Castroville Artichoke Festival facts for kids
The Artichoke Festival is a super fun event all about artichokes! It happens every year in Monterey, a city in California. This area is known as the "Artichoke Center of the World." The festival started in 1960 to celebrate this unique vegetable. It has become so popular that it moved to a bigger place, a convention center nearby. In 2009, the festival celebrated its 50th birthday!
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Discovering the Artichoke Festival
How Artichokes Came to California
Artichokes first arrived in California thanks to Italian immigrants. This happened in the late 1800s. In the 1920s, a man named Andrew Molera planted the first artichokes in a town called Castroville. Soon after, in 1922, Angelo del Chiaro and his cousin grew even more artichokes. By 1926, most of California's artichoke farms were in Castroville.
The Festival's Fun Beginnings
The Artichoke Festival grew from an older event called the May Days Parade. People added a pancake breakfast and a barbecue. In 1959, some local business owners created the Castroville Artichoke Advisory Board. They officially named it the Castroville Artichoke Festival. This two-day event happens every May. It started in Castroville but moved to the Monterey County Fair and Event Center in 2014. In 2011, about 20,000 people came to enjoy the festival!
Did you know that famous people have been part of the festival's history? Marilyn Monroe was the first "Honorary Artichoke Queen" in 1948. Sally DeSante Hebert became the first official "Festival Artichoke Queen" in 1961. The first "Artichoke King" was Andrew O'Desky in 1974. Even William Hung was crowned Artichoke King in 2006!
What Happens at the Festival Today
Local artichoke companies help make the festival happen. There's a big parade with music and fun. You can see amazing artwork made from fruits and vegetables! There are also farmers markets where you can buy fresh produce. You can even take tours to see artichoke fields.
The festival sells cool artichoke souvenirs. You can watch chefs show how to cook artichokes. There's a 5k beach run if you like to exercise. Other fun activities include a canasta (basket) race and a quilt challenge. You can even join a Marilyn Monroe look-alike contest!
And of course, there's lots of artichoke food! You can try them fried, grilled, or marinated. They even make artichoke soup and cupcakes!
In 2020, the festival had to be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it came back in 2021 for its 61st year!
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