70,000 Expected to Attend 5th Annual Fiesta

About 70,000 people are expected to attend the fifth annual Fiesta downtown Sunday.

Fiesta events, including game booths, street performers, international foods, craft displays and rides for children, start at 9:30 a.m. along Avenida del Mar. Highlighting the day will be a free performance by singer-songwriter Rita Coolidge.

Activities will begin at 8 a.m. with a five-kilometer run through downtown San Clemente. Application forms will still be available before the race at El Dorado Bank, 300 S. El Camino Real. There is a $20 fee to register.

Back by popular demand will be the third annual Salsa Challenge. The 11 a.m. event will take place at the top of Avenida del Mar, near El Camino Real. For $1, festival-goers will get four samples of the salsa and free chips provided by Taco Bell.

Coolidge, who is known for such hits as “Higher and Higher” and “We’re All Alone,” will take the stage at 4:30 p.m. to culminate the day’s activities.

Transportation to the event will be provided via a free shuttle from San Clemente High School, on Avenida Pico near Interstate 5. Parking is free at the high school.