Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off

The Chili Cook-Off competition is held in the grassy area between Newport Avenue and the Pacific Ocean. Tickets are – 2 tastings for $5 or $30 Master Ticket (includes voting for your favorite)Is eating (rather than cooking) delicious chili more your speed? Put your taste buds to the test and cast a vote alongside the judges! Chili tasting begins at 11 am - 1:30 pm. Competitors will show off their chili cooking chops by competing for great prizes... not to mention the satisfaction of winning! The application to apply to be a contestant will become available on February 1, 2026.

Not ready for the party to end? Check out these local venues and beach clubs for live music after the OB Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off. Winstons Beach Club, The Harp, and The Holding Company are all offering a continuation of epic entertainment.

The Hodad's Burger Eating Contest was held on the Sunset Stage from 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm. Last year, 1st place was Justin with 6 burgers, and 2nd place was the 2024 winner, Eddie, with 5 burgers.

2025 Winners: Sam Murray – Dirty Birds 35 wings!, Jayci Raine Gibbs – Connected Life 29 wings!, Angelo Devlin – OB Community Foundation 28 wings! Most Money Raised: Avery Jacoby – Dirty Birds $3,000, Alison Lyons – OB Woman’s Club $1,085, Adi Peron – Collective 42 $1,000

20 ADA spaces will be replaced. 10 - Santa Monica Ave. + 10 - Newport Ave. ADA drop-off location on the corner of Santa Monica Ave. & Bacon St. ADA signage provided by ACME Supply.

Fair Sponsorship, Volunteer, and Chili Cooker Opportunities are available for the 46th Annual Ocean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-off. Each year tens of thousands of people come out to enjoy this event which is a family-oriented experience, filling six square blocks with vendors selling arts, crafts, merchandise, food, and activities.

Please complete the application that best describes what you will sell at the event. Many changes have been made to this event, including but not limited to the layout. These changes have been made due to the City of San Diego’s updated Fire Marshall Requirements. Because of the updated layout, past vendors will not be guaranteed a specific location, and no space requests can be taken at this time to ensure the Fair is a success and safe for all vendors and patrons.

In 1984, Ocean Beach had its first Chili Cook-off with Mike Akey, the 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, 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 being done today. Mike thought about starting a cook-off in OB and decided to do so in 1984...