27 Years and Going Strong – Part 1

16 Nov 2011 | 8 Comments | posted by Gus | in History

The Stockton Asparagus Festival has passed its quarter century mark and is now in its 27th year. When still just the seed of an idea, the founders of the festival, led by Joe Travale and Gordon Medlin, wondered those many years ago who would turn out to celebrate the annual harvest of the popular vegetable and San Joaquin County’s most prestigious agricultural product. Twenty thousand attendees later, the organizers has their question answered and never looked back as they moved full steam ahead with asparagus “spear-it.”

The festival has grown into a hearty crop of devoted volunteers, sponsors, and a whopping 100,000 people attending each year. It may not be one of the largest festivals in the country, but it certainly is one of the best and most successful. In 2000, Sunset Magazine bestowed its “Best of the West” Award on the Asparagus Festival giving us the moniker “Best of the West Food Fest” which we proudly tout each year.

We are also the largest charitable festival in California, giving thousands of dollars to over 100 non-profit organizations who provide the army of volunteers that make this festival possible. To date we have given $5.5 million over our 27-year history.

Located at the bucolic country setting amongst the towering oak trees at Oak Grove Regional Park north of Stockton for its first 18 years, the festival thrived and grew until urban sprawl started to encroach on its boundaries, and increasing park restrictions started to hamper continued growth. In 2003, the city of Stockton wooed the Stockton Asparagus Festival and convinced organizers to move the event to the beautiful downtown waterfront, encompassing 31 acres and several city blocks.

The move gave the festival a whole new look and feel, and proved to be the best thing that could happen to the event to bring it to a whole new level. The move drew record crowds, experiencing the largest gate revenue ever. Its downtown venue has resulted in continued record attendance and revenues, which have benefitted participating non-profits substantially. . . .(Continued in Part 2)