HarborFest is a great yearly festival the Chula Vista puts on. It was my first time and I was quite…read morepleased with the festival. Highlights for my were the food truck alley, nostalgic car roll, the many artisan vendors, not to mention the additional food vendors, and the entertainment on the several stages. I interacted with a number of the vendors, volunteers, and festival goers and everyone was great. I liked that they had stuff for adults and families to enjoy, and I especially loved that they had a place sectioned off only for adults with libations and eats. The festival is also situated at a great park, J Street Marina Bayside Park, with its great view of San Diego harbor.

The Chula Vista HarborFest was a fun event, although somewhat chaotic. We were given free tickets…read moreby The Man which included a couple of drinks and access to the Seafood Tastings event. A lot of Ceviche! Unfortunately, the seafood ran out early for several of the vendors, but I guess that just shows how popular this event is, eh? We discovered a couple of truly outstanding places we want to check out - one in La Jolla on Girard and the other right here in CV! After the bites and sips, we walked around the HarborFest grounds to check out the various booths, including commercial, governmental, and NGO's like Scripps Aquarium and Seaworld (maybe Seaworld doesn't qualify as an NGO - at least their stockholders are hoping so, LOL). Everybody seemed to be having a great time. There were three live stages with bands and lots of activities for the kiddies. The weather was balmy and the bay breeze really made this a pleasant day in the sun. Unlike others, we were able to park for free on the street. The $10 "preferred parking" in a dirt lot was silly. We were closer to the entrance than a lot of the paying customers! This event shows a lot of promise, and with a little more organization, I know it is going to be even more fun in the future!

We went last weekend to the amps and Ales beer festival in Chula Vista. We had a great afternoon…read more The price was awesome, the event was not overcrowded, the music was great, the beer selection was amazing, decent food selections. All in all it was a great afternoon I can't wait for next year!

I think that most of the people who attended Saturday, May 14 2016's sold out inaugural edition of…read moreChula Vista's Avenue Amps & Ales would agree that the festival was largely successful. Even though the weather remained pretty gloomy throughout everyone seemed in good spirits (pun intended). While this is certainly one of the smaller beer festivals in the San Diego area, attendance was limited to 500 people, there was a good selection of local San Diego County Breweries, a few from further afield and even a couple from Europe. Everyone I spoke with seemed to be having a good time. My only complaint was the music was a bit loud and given the small footprint the actual festival took place in it was hard to get away from it. Admittedly none of the bands played music that was in any styles that I like so that may have affected my opinion here. However, I will say that at times having any kind of a conversation was pretty difficult. Bottom line: If you like beer keep an eye out for the Sophomore year of this festival around mid May of next year (and particularly if you live in the South County area this is the closest to home beer fest yet). Overall a great first try and a thumbs up to the people at the Third Avenue Village Association for putting this on. See ya' next year! Cheers!

This festival was a massive disappointment. It wasnt on my radar but a friend had a spare ticket so…read morewhat's the worst that could go wrong? A lot, actually. The $12 tickets seems fair, until you realize all it gets you is in the door (after paying $20 in parking). There was not a significant amount of taco vendors and most were ridiculously overpriced ($20+ for three tacos) and had similar quality to what you might find at a county fair. As for the tequila tastings, its seems they instructed all the vendors to portion out .5oz shots to pour into your tasting glass and you only get six of these pours for the low price of $50! (+fees). Want a margarita? Well it seems like they may have whispered a bit of tequila into the sugary mess they poured into your cup. Well you know what you're getting with beer right? They'll happily sell you a Tecate for $12 and it wont even be on draft. Better value can honestly be found at Petco Park. Even finding a place to sit was harder than it should have been as there were way less tables in the eating are then there were people in attendance. We shared a table with some fellow festival goers, who were also disappointed in the cold, soggy carne asada fries they were served. No one deserves that. I would highly recommend this festival to anyone who hates money. And themselves.

Major rip off- It's a glorified average food truck street fair with overpriced drinks! Skip it!…read more It's $45 for a ticket with a margarita and then you have e to pay another $59 to sample 6 tiny tiny samples of different tequila. It's the music people come for and would save the dollars and spend elsewhere. Margaritas are $17.50!!

