The Chula Vista Block Party is taking place Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the heart of the city’s downtown on Third Avenue.
There will be a lowrider car show, vendors, live music, a San Diego Padres setup and more to kick off the summer.
KPBS spoke with Chula Vista residents like Andres Soriano about the event.
“A lot of places around here have been shutting down and it's kind of sad to see. But hopefully this type of event helps bring back to the community,'' Soriano said. “And hopefully get some more recognition around here because it's a really neat area and it's often overlooked for San Diego, downtown.”
This is the first large-scale event in Chula Vista since the pandemic.
To mark the occasion the city will recognize more than 3,000 individuals and groups, known as “Chula Vista Champions,” who were nominated by fellow residents for their efforts during the pandemic, as well as other community, scholastic and athletic achievements.
Rachael Bello and Reyna Puente of Las Jefas helped to organize roughly 70 craft and food vendors for the event to accompany the music and dancing.
“La Fiesta Danzantes will be performing, as well as the Mariachi de Chula Vista. So, super excited for that,” Puente said. “The music, I mean, I grew up dancing here in Chula Vista and so for me it's the music. It's the music and the people, and the colors and the food, of course the food. And the vibe, that Chula Vista vibe.”
There’s also going to be a San Diego Padres watch party on a giant screen located on the corner of Third Avenue and Davidson Street.
Baseball is what Soriano is most excited about.
“I can't wait to see the Padres game,” he said. “I'm going to be out with a couple friends. And I’ll see if I can get a jersey because I know the line is going to be really hard to get through.”
For Padres fans who have been itching to get the new and hard-to-find City Connect jerseys, the pink, teal and yellow merchandise is being sold at the event.
