Monday, March 23, 2009

My Town Monday: Fallbrook Avocado Festival





It's that time of the week again! My Town Monday! And today we're visiting the town of Fallbrook for their annual Avocado Festival.

I hesitated to do another post on a food festival, but decided to run with it for two reasons:
1. I have never met an avocado I didn't like.
2. The festival is coming up in April and just on the incredible off chance that any of you might meander out this way, I want you to be in the know.

First, a teeny bit about Fallbrook: It has a population of about 30,000 and is located in the northern sector of San Diego County. The town lost about 100 dwellings to the Oct 2007 wildfires. Fallbrook's main street is a bit off the beaten track which means you leave Highway 15 and drive west for about six miles on beautiful windy roads to get to the town proper. Fallbrook is 18 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Here are a few famous people who have lived in Fallbrook: Frank Capra, Rita Coolidge, Tony Hawk, Tori Spelling. AND, surprise, surprise, Fallbrook is well known for its avocado groves.

On Sunday, April 19 from 9 am to 5 pm, the quiet village of Fallbrook will host its annual Avocado Festival, also referred to as the green crop festival. About 70,000 people will descend upon the town to enjoy the craft and food booths, culinary contests and demos, farmers' market, live music. A couple of fun contests for the kids are the Best-Dressed Avocado and the Avocado 500 (where you build and race a model car made of an avocado). I think there's also going to be a "pit spit" contest! I have at least one son who could walk away with a first!

Culinary contests include Best Guacamole and Most Creative Avocado Dish. I will not enter, but will happily taste-test if requested!

Child #4 would so rock at the Best-Dressed Avocado contest!

A little trivia about avocados so that you can dazzle everyone with your brilliance: They are also called butter pears and alligator pears. "Avocado" comes from the Nahuati (Aztecan) language and means testicle. Your average avocado tree produces 120 avocados a year.

I'm not sure I can convince dh to hit this festival with me. But I know Child #4 will be game. She's at that perfect age (she's 8) where she's enthusiastic about everything! If you're going let me know. Maybe we can meet up for some guac and chips.

Our regular head honcho, Travis Erwin, has moved and is somewhat settled in. He's back to hosting My Town Monday. Please visit Travis' blog where he'll have a fun post and links to other participants.

And I'm off to write! Have a great day, all!!


Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallbrook,_California
http://sandiego.about.com/b/2008/04/12/fallbrook-goes-green-with-avocado-festival-april-22.htm
http://www.fallbrook.org/index.php
http://www.fallbrookca.org/AvoFest/AvoFest%20Poster2009SM.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado

28 comments:

  1. What a fun festival! I LOVE avocados.

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  2. I echo what Kristina said -- I LOVE avocados!

    I guess I'll go back to my lunch break, sitting here eating my dreary lunch. I'll be wishing for guacamole all day long ...

    Avocades. Yum!

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  3. I so agree - never met an avocado I didn't like. And my mouth is watering for some fresh guac. Your "My Town Monday" posts rock!

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  4. Just as I stated a few weeks ago: California is one big food festival! *VBG*

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  5. pass the chips! I love avacado's as well!

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  6. Yummy avocados. I'm very happy that, unlike when I first moved to New England in 1984, we can get avocados as well as a number of other treats in the grocery store. (Modern technology is good for some things!)

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  7. An avocado festival is a fabulous idea!

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  8. Your Monday posts about food are my favorite. Sounds good

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  9. I love a good food festival. Sounds like it would be lots of fun.

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  10. these food festival posts are fab . What a great town!

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  11. Avocados are wonderful. How far are you from the garlic festival?

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  12. I LOVE avocados!! I didn't know there was an avocado festival so close to us. I'm going to see if dh has time that weekend to check it out!!! Great post, Barrie. Maybe I'll see by the guacamole in April.

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  13. I love avocados. On a warm quesadilla....yum....
    And cute "avocado dress up"! That is so adorable...(:

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  14. Okay, this post is making me hungry! It reminds me of when we went to Mexico on our honeymoon. My husband made so many meals out of fresh guacamole and tortilla chips. He would love your festival.

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  15. My husbands many uncles & aunts live in Fallbrook. One of them has had an avocado orchard there for decades AND he has a blood orange orchard, too. Those, my husband just stands outside & peels and eats.

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  16. Shoneys use to have an avocado sandwich that was to kill for!

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  17. I just love some guac and chips!!!!! And wow! Child #4 would definitely win that contest! What a cute testicle!!!!!!

    Wow.

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  18. How I wish that I could meet you for some guac and chips! I've never met an avocado that I didn't like, either . . . except for that watery, tasteless one in my salad yesterday! I bet Fallbrook's avocadoes are rich and buttery.

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  19. I've just be completely traumatized! I hate those awful green things.

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  20. Honestly, i love avocados!!! I put it in all my sandwiches, salads, dips, etc. Oh damn you NOW I WANT SOME.

    dammit.

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  21. I'm with the "love avocados" crowd. The festival sounds like fun. Enjoy!

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  22. Avocado festival? Yum. It seems like I could just eat my way through San Diego all year long!

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  23. Sounds like an interesting day out...to sample different recipes.

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  24. Debra-I'm about 450 miles from the garlic festival. BUT....I may be up that way this summer. :)

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Comments are always welcome!