I've gone the last two years and had a BALL! There is both VIP and general seating. The VIP area…read moreoffers tables, chairs, shade, and waiters who take your food orders (or you can walk around and purchase your food on your own). They serve Mexican and Cuban food, water, and alcohol. The View is AMAZING, because it's right next to the water. Also, the general seating is cool if you prefer to bring your chairs, umbrellas, blankets and chill. The only restriction is bringing coolers or your own food and beverages. The music is live and amazing! AND, they even have a dance floor - outside! It's hosted by DJ Chris Springer of 88.3 FM

A great afternoon of Latin music and food! THe location right next to the water was beautiful.read more

I'm happy it was bigger this time more vendor's which was nice to see. And business where open also…read morewhich was nice We enjoyed the music at the stage which was Santana soul and I happened to to be wearing Santana T shirt for a my last concert lol. And I had Dole whip which great on warm day But the real treat Mujer Divina burrito & coffee house 218 is the best burritos We walked in right before they closed and the owner came out to talk to us. They are not the same place next store or associated with Mujer Divina Brunch Cafe, Glad we asked Easy toys are always on my list of a store because He is L.A Dodger fan he sells Dodger gear And he asked to if I want sell my shirt funny Not happening

This was my first time attending Chula Vista's Lemon Festival. I honestly did not know what to…read moreexpect coming into this but much to my surprise, the event was very well organized, and I had a really great time. I really liked how there were multiple stages with performances that range from mariachi, DJs playing 80s music, live band, and dancers. They were all very entertaining. This was a family event that had a huge section dedicated just for kids. They had arts and crafts, games, bouncers, slides, and many more! I liked how there were many props and backdrops for photo ops. Where the event fell a little short for me was the food. I guess somehow I was expecting to see a lot of vendors selling lemon themed food, desserts, and beverages. There were a few vendors who sold lemon cookies and cakes, but it was far and few in between. Overall, I had fun and would go again next year! Parking wasn't so bad since I parked in a residential area and walked a few blocks.

What an idea! Pop up a movie anywhere. Could your street be next?…read morePAC-Arts in San Diego is putting on Drive-by Cinema around town. Just find a location and pop up a classic movie! This kickoff event was so fun, we will certainly follow them on twitter to see where they pop up next!

It was an excellent experience to learn and sample classics and batches only offered at the event…read more The variety of vendors made it possible to satisfy all from experienced to newcomers. It was our first time staying in Tijuana and attending the festival. The food was excellent, we tried the brisket. Your $10 entrance fee allows you all-day access. We purchased bottles you can't get in Cali. We're looking forward to next year's expo.

I was the first time at Tequila Expo which was October 11-14 in the year 2018. The location next…read moreto the building of Jai Alai at Avenida Revolucion and Calle 7 from 3 PM to 1 AM. Admission 100 Mexican Pesos or US $ 5. You can try free different types of tequila and you can also buy tequilas. There are also performances, Mexican folklore like dances, music, and songs. There is also a food court next to it. It is worth visiting and I recommend it. Tequila Expo in Tijuana is every year. My recommendation to avoid headaches buy good quality tequila with the words on the bottle "100% Agave" - BTW "How to Take a Straight Tequila Shot - The Spruce Eats https://www.thespruceeats.com ' Drinks & Cocktails ' Cocktails ' Cocktail Basics Feb 5, 2019 - "Lick, Sip, Suck" Moisten the back of your hand below the index finger (usually by licking) and pour on the salt. Lick the salt off your hand. The salt lessens the burn of the tequila. Drink the tequila. Quickly bite into and suck the lemon or lime wedge. The sour fruit balances and enhances the flavor of the tequila."

I had the most amazing time at the Grand Fiesta event of the SDBWFF. Thank you so much to Yelp SD…read moreand Hannah for the complimentary tickets! I got to Liberty station shortly after the event began, and parking was still plentiful. While the line looked intimidating, it moved pretty quickly after they began organizing multiple lanes. Lines for food inside the event also moved pretty quickly, and I was able to eat my taco while waiting for my next bite. There were a ton of wine and spirits options but some nonalcoholic beverage options as well. The restaurants that showed up showed OUT. While they did start running out towards the end of the event, there were a lot of quality ingredients on display. There was a live band that really set the mood, and lots of cute decor. There were definitely more booths than I had time or stomach space to hit. I think I literally ate 10 tacos and several beverages, and was so stuffed that I had to drink pu'er tea for digestion when I got home. I sampled fantastic shrimp tacos, ceviche, steak, street tacos, and more creative offerings including a Korean inspired taco and a bbq inspired taco. I did not stay for the taco competition at the very end, in order to beat traffic leaving Liberty station. However, I had an amazing time at this event and cannot wait for this festival to roll back around next year! I hope to make it to the Grand Tasting next year.

