Posted Jun 20, 2022 | By Alejandra Cerball
Get ready for spicy food, live music and fun for the whole family at the Oxnard Salsa Festival in Downtown Oxnard.
Please Check OxnardSalsaFestival.com for the latest updates.
It's summer and the Oxnard Salsa Festival is heating up. The 2023 event is scheduled to be held on July 29-30 in Plaza Park in Downtown Oxnard.
Here's your must-read guide to this year's Oxnard Salsa Festival.
The Salsa Festival takes place at the historic Plaza Park, in the heart of downtown Oxnard at Fifth and "C" Streets. The Festival returns this year with your favorites, including the Salsa Tasting Tent, a Kid Zone for families and live music and entertainment.
Parking is free, but we highly recommend arriving early to find a space. Catch the free shuttle to the Festival at The Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center. The shuttle runs from 10:30 - 7:30 pm Saturday and Sunday.
Parking is available at the Downtown Parking Garage on 4th and B streets. There are more than 20 public parking lots throughout Downtown Oxnard that are free, and the 2-hour parking limits on-street parking are not enforced on Festival weekend as a courtesy to festival attendees.
Another option is to take the local Gold Coast transit bus, which stops in Oxnard, Ventura or Ojai, to the Oxnard Transit Center.
If you're living outside of Ventura County, take the Amtrak train into town. The station is located three blocks from the Festival.
Learn more about getting to the Festival.
The Oxnard Salsa Festival is a free event. You can purchase a $5 ticket for concert venue open seating (within the white picket fence). Kids 10 and under are free.
You'll get a wristband that's good for all-day open seating! You can still bring your chair or blanket (no lawn umbrellas, please) or sit in one of the hundreds of chairs to enjoy the bands.
The Oxnard Salsa Festival is a celebration of all things salsa – food, music and dance - and a place where salsa (the sauce!) reigns supreme. Under the big-top Salsa Tasting Tent, you'll find dozens of flavors of salsa to sample and buy. From fresh and fruity, sweet and smoky, to mild and scorching hot. It's the region's biggest salsa bar!
Admission to the Salsa Tent is $5 per person and includes a bag of fresh Mission tortilla chips and ten tasting tickets.
From flavorful carne asada tacos, gourmet tamales and empanadas to roasted corn and strawberry desserts – there are dozens of menu items to choose from in the two Festival food courts! Enjoy ice-cold Pepsi drinks, fresh-squeezed lemonade and smoothies. There will be Bud on tap along with frosty frozen margaritas.
Six bands will perform at the Oxnard Salsa Festival in 2023. Check out the main stage schedule here.
Kids can enjoy games, rides and bounce houses at the Oxnard Salsa Festival's Kid Zone. There are also free arts and crafts activities for kids of all ages.
The Oxnard Salsa Festival has raised more than $750,000 over the past ten years for various local charities through the "Dancing with Our Community Stars" event. The stars train and show off their skills in a dance competition on Sunday's main stage.
You can vote by donating $1 to the star representing their favorite charity. One-hundred percent of the proceeds raised goes directly to each charity.
Alejandra Cerball (Journalist | Travel Writer)
Alejandra Cerball is an award-winning journalist, writer, and editor of alexcerball.com, a Travel + Lifestyle online destination filled with compelling and honest travel tips + resources. On her blog, Alex shares inspiration for your bucket list, family travel + adventure itineraries, and style guides to help you pack for your next trip.
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