By Bay City News
The annual Artichoke Festival, held in Monterey County since 1959, was canceled indefinitely on Friday by the festival’s board of directors.
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The event was long held in Castroville but moved to the Monterey County Fairgrounds, in the city of Monterey, in 2014. It was scheduled to be held this year in Salinas for the first time, in June.
But organizers said in a message on the festival’s website that the board determined the costs of putting on the festival were unsustainable.
“This decision, made after months of thoughtful consideration, stems from the growing financial strain caused by increasing event production costs, insurance premiums, permitting requirements, and operational challenges that have made it no longer feasible to continue,” the board’s statement said, calling it a difficult decision.
The board thanked the countless farmers, volunteers and visitors who made the festival possible each year.
The festival’s executive director, Linda Scherer, called the event a “labor of love” for those who invested their time and attention into it for so many years.
“Watching it grow from a hometown celebration to a regional highlight has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Scherer said. “The memories we’ve made, the people we’ve touched, and the good we’ve done together will live on far beyond this decision. Thank you for letting us be part of your family traditions,” she said.
The board said it would contemplate how best to preserve the festival’s legacy in the future and continue to support local agriculture in some way.
The festival began when Swiss Italian farmers who had made the crop ubiquitous in Monterey County planned to raise money for the community, according to the festival’s website. Organizers said hundreds of thousands of dollars in charitable causes had been generated since the festival’s inception.
The festival featured artichoke offerings like burritos and fried artichoke hearts, other food offerings, music and activities.
About two-thirds of artichokes consumed in the United States are grown in Castroville, according to the festival’s organizers.
