Oceanside CA– As temperatures hovered in the 90’s along the coast, a champion was crowned master salsa chef during the first Adelante Salsa Contest at Joe Balderrama Park on Monday.

Judges deemed Maria Ortega’s salsa recipe as the best of the contest for its traditional qualities. The crowd favorite was the second place salsa made by Dinova Michel. Gift cards were awarded the winners.

The event coincided with a stop of the Adelante Bookmobile in honor of Mexican Independence Day. Entertainment was provided by Ballet Folklorico Tapatio along with traditional Mariachi Music
Light refreshments helped cool down the attendees at the event sponsored by the Friends of the Oceanside Public Library.