Every year I tell myself I’m going to make it out to the Côta Vera Rewind Fest, and every year something gets in the way. Not this time. I’ve already got September 12th blocked off on my calendar. I heard from folks who went last year that it’s one of the most fun afternoons Côta Vera puts on, and I’m finally going to see it for myself.
The Côta Vera Rewind Festival is back for its third year, landing at Central Square Park on Saturday, September 12th from 2 to 9 PM. It’s completely free and open to all ages, and this year’s lineup leans hard into 80s and 90s nostalgia with three tribute bands, a full artisan market, a retro arcade, and enough food trucks to keep everyone fed until sundown.
Here’s what to expect at this year’s Rewind Festival:
Live tribute sets from Fooz Fighters, No Duh, and Temptation
A 21+ Beer Garden to sip and socialize
An Artisan Village with 25+ local makers and vintage finds
A Retro Arcade stocked with classic 80s games
Food Truck Alley with 12 trucks serving everything from burgers to sweets
The Back to the Future Experience, featuring a DeLorean Time Machine
Live Music That Takes You Back
The music lineup is the heart of the Côta Vera Rewind Fest, and this year’s bands don’t just cover the hits; they recreate the era.
Fooz Fighters open the night with a stadium-sized take on the Foo Fighters catalog. The San Diego-based band earned national recognition as finalists on NBC and E!’s Clash of the Cover Bands, hand-picked by Jimmy Fallon’s production team, and they bring that same high energy to the Central Square stage.
Temptation follows with a set built around New Order, the band that rose from the ashes of Joy Division to become one of the most influential acts in music history. Their rendition leans into the group’s blend of rock and electronica, right down to the club classic “Blue Monday,” still the best-selling 12″ single of all time.
Closing out the night is No Duh, widely regarded as the top tribute to No Doubt and Gwen Stefani. Expect the ska-punk swagger of the Tragic Kingdom era alongside the sound of Stefani’s solo years, performed with the kind of energy that gets an entire park dancing.
An aerial view of Central Square Park at Côta Vera, packed with festival-goers during a past community event. Rewind Fest 2026 will fill this same space on September 12th. Photo Provided By: Côta Vera
More Than Just Music
The Côta Vera Rewind Fest fills out the afternoon with plenty to explore beyond the stage. The Artisan Village brings together more than 25 local makers and artists selling handmade goods and vintage treasures, so budget some time to browse. Nearby, the Retro Arcade lets kids and adults alike relive the 80s one quarter at a time.
When it’s time to eat, Food Truck Alley has 12 trucks lined up with everything from burgers and tacos to sweet treats. And if you’re 21 and up, the Beer Garden is the spot to grab a drink and take a breather between sets.
The standout photo op of the day might be the Back to the Future Experience, where an iconic DeLorean Time Machine touches down for pictures. Combine that with the festival’s dress code encouragement (think neon, scrunchies, and windbreakers), and Central Square is going to look like it time-traveled straight out of 1989.
Côta Vera Keeps Growing Its Event Calendar
The Côta Vera Rewind Fest is just the latest sign of how much Côta Vera has grown as a gathering spot in eastern Chula Vista. The community wrapped up its Friday Night Summer series not long ago, an annual run of Friday evenings at Central Square with live music, food trucks, and an artisan market. Between that and Rewind Fest, it’s clear Côta Vera is becoming a real hub for events in this part of the city, and there’s likely more on the way.
Côta Vera Summer Nights event was a lot of fun. It took place every Friday during the summer and had live music, vendor booths, and food trucks.
Plan Your Visit
Admission is free. You can RSVP on Eventbrite, though registration isn’t required to attend since the event is free either way.
Whether you’re coming for the music, the food, or just an excuse to dig out your best throwback outfit, the Côta Vera Rewind Fest 2026 is shaping up to be one of the can’t-miss community events this September. Keep up with everything happening around town by checking the Chula Vista Living event calendar, and follow along on Instagram and Facebook. See you out there!
You’re invited to the Chula Vista El Grito Celebration 2026. Every year, I clear my calendar for one night in September because Memorial Park turns into the best party in Chula Vista. This year, Mayor John McCann is once again hosting our annual El Grito Celebration, and if you’ve never been, you’re in for something special.
I’ve made it a tradition to show up year after year, and I can tell you this event just keeps getting bigger and bigger. What started as a nice community gathering has grown into one of the most anticipated nights in the South Bay, and this year, it looks like it will be another celebration you will not want to miss.
