Marina makes way for busy maritime weekend

The Chula Vista Marina will take visitors back in time over the weekend of April 27-28, with the space transformed into an 1800s seafront village in celebration of Maritime Week.

Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas proclaimed April 22-28 as Maritime Week during a council meeting on April 16.

Council member Jill Galvez, who represents Chula Vista’s second district, championed the idea of making Maritime Week an official proclamation; she said it will provide a good opportunity for residents to take in the harbor.

“There’s no describing how wonderful it feels to be out on our bayfront enjoying the fresh ocean breezes and the natural beauty and wonder of our bay with a view of the Pacific Ocean,” she said.

The event, which is being put on by the South Bayfront Sailing Association, will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and transform part of the marina into a makeshift village, with traditional tradespeople from the 1800s, such as blacksmiths and coopers, working on their crafts and providing demonstrations.

The village will be located near the Bill of Rights tall ship, which was recently designated the official tall ship of Chula Vista and will fly the city’s flag on its mast.

The ship will be open for tours during the event, and will take guests out on a breakfast tour that starts at 9 a.m. on Sunday, with tickets costing $25.

Don Johnson, the president of the SBSA and who owns the Bill of Rights with his wife Susan, said the idea is to “stimulate more interest in traditional maritime crafts.”

“The influences of traditional wooden maritime are a little sparse down in Southern California, and the hope is to kind of transplant that down here,” Don Johnson said.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be available, including time-period appropriate drinks such as apple cider.

Additionally, the marina will concurrently host the annual Spring Art Show, which will be put on by the South Bayfront Artists and feature 40 artists competing for cash prizes.

Artists will be competing in five categories, including oil and acrylics, water color, drawing and graphics, photography and mixed media.

“We encourage all mediums,” Don Johnson said.

The art, which will be on display, will be judged by local metal sculptor Michael Leaf, who designed a 25-foot sculpture in 2013 that sits on the Chula Vista Bayfront.

Visitors are encouraged to stick around for a reception at 4 p.m. on Sunday to celebrate the artists who participated in the event.