San Diego Weekend Guide: June 27-29 – Suds & Spices

If chili is your passion – obsession, maybe? – this is your San Diego weekend, whether in the city or in North County. And maybe craft beer too? Then this really is your weekend – and we mean, all weekend.

But first, perhaps you should work off some calories up front. Downtown Skate begins Friday at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina so you can bounce, rock, skate and roll with a waterfront view for $20 a session. The rink opens daily at noon through July 9.

If you’re classically inclined, Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills has a gem this weekend, and – preview – one next week too. Singin’ in the Rain, starring Gene Kelly in this iconic scene, screens at 8 p.m. Friday and Sunday. Coming up Thursday though July 6 – Casablanca – with WW2 intrigue, freedom fighters, and yes, Bogie and Bacall. Admission starts at $18.

No, It’s not July 4th until next week. But in Oceanside, this is the time to celebrate for a variety of reasons. The Oceanside Independence Parade, paced by floats and bands, starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, heading down Coast Highway from Wisconsin Avenue to Civic Center Drive. The theme? “Stars & Stripes by the Sea.”

Chili fanatics! Ready? Here you go:

• The 45th Annual OB Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off opens at 10 a.m. Saturday along Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach. The event features art, food, music on two stages, a kids fun zone and the all-important chili contest, at 11 a.m. Tasting tickets start at $2 each. If good eats (and a spectacle) are your preferred forms of entertainment, there’s also the Dirty Birds Wing-Eating Contest at 1:30 p.m. and Hodad’s Burger-Eating Contest three hours later (time to digest?).
• The second annual Ace Hardware and First Command BBQ Competition in Oceanside starts at Ace Hardware, 263 S. Coast Highway, at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. The event, for charity, also features a food truck, photo contest and a “Christmas in June” at 8:30 p.m. And yes, it’s not just about barbecue – they take chili entrants too. Tickets start at $10 for tastes or range from $50-$100 to enter the competition.

Colores de Mexico starts at 11 a.m. Saturday at the House of Pacific Relations in Balboa Park. The House of Mexico’s free event includes live music, art, food and children’s activities. An HPR extra: House of Ukraine hosts Ukraine in the Heart at 2 p.m. Sunday.

The free San Diego Black Arts & Culture District Music Festival opens at noon Saturday at MLK Park. Marking Black Music Month, the event includes performances, art exhibits and a STEAM tent. Miki Vale, C.C. Carter, Daneen Wilburn and Ben Williams are on the slate. Head to the 65th Street side of the park.

Last but not least – beer! The highlight of San Diego Beer Weekend – a prelude to autumn’s Beer Week that starts Friday – is the Rhythm & Brews festival at 1 p.m. Saturday at Citrus Avenue and Broadway in Vista. More than 30 local craft breweries will serve unlimited tasters of everything from sculpins to sours while guests enjoy music from the bands Soulseller and LOOM, along with DJ Goldie, and food from three vendors. Tickets start at $75.

The Latino Legacy Foundation, as part of its Storyteller Series, hosts “Reach For the Stars,” with Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina astronaut and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree. Head to the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center at San Diego State at 1 p.m. Sunday.