Chula Vista El Grito Celebration 2025
What to Expect at Chula Vista’s Annual El Grito Celebration
The celebration is free and open to everyone, running from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Memorial Park, 373 Park Way. Live music, colorful folklórico dancers, authentic Mexican food, local vendors and handmade crafts will fill the park, along with performances from Cecy Millán and special guest Maestro Manuel Vera. Vendor booths will line Parkway Drive throughout the event, so plan to browse food and craft vendors, as well as a handful of informational booths, as you make your way to the event.
The night builds toward something you won’t see anywhere else in San Diego County. A special Banda de Guerra is traveling in from Mexico to provide ceremonial musical honors and accompany the presentation of the Mexican flag during the traditional Grito de Independencia ceremony. A representative from the Consulate of Mexico will then lead the entire crowd in the iconic cry of “¡Viva México!” It’s a special ceremony that, as far as I know, takes place only here in Chula Vista, and many residents look forward to it every year.
Chula Vista El Grito Celebration 2025
My Advice: Get There Early
Here’s my one piece of advice after going year after year. Don’t just show up for the big ceremony. Get there early and take part in the free festivities happening beforehand. Walk the vendor booths along Parkway Drive, grab some food, check out the crafts, and see what the informational tables have to offer. Honestly, some of my favorite moments happen in those early hours before the main event even kicks off.
Arriving early also means you’ll actually have a spot to stand or sit when the Grito ceremony starts. This event draws a big crowd, and it only grows every year, so plan on getting there well before things ramp up if you want a good view.
Bring your family, invite your friends, and come celebrate Mexican independence, culture, and tradition with the rest of Chula Vista. If you plan on going, let us know what you thought on our Facebook page.
After 36 years of calling Chula Vista home, I’ve learned that one of the best parts of this community is watching it grow. Every time a new business decides to plant roots here, I feel like it’s worth showing up and supporting it, especially when it’s a locally run spot investing in our neighborhoods. That’s exactly why I couldn’t pass up the chance to check out Alora Fitness Chula Vista, which just opened its second location right here on the westside, on Third Avenue.
I was invited to a private class to see what all the buzz was about, and I’ll be honest: I walked in not really knowing what to expect. I’m not a Pilates person. I had never used a reformer machine in my life. The instructor walked me through everything step by step, explaining each movement before we tried it, which made a huge difference for someone starting from zero. I fumbled through a few of the movements at first, but by the end of the class I was sweating, my muscles were shaking, and I felt it in places I didn’t know could be sore. The next morning confirmed it. This was a real workout.
Step inside Alora Fitness Chula Vista’s brand new studio on Third Avenue, complete with plenty of reformers and a beautifully designed space.
What Makes It “Modern” Pilates
If you’re picturing the Pilates your grandma did in the 90s, modern reformer Pilates is a different animal. Classic reformer Pilates sticks closely to the original exercises developed decades ago, following a set sequence with a pretty rigid structure. Modern reformer Pilates takes that same foundation and opens it up. Instructors have more freedom to mix things up, incorporate new movements, and blend techniques from other fitness disciplines, all while using updated equipment that offers more ways to challenge your body.
The result is a class that moves faster, works more muscle groups, and honestly just feels more like a full workout than a stretch session. It’s still Pilates at its core. Core strength, flexibility, and control are still the name of the game. It just has a modern edge to it.
Here’s the video I filmed during my visit, so you can see the class in action for yourself.
A Welcome Addition to the Westside
What I love most about Alora Fitness Chula Vista setting up shop here is what it represents. The west side of Chula Vista has been getting more and more boutique fitness spots, and it’s a good sign for the neighborhood. Alora’s Chula Vista studio started as a second location after their original opened in Mission Valley, and now they’ve chosen Third Avenue to be part of, which says something about where they see the community heading.
Walking into the studio, it’s clear a lot of care went into the space. It’s a large studio with plenty of reformers, clean and modern, the kind of place that makes you want to come back just to be in it. The instructors clearly know how to make first-timers feel comfortable, too, even ones as green as me.
I’m not the only one who noticed. Alora already has a strong lineup of five-star reviews on their Google Business profile, including this one from Gabriela Agostinho, who visits both locations:
“I usually go to the Mission Valley location, but they did such a great job with this one too that I’m so excited to have another option! I believe this studio even has more reformers, which is a huge plus. The space is beautiful, clean, and has such a welcoming atmosphere. You can really tell they put a lot of thought into creating another amazing studio. Congratulations on your second location! See ya soon!”
