Taco tees at Golden Hill Park’s Tacotopia

I often scan the crowds for fashion trends at events, so I knew there were bound to be some interesting outfits at Reader Tacotopia. Once again, I kept my eyes peeled for common thread themes as I sampled tacos and beer. It turned out to be a day for donning festive taco shirts, and everyone seemed to have gotten the message to dress for the occasion.

Across the sea of people, the words “Best Taco Ever” stood out in red lettering against a grey tank, which meshed perfectly with an otherwise everyday outfit. When asked about her graphic tee, Megan said she got it online a while back and when her sister-in-law gifted her tickets to the all-you-can-eat taco event, she immediately thought to herself, “I have the perfect shirt!”

“I wasn’t sure what the weather would be like, so I wanted to make sure I had something to keep me warm, but could also show my shirt off,” the 35-year-old assistant principal said, as she tugged on a red plaid flannel button-down that was tied around her waist. Megan also shaded her eyes with a set of round cat-eye sunglasses from Warby Parker. “They sell regular glasses and sunglasses. And for every pair you buy, they donate a pair!”

Later on, while waiting in line for a steak chimichurri taco, I made friends with a mother and daughter from Serra Mesa who were both wearing the style of choice that day. Dressed in comfy jeans and a quarter sleeve baseball tee reading “Certified Taco Expert” ($15 from Target), 55-year-old Suanne recounted how her daughter brought her to the event. “I dropped them off last year, and she said, ‘This year, you’re going!’”

Daughter Britney, a 33-year-old massage therapist, was wearing a sunny yellow tank top printed with a taco and tequila shot image ($20 from Amazon). I glanced down to find powder pink sneakers, perfect for trekking Golden Hill park. Blessed with small-sized feet, Britney snagged her Adidas from the children’s section for about $70. She recalls, “they looked at me weird, but I was like, ‘You’re weird, because I’m spending $30 less!’”

After admiring an avocado patterned t-shirt from afar, I stopped 37-year-old Sesha in her tracks as she was about to throw in the towel on tacos. The math teacher from Chula Vista dressed up her t-shirt ($9.99 from Target) with a pair of large gold hoops and suede booties ($49.99 from Nordstrom). Sesha strategically picked a stylish cognac waist bag aka fanny pack ($22) for a hands-free day of fun. She laughed as she declared, “I didn’t want to wear a purse today!” She paused on a sudden realization, “I actually think I got this at Target, the same day I got [the shirt]!”