This review is for a portion of the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival called The Grand Fiesta…read more The festival itself has several events over the course of a few days. I have been to the Grand Tasting a few times in the past and really enjoyed it. This time, the Grand Tasting didn't fit into my schedule, but the Grand Fiesta did, and I was very fortunate to score some free tickets from Yelp, and was able to invite a friend to join me. The Grand Fiesta takes place in Liberty Station. Though a busy area, there was plenty of parking. We arrived to wait in line about 15 minutes before the gates opened. Once opened, it took about 5 minutes to get inside. The event lasted three hours for general admission. The Grand fiesta was mostly Mexican-themed with a lot of wines from Baja, as well as a taco competition. I was not able to taste all of the tacos, so I opted not to vote. I loved that there was so much seafood. One of my favorites was Guantanos II Seafood (located in Spring Valley) that served a ton of fresh seafood. Another favorite was a very well balanced middle-eastern taco, though I cannot remember the name of the restaurant that served it. There were even a couple of delicious desserts. I liked that there were wines from various different nearby regions, as well as tequilas and varieties of mezcal. I enjoyed the Day of the Dead figures that were present throughout, as well as the roaming mariachi band. I think the big downfall of the Grand Fiesta, is that there were absolutely zero tables or belly bars. With a wine glass in one hand and a taco in the other, it was really hard to eat and to stay relatively neat without being able to ever stop and set anything down. Luckily, a friend gave me a tray that helped a bit with that situation. They also could have used a few hand washing stations. A few of the food vendors had super long lines, so we chose to go elsewhere. Also, a few ran out of food really early on. All in all, it was a really fun event. I am glad that I attended and would definitely return.

I have gone a few times over the last 15 years…read more Parking is first come first serve and in the surrounding neighborhoods and then you use the heel and toe express to get over to the street fair. The fair is free to walk around, shop, buy food and drink, listen to the bands. The bands are loud and there are several sound stages. There are booths selling the festival merch, like shirts and hats, and I assume that helps to continue to put on the festival\. The ad said 300 vendors, not sure if there were really 300, but there were a bunch for sure. Definitely a fun thing to check out if you are in the area and wanting a street festival to try.

People who don't like street fairs never leave their house. I've heard about this fair for years -…read moreit's always the last weekend in September. And it can be pretty hot in Sept, so bring your floppy hats and plenty of water. This was the 40th year with 66 bands - some are 'hit or miss' - but a great selection of music. Lots of vendors for things like solar panels to pest control to food. Most of the food is a little deeper in the festival - but you've got your solid basics: gyros, bbq, and ..... well......fried. Pup friendly but be sure to travel on the off-hours. Nice selection of pet friendly vendors too (leashes, bowls, tons of pet stuff)! Lots of fun for the whole family - it's nice to get out after being locked down for so many years!

I love attending every year and parking at the Ski Beach Shuttle area lot was just so easy and the…read moreshuttles have A.C!!! My favorite stand this year was Dellsubi! I just love how they dressed up their spam musubi and the line was not as long compared to the other vendors. I highly recommend all of the little shops with the li hing candies, Hawaiian snacks and outfits! It's just fun to explore and watch all of the amazing dancers!

The Pacific Island Festival Association (PIFA) event has been going on for 31 years in Mission Bay…read morein SD in September. They celebrate all of the Pacific Island Cultures. Persons from Guam and Samoa were well represented here! The main stage features entertainment every thirty minutes. I came here to see my six year old niece do some hula; however, they had cultural exhibitions for the entire weekend! Also cool are the cultural merch and food that you can get here. I was able to get a really solid 3 meat sampling of Chamorro (Guamanian) food for $25, which came with a red rice, 3 meats, and creamy greens. Lines could be pretty long for food and it can get pretty hot at the park; however, we had a good time as we were here in the morning before the sun brought down its wrath on the crowds. We parked for free at the Sun Runner Parking lot off Sea World Parkway, and they had shuttles that took you to the event from the lot for $2 per person. If you are coming to this event, then I think this is a great way to get to the event. The event is running through the end of this weekend. I primarily come to support family that participates; however, we did find some good food and Pacific Islander vendors, so it was a good time overall!