Give Alora Fitness Chula Vista a Try
Here’s the best part. Alora Fitness is genuinely built for all skill levels, whether you’ve been doing reformer pilates for years or you’ve never set foot on one, like me. They offer beginners their first class free, so there’s no reason not to walk in and see what it’s about. If you fall in love with it, memberships start at $80 a month for 4 classes. Already have a ClassPass membership? Alora accepts those too, so you can drop in without committing to anything else.
If you’re looking for a new way to challenge yourself, or you just want to feel sore in muscles you forgot you had, head over to Alora Fitness on Third Avenue and check out their schedule at alora-fitness.com. Give them a follow on Instagram @alorafitnesspilates to see more of the studio and stay in the loop on classes. Tell them Chula Vista Living sent you.
The Port of San Diego just gave the developers behind Pangaea Chula Vista another two years to pull this thing together. On Tuesday, Port commissioners unanimously approved a resolution authorizing staff to negotiate a new two-year exclusive negotiating agreement with two additional 180-day administrative extensions for Pangaea Development, LLC, the entity formed by The Divaris Group of Companies and The McGarey Group specifically for this project. Tucker Sadler Architects and Provident Resources Group round out the development team. Under the full terms, this agreement could stretch to nearly three years total if the administrative extensions are exercised, pushing the timeline into early 2029.
The biggest piece is still missing: a professional tennis player to anchor the entire development. And the fact that the competitive bidding process was waived under Board Policy No. 360 because this came in as an unsolicited proposal means that the land at 990 Bay Boulevard has essentially been taken off the market for a single developer, without any competing bids.
Let me be clear before I go any further. I am not against new development on the Bayfront. I have lived in Chula Vista for over 36 years, and watching the transformation that has already happened down there has been exciting. The opening of the Gaylord Pacific Resort was a milestone for this city. Sweetwater Park is beautiful. The ongoing work on Amara Bay and the other phases of the master plan is giving Chula Vista something it has long deserved: a waterfront that people actually want to visit.
But Pangaea is a different conversation entirely.
What Exactly Are We Talking About?
When this project was first unveiled last year, the scope was staggering. We are talking about 124 acres in the Otay District that would include a 50,000-seat stadium, three hotels with up to 700 rooms, a professional tennis center with up to 34 courts, a water polo academy, two golf courses, an IMAX theatre, and 300,000 square feet of retail and shopping space.
That is a small city within a city.
The plans also include supporting retail, dining, and wellness amenities that the developers say will “bring the water to the land and the land to the water.” It sounds ambitious. It also sounds like a project that demands serious scrutiny.
The Timeline Does Not Add Up
The original six-month ENA, which ran from January 1 through July 1 of this year, required the development team to hit several milestones. Among the most critical was securing a non-binding, public Letter of Intent with an elite professional athlete organization to be the face of the tennis facility. That did not happen.
What the developers delivered instead was a confidential letter from the athlete’s representatives in early June confirming that they are “strongly interested” and view Southern California as “one of the most relevant tennis and racquet sports destinations globally.” That language is encouraging, but it falls short of what was originally required. A confidential expression of interest is not a public Letter of Intent. After nearly a year of discussions, we still do not know who this athlete is, and there is no binding commitment of any kind.
The project-specific market demand study has not been completed either. The only analysis done so far is a preliminary study by JLL that focused narrowly on whether demand exists for tennis facilities in the region. It concluded that it does, and that tennis participation in Southern California has risen since the pandemic. But the broader market study evaluating the full scope of the development, the hotels, the stadium, the retail, the golf courses, none of that has even been commissioned yet because the project description is not finalized.
The developers have made progress in other areas. Pangaea Chula Vista signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO, and has indicated willingness to work toward an agreement with Unite Here Local 30. They have also engaged in early discussions around local hire plans and public outreach. But the two foundational elements, the athlete commitment and the market study, remain incomplete.
The Chula Vista Pangaea project not only brings hopes of a stadium. There will also be a world-class tennis center, a hotel, and many other features. Photo courtesy of the Port of San Diego.
This Is a Phase 3 Site Being Fast-Tracked
Here is a detail that deserves more attention. The Otay District, where Pangaea would be built, is designated as Phase 3 of the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan. Phase 2 is not even finished yet. The Port’s own staff report states plainly that “there are no immediate plans to pursue the redevelopment of the Otay District as current efforts are focused on areas of the CVBMP that have current entitlements and are located adjacent to the recently completed Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center.”
