The Artichoke Festival returns on June 8-9 at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center.   The annual Artichoke Festival began in 1959 as a harvest festival to celebrate the iconic artichoke and the region known as the “Artichoke Center of the World.” 

Visit this web site for details and tickets https://artichokefestival.org/

Don’t miss the biggest veggie event on the California Central Coast
The Artichoke Festival!

Held at the historic Monterey County Fair & Event Center, we’ve planned an Artichoke Festival dedicated to The Heart of the Harvest. This 64-year old tradition runs June 8-9, and will celebrate the full range of tastes that the Monterey County farming community has to offer:

Artichoke cooking demonstrations by local celebrity chefs, A bountiful farmer’s market with freshly harvested produce from Monterey County and beyond, An agricultural education exhibit, Live entertainment on two stages, Plenty of family-friendly fun activities

Artichokes prepared in some of your favorite ways, including the fan-favorite — fried baby artichokes! Plus, steamed, grilled, and in unique forms such as lumpia, burritos, sausage, cupcakes and even ice cream.

But that’s not the only way to have fun with our thistly friends—guests can enjoy artichoke eating and harvest contests, arts and crafts vendors, a family fun run on Sunday, and our ever popular wine tasting event, featuring the wines of small production, boutique wineries from around California.

ATTENTION: The Artichoke Festival has established a Clear Bag Policy for all attendees and guests of the Festival. 

Since 1959, the Monterey Peninsula has come together to celebrate California’s official state vegetable. California’s artichoke history begins in 1922 when the first artichoke shoots were planted in Castroville. Today, nearly 100 percent of America’s fresh artichoke supply is grown in California and nearly two-thirds is grown in the small town of Castroville.

Norma Jean Mortenson, better known as Marilyn Monroe, was named California’s first honorary Artichoke Queen in 1948. The official festival started eleven years later and continues to grow, appealing to visitors from near and far. Now an official 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the annual Artichoke Festival continues to support the heritage of Castroville’s farming community.