Oxnard's Salsa Festival to celebrate dancing and great food after five years away

FAMOUS FESTIVALS, as a rule, feature all sorts of intriguing elements, with art, shopping, music, and dining playing robust roles during a major annual event. Sometimes one area will rise to the headlining role, or multiple focuses will draw visitors to the party, giving guests plenty of enticing options. But a special celebration in Oxnard puts its festive and fiery focus in its name, drawing those attendees who are eager to hear great music and applaud dazzling dancers as well as foodies who adore a specific and spicy condiment. It's the Oxnard Salsa Festival, a started-in-1993 celebration that is joyfully returning to Downtown Oxnard over the final weekend of July 2024. And we do mean "joyfully": The festival has been off for five years, making the 2024 comeback quite anticipated.

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW, and there are a few different options to consider. Certainly (and spicily), the Salsa Tasting Experience is a must-do munch-around for plenty of people calling upon the piquant Plaza Park party. The featured salsas make for a diverse and delicious line-up, with a wide array of pico de gallos, rancheras, and verdes hailing from both the Oxnard region and around the country. Those who adore the exquisite stylings of a perfectly performed Salsa number will want to find a spot to watch the talented dancers move to live Salsa tunes as well as Latin jazz. Shopping, a kids' area, food vendors, and other sunny, summer-style diversions will festoon the alfresco event, too. General entry starts at $6.99, but there are other admission choices, depending on what Salsa-fabulous favorites capture your fancy.