OB Street Fair. Music genres will include acoustic, rock, blues, alternative, Americana, and more. The audiences will be entertained by musicians from everywhere - including right here in our own backyard.

Chili Cook-Off - 11:00 AM

The Chili Cook-Off competition is held in the grassy area between Newport Avenue and the Pacific. Competitors will show off their chili cooking chops by competing for great prizes... not to mention the satisfaction of winning! Is eating (rather than cooking) delicious chili more your speed? Put your tastebuds to the test and cast a vote alongside the judges! Chili tasting begins at 11am.

Artists Alley

Peruse handmade items from local and regional artists and crafters in this special section. Enjoy shopping for artists' handcrafted and unique items along with their entertaining art demonstrations! Read more to see our 2019 Artists Alley vendors, and keep checking back as we continue to add vendors!

Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off Festival Beer Garden

Beachside Beer Garden

The Beachside Beer Garden will be rockin' all day for guests 21+ looking to enjoy an ice cold brew with an ocean view. It will be right next to the main stage with live music from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Also, we'll have the Hodad's Burger Eating contest, and the Chili Cook-Off winners announcement. Both beer and mixed drinks will be available.

Rock & Roll San Diego

Rock & Roll San Diego will return for the Annual Ocean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off to reprise their experiential music booth. Channel your inner rock star and learn how to play a song in just 15 minutes!

Community Mural

Join in the fun and paint a square of the mural. Children and adults of all ages are welcome in creating these masterpieces! The squares sell out very quickly, so come early to buy your space. Squares are $20. You will receive a palette of paint along with your square.

FREE Trolley & Bike Valet

Ride to the festival for free! Go green and avoid the hassle of parking by riding a bike or taking a trolley to the Annual OB Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off Festival. We will offer a free bike valet, courtesy of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, as well as five free trolleys from our friends at Old Town Trolley Tour Company. Trolleys run continuously, so no one will miss any of the fun!

Kids Fun Zone

The Kids Fun Zone at the Annual Ocean Beach Street Fair will be tons of fun for the whole family! The Kids Fun Zone is located in the parking lot adjacent to US Bank near the corner of Newport Avenue and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard.

Photos from Past OB Street Fairs

The Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off Festival has been an OB tradition since the late 70s. Click to check out Photos from past Street Fairs!

Videos of the Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off

Experience the fun of recent Street Fairs with these cool videos! View Street Fair Videos

Official T-Shirts & Merchandise

Eager for this year's new t-shirt design? Looking to purchase a shirt from one of the previous Street Fair & Chili Cook-Offs? Look no further! Click Here to View All Merchandise.

History of the OB Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off Festival

In 1984, Ocean Beach had its first Chili Cook-off Festival with Mike Akey, current board of directors member of the OB MainStreet Association, as its founder. Back in the 1970s, Mike and his father Angie Scaramuzzo were chili enthusiasts and often traveled to chili cook-offs in the likes of Las Vegas, Balboa Island, Cabo San Lucas, and Guadalajara, just to mention a few. Mike’s dad once went to the world competition in Rosemond, California (a ghost town), to compete with his “Scaramuch Chili.” Angie also founded the Lake Havasu City Chili Cook-Off which is still going on today. Mike thought about starting a cook-off in OB and made the decision to do so in 1984...