Pacific Beachfest returns with fun for all on Oct. 4

Volleyball, live music, a 5K race, DJs and more are coming to Pacific Beach on Saturday, Oct. 4 when the 26th annual Pacific Beachfest returns.

After last year’s celebration for the all-day event’s 25th anniversary, organizers said they are working to make sure this year’s schedule lives up to expectations.

“I feel like this year is going to be our biggest yet,” said Sunny Lee, executive director of Discover PB.

Lee and her team from Discover PB are among those working behind the scenes to put on the event. She said that this year they will be making new additions to the festivities.

“(This year) we’re going to have an SDFC viewing party, so the San Diego Football Club is going to hold a viewing party in our beer garden,” Lee said. “We’ll have a big LED screen out there for people to watch the game starting at 5:30 (p.m.).”

In addition to the SDFC viewing party, this year’s schedule features some favorites from previous Pacific Beachfests.

Attendees can enjoy live music from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at three stages. Early risers can jumpstart the day and participate in the Pacific Beach 5K (waves start at 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.) and Kids 1K (starts at 10:15 a.m.).

Fish taco lovers can purchase $12 tickets to the fish taco contest (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) and judge five local restaurants to see who has the best samples. In addition, the annual afternoon volleyball tournament will be returning for a fifth year.

Throughout the 26 years that Beachfest has been celebrated in PB, Lee said they have worked to grow and evolve the event to make it better for the community. Working with local partners, businesses and sponsors, organizers have been able to add events like the fish taco contest and volleyball tournament for the community to enjoy.

“Our board members play a big role in helping us secure those partnerships and helping bring people to the event,” Lee said. “It’s a lot of networking and building relationships on everybody’s part to see what would be the best.”

Discover PB also works to feature local bands and DJs at the event, often managing inquiries from prospective musicians through its website.

“We like to start the event with a few tribute bands, which keeps the vibe and energy up because people know the music,” Lee said. “We always have music for the ‘80s and ‘90s fans.”

One of the DJs for this year, Daniel Joseph, is a popular local DJ who Lee said has a big following on social media.

“I saw him on Instagram, and I just saw what a great opportunity this would be for him to play for our community, since that’s something he loves to do, and he was super eager to come and join our event this year,” Lee said.

While the DJ and some of the sports events are catered toward Pacific Beachfest’s largest crowd, which is usually young adults, the event is designed for all ages.

Families and friends can also browse over 60 arts and crafts displays, as well as shop from local vendors at the PB merchant sidewalk sale. Lee said local businesses are given priority, so Beachfest attendees can expect to shop from many of their local favorites.

Even more free activities and games will be available for the youngest crowd at Kid’s Action Alley, where the YMCA will be putting up a climbing wall for kids to enjoy.

“I really get energized by this event,” Lee said. “I just love seeing the community come together. So many people show up and just enjoy the day. Whether it be at the stage or in one of the action sports or in the beer garden, it doesn’t matter. Seeing the people be happy is what I look forward to most, and it makes me excited for all the events to come.”

To learn more about Pacific Beachfest, visit pacificbeachfest.org. While many of the activities are free, tickets are required for the 5K, volleyball tournament and fish taco contest.

Want to go?

Pacific Beachfest

When: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 (some events start earlier)

Where: Along the PB boardwalk, from Felspar Street to Thomas Avenue, Pacific Beach

Cost: Admission is free, but some activities have registration fees or require tickets.

Website: pacificbeachfest.org