Rubio's Hosts 3rd Annual CoastFest; Invites Community to Come Together to Celebrate the Ocean

SAN DIEGO, CA, April 12, 2014 (Press-News.org) Researchers say the world's oceans are at a critical point in their existence, from climate changes and ocean acidification, to poor fishing practices and pollution. The actions taken to protect the oceans throughout the next 10 years will determine the state of the oceans for the next 10,000 years. For these reasons and so many more, Rubio's has counted the ocean as a source of inspiration and resource since the restaurant's founding more than 30 years ago. On May 10, the brand known for its craveable coastal cuisine and popularizing the fish taco is inviting all Southern California residents to its 3rd annual Rubio's CoastFest - a free celebration of the ocean complete with beach cleanup, complimentary food and drinks, music festival, VIP beer garden, educational components, activities for attendees of all ages and more in Oceanside, Calif.

After an incredibly successful 2013 celebration that launched Rubio's 'To the Ocean' campaign and saw a record turnout, this year's CoastFest is even bigger and better. With more than 1,600 attendees expected to join the festivities at the Oceanside Pier on May 10, the celebration will kick off at 10 a.m. with community members going the extra nautical mile at a beach cleanup hosted by I Love a Clean San Diego. Last year's efforts resulted in more than 350 pounds of trash being removed from the coastline. This year, beach cleanup participants should bring a bucket, gloves, sun protection and a reusable water bottle. For more beach cleanup information, please visit: http://www.rubios.com/CoastFest.

Following the beach cleanup, the celebration begins and includes:
• CoastFest activities - this year's celebration is full of exciting freebies and activities, including: prizes from the Rubio's prize wheel, surf lessons, a mobile aquarium, face painting, an inflatable jumpy house and a photo booth to capture the day's memories.
• Complimentary food and drinks - guests will be able to enjoy a Rubio's sustainable Grilled or Blackened Regal Springs Taco, handmade guacamole featuring Hass avocados and chips, freshly prepared salsa, beverages and more.
• Music festival - guests are invited to visit the main stage throughout the celebration for free live music from a collection of local Southern California bands, as well as FM 94/9. Musical acts include: Jet West, a reggae/rock band from San Diego that fuses traditional rock with elements of reggae and hard rock and Bad Neighborz, a 2012 San Diego Music Award nominee for Best Artist. Families can also enjoy live, interactive performances from Clint Perry & The Boo Hoo Crew in the Kid's Zone.
• VIP Beer Garden - a new addition to this year's CoastFest, Rubio's has added a VIP beer garden to the celebration - featuring Karl Strauss beer and Lolailo Sangria. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids. Guests can purchase tickets here: http://www.rubios.com/CoastFest.
• Kids' Zone educational elements - Rubio's understands that the ocean makes everything it does possible and in turn is passionate about educating future generations. To ensure a love of the ocean is passed down, the Ocean Institute's "Ocean in Motion" aquarium touch tank, as well as the mobile learning center courtesy of the Wyland Foundation will be on site for children of all ages.
• Complimentary surf lessons - onsite surf lessons will be available to attendees from Surfin' Fire.

This year's event partners include: I Love a Clean San Diego, Dr Pepper, Ocean Institute, Spy Optics, Wyland Foundation, Birch Aquarium, UCSD Sustainability Department, Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, Honest Tea, Regal Springs Tilapia, Trident, Lolailo Sangria, Karl Strauss, Surfin' Fire, Cox Communications and more.

Covering more than 72 percent of the planet , the ocean is the primary source of food for more than 3.5 billion people . Each year between 70 and 75 million tons of fish are caught in the ocean, making it the largest source of wild and domestic protein in the world . With this in mind, Rubio's works to be a friend to the ocean year-round with a majority of its seafood being sourced from sustainable fisheries, recycling plastic and glass bottles in restaurants whenever possible, using eco-friendly plates and to-go containers and supporting ocean focused causes.

For more information about Rubio's CoastFest event or to RSVP, please visit: http://www.rubios.com/CoastFest. To learn more about Rubio's, its upcoming initiatives or its coastal cuisine, please visit: http://www.rubios.com.

About Rubio's Restaurants:
The first restaurant was opened in 1983 in San Diego by Ralph Rubio and his father, Ray, who started the fish taco phenomenon that spread across the nation. Today, Rubio's menu has grown from The Original Fish Taco to include additional chef-crafted seafood recipes that feature sustainable shrimp, Atlantic salmon, Regal Springs tilapia and mahi mahi. In addition to certified sustainable seafood, Rubio's offers grilled marinated chicken and steak, salads, handmade guacamole, "no-fried" pinto beans℠, and a variety of salsas that are prepared daily. Rubio's is headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., and operates 193 restaurants in California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. For more information, visit http://rubios.com.