38th Annual California Avocado Festival

It’s that happy time of Rocktober when we get to hear the best live music at four stages for three days and nights while indulging in prized fresh avocados, fresh made guacamole and local food and beverages right here in Carpinteria, our neighbor! 

The California Avocado Festival Board of Directors invites everyone to join in the all-ages family friendly festival, October 4^th to 6^th in downtown Carpinteria, on Linden Avenue and its side streets. 

This week, I met with the 2024 Honorary Avo Fest Chair Francis Brand, and the Avo Fest Board – newly appointed President Melissa Brown-Simpson, the Co-President and Director of Production & Operations Mike Lazaro, Secretary Andrea Lionello, Treasurer Jeff Theimer, and Admin-Ops Olivia Sorgman. 

Brand is a Carpinteria native, first generation American and 8th generation farmer. His family has grown a variety of different crops over the generations including tomatoes, seed production crops, cut flowers, vegetables, leafy greens, and now of course – avocados in their family avo orchard. 

I asked him, what is your favorite avocado memory as a kid? 

Brand said, “Growing up on the farm with my dad showing me around. My brother and I would come home from Howard School and drive the tractors around on farm picking up trash, walking through the greenhouses and just growing up there.”

Do you recall your first taste of avocados?

“No! I wasn’t a picky eater and grew up with avos!”

In her first year as President, Brown-Simpson shared with us: “I am really excited for the Avo fest, proud of what we have done the past few years as it grows into a new era to bring the next generation of volunteers, community members, and farmers to get involved in the Avo Fest and what it does for the community.”

Sorgman added the new avocado specialties to taste and purchase this year are the avocado chocolates by Chocolats du CaliBressanand SB Hives’ fresh avocado honey and spicey avocado honey.

Lazaro provided that there are over 75 bands including the Cate School of Rock, Double Wide Kings, Spencer the Gardener, Jackson Gillies, Grateful Dead tribute bands – Shaky Feelin’, No Simple Highway and Dead & Kicking; a Tom Petty tribute band – Petty Set Go; Reggae/Ska bands – The Upbeat, Ska Dadds, Cornerstone, The Moondawgs, Skamakaziel, Ojai Department of Rhythm, and Black Cat Bone. Yes indeed – rock, country, Motown, indie, folk, Beatles tribute, and singer songwriters. The main stage has been made larger this year.

There is a Youth Stage for performances by the Laguna Blanca School of Rock Band, the CSD School of Performing Arts Carp, and other young talent. On this stage on Saturday, the Carpinteria Boys and Girls Club will hold a dance event for youth to hang out and meet other youths.

Friday at 5:30 pm is the Opening Ceremonies with local politicians and the Avo Team.

Saturday at 12 pm is the Strong-Arm Competition timing who can hold a 10-pound bag of avos the longest in one hand, and on Sunday, 12 pm, the Guacamole Contest & Avocado Auction. 

Making a comeback is the Dunk Tank. The Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Dept will be on hand with demos for the kids. There are 50 artists and crafts peeps, along with 15 tempting food vendors. And as always, the festival supports local nonprofits, of which over 12 will have a booth with their info and how to donate. 

The Avo Festival is a nonprofit organization and an all-volunteer effort, whose proceeds benefit the Carpinteria Education Foundation and the Future Farmers of America.

411: www.avofest.org