Celebrating harbor view

The second annual HarborFest is making its way to the Chula Vista bayfront between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16, at Chula Vista’s Bayside Park.

The free one-day event, formerly known as Harbor Days, was created to spotlight the bayfront.

“HarborFest is our celebration of the Chula Vista bayfront,” said Anne Steinberger, marketing and communications manager for the city of Chula Vista.

“We find that it really introduces some people to the bayfront and it reminds other people of how great that location is and all that you can do down there.”

Last year, the event was held in September, but was moved to August this year to capture more of the summer tourism crowd, with the hopes of people coming back to the bayfront later in the summer, said Steinberger.

Attendees can participate in a slew of activities such as kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing and enjoying a free ride on the amphibious Seal bus.

A swift boat from the Vietnam War era will also be available. A boat ride is free for kids and $5 for adults.

There will also be live musical entertainment, a beer garden, a spirits garden and a SeafoodFest. Food trucks will also be available.

The wine, beer and spirits garden costs $20 and the SeafoodFest is $10 to sample any of the foods.

There are also activities for kids such as face painting and a children’s Jr. Chef competition. Children can also watch riders in the BMX Zone.

Steinberger said it costs about $120,000 to host the event. She said the city was able to secure a grant from the Port of San Diego and received additional grant money from the county of San Diego, and the Arts and Culture Commission.

Steinberger also said sponsors helped with the costs.

“There are a lot of things for the whole family to do,” Steinberger said.

Last year’s HarborFest drew close to 10,000 people. Steinberger said she expects this year’s event to exceed that.