The Good Times Roll at Ocean Festival

Johnny Ervin came prepared.

With a big umbrella, a cooler full of drinks, a sack of food and several lawn chairs, the 69-year-old Riverside man rounded up his wife, daughter and grandson at 5 a.m. to stake out a prime location for an unobstructed view of the lifeguard competition at the 20th Annual San Clemente Ocean Festival on Saturday.

“I like everything about it,” Ervin said. “I’m gonna be here all day and tomorrow.”

He wasn’t alone, as hundreds packed the pier and beach for an event touted as “The Greatest Show on Surf.” The free public festival features live music, dory boat racing, tandem surfing, volleyball tournaments, fishing derbies, face painting and art exhibits.

Sharon Hemighaus of Laguna Beach said she enjoyed watching the lifeguards negotiate their way around buoys and over waves in dory boats.

With no one event in mind, she came for a day of fun and to see the people.

Scott Tate of Calabasas came to see the lifeguard competition because he attends junior lifeguard camp. He plans to return tomorrow to participate in the 5K run.

His mother, Cindi Tate, said everyone had a favorite activity.

“It’s just fun to watch the events,” she said. “The sandcastles are excellent--interesting and very well-done.”

A frequent visitor to the festival, Tate said she noticed that there were more people and more events this year than on previous occasions.

Organizers expect 50,000 people to turn out for the two-day festival that ends today. The festival has grown from a lifeguard competition to a community event that draws together merchants and residents.

“The community loves it,” said publicity director Greg Niemann. “The festival has just grown as more events are added to make it bigger and better, more exciting. Everyone goes away with a different experience.”

Today’s highlights will include a sand-sculpture competition and tandem surfers performing acrobatic tricks. Children’s activities include beach relays, a storyteller and costume parade.

In recent years, the festival has added a beach-blanket concert and rubber ducky races. One of the additions this year is a Metrolink line that is expected to bring several thousand people from Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

“It’s a win-win situation,” Niemann said. “The inland train riders won’t have to deal with driving [or] finding parking and they get to see the beach.”

Free shuttle service will be available from San Clemente High School, 700 Avenida Pico, to the pier from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. today .