Debbie and I arrived at the site of Celebrate Chula Vista festival at Bayside Park around 1 PM. While the city is only about a two-hour drive from her home in Orange County, we knew that we weren’t in Orange County anymore. Instead of the usual picnic blankets and the occasional umbrella that we are accustomed to seeing at the parks and beaches in our communities, tents and screened mini pavilions of all shapes, colors and sizes had sprouted one next to one another along the stretches of green lawn in Bayside Park.

Everyone was enjoying the clear blue sky, warm sun and mild breezes that Mother Nature had created a for this community’s July Fourth celebration. The delicious aroma of meat cooking on the grills that attendees had brought along to the park to cook their meals of choice for the day whetted our appetites. As we wound our way along the path through the park, the scent of Mexican food, kettle corn and barbecue dishes that some local vendors were offering for sale created a fragrance like none I have experienced before.

After finding a spot in front of the main stage, we had an opportunity to rest a bit, soak in some of the local culture and enjoy the peaceful, relaxed community gathering. The area where the main stage was located was alongside a marina where boats quietly floated upon the harbor’s tranquil waters. Soon, Jacob’s Loc would be making waves with their rock and roll that would ripple through the crowd that had begun to gather in front of the stage.

The crowd continued to grow as Jacob’s Loc prepared the stage for their set. Janie and some of her friends hung a new Jacob’s Loc banner in front of the stage.

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