Castroville Artichoke Festival
Encyclopedia
Castroville Artichoke Festival is a food festival
held annually in Castroville
, a town in Monterey County of the US State of California
. The city itself is called the "Artichoke
Center of the World". Castroville Artichoke Festival 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of this celebration.
Since 1920s, Castroville has produced artichokes. California artichoke industry was started here by Swiss Italians, who also grew the first wine
vineyards in Salinas Valley
. It is now a $50 million crop for Pajaro Valley - where Castroville and Moss Landing host nearly all the artichoke fields.
Castroville Artichoke Festival is held every year in May and features large and colorful parades, two days of live music, agro art competition where three-dimensional fruit and vegetable artwork is presented by participants, farmers markets, and field tours. Other activities include arts and crafts, artichoke souvenirs sales, wine tasting and cooking demos. At Castroville Artichoke Festival, children are offered games, face painting, clowns, stilt walkers, puppets, and more.
With the main theme of this food festival being artichoke, foods offered during the festival are nevertheless various. Apart from artichokes, fried, sauteed, grilled, marinated, pickled, fresh, and creamed as soup, visitors are offered foods from many ethnic groups that give Monterey County its character.
Marilyn Monroe
, Norma Jean at the time, was crowned Castroville's first Artichoke Queen in 1948. The first Artichoke King was Andrew O'Desky in 1974. William Hung
was crowned the Artichoke King on May 21, 2006.
Food festival
A food festival is a festival, usually held annually, that uses food, often produce, as its central theme. "These festivals have always been a means of uniting communities through celebrations of harvests and giving thanks for a plentiful growing season...
held annually in Castroville
Castroville, California
Castroville is a census-designated place in Monterey County, California, United States. Castroville is located northwest of Salinas, at an elevation of 23 feet . The population was 6,481 at the 2010 census, down from 6,724 at the 2000 census. Castroville calls itself "Artichoke Center of the...
, a town in Monterey County of the US State of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The city itself is called the "Artichoke
Artichoke
-Plants:* Globe artichoke, a partially edible perennial thistle originating in southern Europe around the Mediterranean* Jerusalem artichoke, a species of sunflower with an edible tuber...
Center of the World". Castroville Artichoke Festival 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of this celebration.
Since 1920s, Castroville has produced artichokes. California artichoke industry was started here by Swiss Italians, who also grew the first wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
vineyards in Salinas Valley
Salinas Valley
The Salinas Valley lies south of San Francisco, California.The word "salina" is spanish for salt marsh, salt lake or salt pan.-Geography:The Salinas Valley runs approximately south-east from Salinas towards King City. The valley lends its name to the geologic province in which it's located, the...
. It is now a $50 million crop for Pajaro Valley - where Castroville and Moss Landing host nearly all the artichoke fields.
Castroville Artichoke Festival is held every year in May and features large and colorful parades, two days of live music, agro art competition where three-dimensional fruit and vegetable artwork is presented by participants, farmers markets, and field tours. Other activities include arts and crafts, artichoke souvenirs sales, wine tasting and cooking demos. At Castroville Artichoke Festival, children are offered games, face painting, clowns, stilt walkers, puppets, and more.
With the main theme of this food festival being artichoke, foods offered during the festival are nevertheless various. Apart from artichokes, fried, sauteed, grilled, marinated, pickled, fresh, and creamed as soup, visitors are offered foods from many ethnic groups that give Monterey County its character.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
, Norma Jean at the time, was crowned Castroville's first Artichoke Queen in 1948. The first Artichoke King was Andrew O'Desky in 1974. William Hung
William Hung
William James Hung Hing Cheong , commonly known as William Hung, is an American singer who gained fame in early 2004 as a result of his off-key audition performance of Ricky Martin's hit song "She Bangs" on the third season of the television series...
was crowned the Artichoke King on May 21, 2006.
See also
- Castroville, CaliforniaCastroville, CaliforniaCastroville is a census-designated place in Monterey County, California, United States. Castroville is located northwest of Salinas, at an elevation of 23 feet . The population was 6,481 at the 2010 census, down from 6,724 at the 2000 census. Castroville calls itself "Artichoke Center of the...
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