San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter is a popular place for visitors during the Fourth of July holiday.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Ruben Hernandez has been in the taco business for most of his life, but this Fourth of July is especially meaningful. Now the proud owner of Tacos Centro in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, he is preparing for one of his busiest times of the year.
“We’ve been doing business almost all my life, and now I decided to open my own place,” Hernandez said. “It was a little hard to look for the right location, we were always aiming for downtown.”
From fireworks to delicious bites, locals and tourists alike headed to the Gaslamp to celebrate with food, tradition, and lots of red, white, and blue. Business owners like Hernandez said Independence Day is a key moment on the calendar.
“Fourth of July is a special event downtown,” he said. “It’s one of the best events we have over here, so we’re ready.”
Just a few doors down, The Smoking Gun is adding its own flavor to the festivities including a hot dog eating contest.
“Fourth of July for us is basically the kickoff, everyone comes into town to enjoy the weather, the fireworks, and of course, our hotdog eating contest,” said owner Randy Wagener.
The Gaslamp Quarter is even drawing first-time visitors like Garrett Marz, who flew in from Fort Worth, Texas, to soak up the San Diego sun and celebrate the holiday watching the San Diego Padres.
“I came here to watch some amazing baseball and enjoy the weather,” he said. “Just wanted to come out for the Fourth of July, have a long weekend, and make the most of it.”
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