In other words, even the Port’s own planning framework does not anticipate the development of this area right now. The Pangaea team’s unsolicited proposal accelerated the timeline and was compelling enough that the Port waived competitive bidding to give them an exclusive window. I understand the reasoning. If a qualified development team shows up with a unique concept and a potential marquee athlete, you do not want to lose that opportunity. But fast-tracking a Phase 3 site while Phase 2 is still in progress raises real questions about whether we are getting ahead of ourselves.
The staff report also acknowledges that the existing entitlements for the Otay District require “a substantial amount of public infrastructure, including the construction of a 24-acre public park, roadways and utilities, and habitat buffers.” That is not a minor footnote. That is a massive infrastructure commitment that has to happen regardless of what gets built on this site.
The Real Issue Nobody Wants to Talk About
Before we even entertain the idea of a massive tennis facility, a 50,000-seat stadium, or anything close to that scale, the City of Chula Vista needs to take a hard look at the infrastructure in this area right now.
If you have ever driven to the Bayfront during a busy time, you know exactly what I am talking about. Both of the main freeway entrances into this area, off E Street and H Street, are already congested. The trolley crossings back things up. The traffic from the Gaylord alone has added pressure on roads that were not designed for this volume, especially during events and weekends. And that is with just one major resort open. Now imagine adding a 50,000-seat stadium and tens of thousands of visitors on top of that.
The roads, the intersections, the freeway on-ramps and off-ramps in western Chula Vista were built for a different era. We cannot just keep stacking massive developments on the Bayfront without addressing what is already struggling. Anyone who has sat at the E Street or H Street trolley crossings during rush hour, watching the light cycle while traffic backs up toward the freeway, knows this is not a minor inconvenience. It is a systemic problem that gets worse with every new project.
The city has launched a free Bayfront Shuttle connecting the waterfront to the E Street and H Street trolley stations, which is a good step. But a shuttle service is not a substitute for the kind of roadway and freeway access improvements this area needs before we start talking about stadiums and entertainment districts.
As you can see from this proposal photo, the Pangaea project at the Chula Vista Bayfront will take up a lot of space and add a lot more traffic and congestion in this already tight areaAs you can see from this proposal photo, the Pangaea project at the Chula Vista Bayfront will take up a lot of space and add a lot more traffic and congestion in this already tight area. Photo courtesy of Port of San Diego
The Stadium Fantasy
I know there are a lot of people in Chula Vista, and honestly across San Diego, who would love to see an NFL team land here. I get it. The idea of a professional football stadium on the Bayfront sounds incredible on paper. But we need to wake up and be honest with ourselves. That is not going to happen. The NFL is not coming to Chula Vista. That is not the future of this area, and building our expectations around that kind of fantasy only distracts from the real planning this community needs.
If we are going to talk about a stadium, a soccer arena would make far more sense for this region. We are a border community with deep cultural ties to the sport. The fan base is already here. Youth soccer participation across the South Bay is massive. That is a much more realistic conversation than chasing an NFL franchise that has shown zero interest in coming here.
Slow Down and Get It Right
The Sierra Club’s deputy director, Charles Rilli, raised concerns at the Port of San Diego meeting about the lack of public outreach and the environmental impact on the surrounding wetlands and marshland. Other speakers pointed out that this kind of development caters to higher-income visitors and does not necessarily serve the residents who actually live here. Those are valid concerns that deserve real answers, not just reassurances that the negotiating agreement “does nothing to move the project forward.”
The Port’s staff report makes clear that any project on this site would require a Port Master Plan Amendment, full environmental review under CEQA, and potentially California Coastal Commission approval before construction could begin. That is a long road, and it is the right process. But two more years of exclusive negotiations mean nothing if the fundamental infrastructure problems around the Bayfront are not addressed in parallel.
I appreciate that Port chair Ann Moore acknowledged the environmental questions and said the extension only buys time for planning. I appreciate that the staff report frames this as an opportunity to advance planning on a site that was not expected to be developed for years. But you cannot plan a world-class entertainment district on top of roads and intersections that are already failing the people who live here today.
I want the Bayfront to succeed. I want Chula Vista to become the destination city that so many of us believe it can be. But getting there means being honest about what we need to fix before we start adding more. Fix the roads. Improve the freeway access. Address the trolley crossing bottlenecks. Build out the 24 acres of parkland, the roadways, and the utilities that even the Port says this site requires. Upgrade the infrastructure so it can actually support the vision.
