San Diego, CA

All the Best Eats at the San Diego County Fair | San Diego Magazine

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2024

All the Best Eats at the San Diego County Fair | San Diego Magazine

For podcasts like Happy Half Hour, events like the fair are basically our Christmas. Yeah, we love the rides, the activations, the camaraderie, the merriment. But to be totally honest, we’re here for the food.

Dip us in corn batter and fry us. Dust some powdered sugar on our heads. Load us up with fatty, drippy, sloppy, sweet and salty goods. This episode, food critic Troy Johnson and the crew hit up the San Diego County Fair, and they brought along Z90.3’s Rick Morton to yuk it up while they test the Fairtastic Food Competition finalists. We also asked Lori Sutherland, who owns fair favorite Tasti Chips, to weigh in.

But first, here are some basic facts about San Diego’s biggest annual party: It’s the county’s longest running event, established in 1880 in National City, though it has been held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds since 1936. It has nearly 100 food booths, 80 rides, and it re-debuts with a new theme each year.

This year’s theme is “Let’s Go Retro!” which focuses on all things nostalgia. In that vein, guests can also use their tickets to access the Toyota Summer Concert Series for anyone with a same-day pass as an upcoming show—highlighted acts this year include Little Big Town, Ludacris, and, for a blast back into the present, Yung Gravy.

But back to the food. For fair foodies, every year conjures up the same question: What’s your plan, what are you going to eat? Troy’s plan requires strategically hitting certain food groups at certain points in your eating journey to optimize digestion, so you can then eat more food.

We brought in some friends to judge, like we do every year, and whittled it down to 18 finalists after trying each submission.

Photo Credit: Emily Heft

The winner? Only one vendor can come out on top every year, and even though the competition is really to highlight the variety of mom-and-pop makers, we have to crown someone the best. The 2024 Fairtastic Food Competition winner is the Disco Pop Shake from TJ’s Ice Cream, which was entered in the “sweet” category.

Here are the other five winners by category:

THEME — Savory: Spam Fries by Boba King
NEW — Sweet: Cap’n Crunch Berry Chicken Sandwich by Biggy’s
NEW – Savory: Hot Honey Funnel Cake Chicken Sandwich by Funnel Cakes by Chicken Charlie’s
WOW – Sweet: Surfing USA Party Shake by Fruit Caboose
WOW – Savory: Spicy Korean Corn Dog by West Coast Weenies.

And the People’s Choice, selected by our Taster’s Panel was the Candied Bacon-Wrapped Pork Belly Bites by Bacon A Fair. We’ll see you at the fair and next week on HHH.

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San Diego, CA

City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness

Published

10 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness

Last week Mayor Todd Gloria released the budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal budget. Protected homeless services is among his top priorities mentioned in the proposal. However, some of the reductions he’s proposing could impact thousands of San Diegans experiencing homelessness.

Located on 17^th and K Street, the Neil Good Day Center offers an array of services to nearly seven thousand people experiencing homelessness. The services include giving them a place to shower and do laundry, and connecting them to a case manager, among others.

“These are critical services that are helping people off the streets, but really better their lives and their health and their employment situation as well,” Deacon Vargas with Father Joe’s Villages said.

Deacon Jim Vargas heads Father Joe’s Villages, which runs the center. He said through their prevention and diversion strategies, they’ve managed to keep nearly one thousand individuals from falling into homelessness.

“So by helping them pay rent, or helping them with their utilities, or helping them to reunite with family,” Vargas said.

Right now, the city allocates at least $850,000 per year to the Neil Good Day Center, according to Vargas.

But the future and funding for these services are in limbo because of Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget cuts.

“The impact to those whom we’ve been serving the Daily Center would be very severe,” Deacon Vargas said.

In a statement to NBC 7, Mayor Todd Gloria said in part, “We must find more efficient and cost-effective ways to address this crisis and prioritize funding for programs that provide shelter beds and maximize resources to programs that place people into permanent housing.”

Since it’s still at a proposal stage, Deacon Vargas said it’s unclear how the city will decide to move forward.

However, Deacon Vargas said services would be significantly reduced because they would be forced to operate solely on a budget of about half a million dollars they receive from philanthropy.

“The hours would be cut. Some days would be cut. We would have showers that might be impacted because they’re given seven days a week and we’d close two days a week, then the showers would be five days a week, the case management,” Deacon Vargas said.

Deacon Vargas is certain of one thing.

He would like to continue offering services at the Day Center, even if the city goes through with the funding cuts.

“As we work with individuals at the Day Center and at Father Joe’s Villages, the community becomes healthier as a result of it,” Deacon Vargas said.

The budget also recommends additional cuts to homeless services, but does not give specifics as to where those cuts would be.

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San Diego, CA

Game 21: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Angels

Published

22 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

Game 21: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Angels

San Diego Padres (14-7) at Los Angeles Angels (11-11), April 19, 2026, 1:07 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Angel Stadium – Anaheim, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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San Diego, CA

Solans, Luna, Guilavogui help RSL beat slumping San Diego, extend unbeaten streak to 6 games :: WRALSportsFan.com

Published

1 day ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

Solans, Luna, Guilavogui help RSL beat slumping San Diego, extend unbeaten streak to 6 games :: WRALSportsFan.com

By The Associated Press

SANDY, Utah — SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sergi Solans had two goals and an assist, Diego Luna added a goal and two assists, and Real Salt Lake beat San Diego FC 4-2 on Saturday night to extend its unbeaten streak to six games.

Morgan Guilavogui scored his first goal in MLS and had an assist for Real Salt Lake (5-1-1). The 28-year-old designated player has five goal contributions in his first six career games.

RSL hasn’t lost since a 1-0 defeat at Vancouver in the season opener.

San Diego (3-3-2) has lost three in a row and is winless in five straight.

Luna opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he re-directed a misplayed pass by Duran Ferree, San Diego’s 19-year-old goalkeeper, into the net.

Moments later, Solans headed home a perfectly-placed cross played by Luna from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box to the back post to make it 2-0. Solans, a 23-year-old forward, flicked a header from the center of the area inside the right post and past the outstretched arm of Ferree to make it 3-1 in the 37th minute.

Guilavogui slammed home a first-touch shot to give RSL a three-goal lead in the 45th.

Marcus Ingvartsen scored a goal in the 14th minute and Anders Dreyer converted from the penalty spot in the 66th for San Diego.

Ingvartsen has five goals and an assist this season and has 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in 16 career MLS appearances.

Rafael Cabral had three saves for RSL.

Ferree finished with five saves.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

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