Olives!

The olive trees in the parking lot at the corner of Sixth and East Streets are bearing fruit now.  Be careful where you walk. I wonder if anyone gathers the olives.

Speaking of olives, the third annual San Benito Olive Festival is a month away—Saturday, October 17, 2015 at Bolado Park. Our county's fun, foodie event features olive oils, chocolates, Blenheim apricots, wines, and other products that are grown  and produced in our area. To see the growing list of participants, check out this page at the San Benito Olive Festival website.

Shona Sculpture in Paicines

The beautiful sculptures shown today on this post are known as Shona Sculpture. They were created by artists of the Shona tribe in Zimbabwe.  And, these sculptures are three of several that are displayed at Paicines Ranch.

I took the photos at last year's Kinship Center fundraiser, which the ranch hosts every year.

By the way, the Kinship Center will hold its annual Gabilan Wine & Food Tasting on September 12, 2015 at Paicines Ranch. It'll run from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. For more information, click here.

2015 San Benito Olive Festival

2014

The Third Annual San Benito Olive Festival is only six Saturdays away! Saturday, October 17, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., to be precise. The place—Bolado Park in Tres Pinos, right off Highway 25, about eight miles south of Hollister.  

2013

This foodie celebration honors the rich agricultural bounty and heritage of San Benito County, showcasing many of the local olive oil producers, winemakers, food artisans, fine artists, craftspeople, restaurants, and chefs.  All net proceeds from the event are donated to nonprofit organizations in San Benito County.

2014

We will be tasting award-winning olive oils from such producers as Oils of Paicines and Brigantino Olio de Oliva as well as various types of olives from Papa Joe's Spicy Products and The Farm Bertuccio's.

2014

We will be checking out Blenheim apricots, balsamic vinegars, chocolates, and other culinary treats from Apricot King, Marich Premium Chocolates, Tantalizing Toffee, Vertigo Coffee, and California Balsamic.

2013

We will be trying out wines and handcrafted beers from Calera Wine, Guerra Cellars, Aimee June Winery, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Grillin & Chillin Alehouse, and others.

2014

We will be having a hard time deciding from which restaurant or food truck to buy lunch—Fired Up Fresh, Kuki's Bowl, Paine's Restaurant, or another.

2014

We will be listening—and maybe dancing—to local bands of different styles, from jazz (Mr. O's Jazz Band) to doo-wop (The Flashbacks) and more. 

2014

We will be meandering up and down aisles, checking out amazing art, crafts, jewelry, kitchenware, gift products by Italian artisans, garden items, and other lovely things from such merchants as  the Gioia Company, Artistic Woodcrafts, McAbee Feed, and M & M Plant Sales Inc.

2014

We will be venturing into booths of the San Benito County Historical Society and other nonprofit groups to learn more about the history, organic agricultural bounty, and the world in general about San Benito County. 

2013

We will be enjoying the cooking demonstrations with olive oil by talented chefs, such as the ever popular Chef and Cooking Instructor Dorothy McNett and Executive Chef Cal Stamenov from the Bernardus Lodge & Spa in Carmel Valley.

2014

We will be tired, happy, and full by the end of the day. 

For the latest information about the San Benito Olive Festival, go to its website and/or Facebook page.  To purchase tickets online, check out its Eventbrite page.

All Things Vertigo in San Juan Bautista

In this instance, not Vertigo Coffee, but Vertigo, the 1958 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak. And, that is what Vertigo Day at the San Juan Bautista State Historic Park on September 26, 2015 will be all about.

The event is sponsored by San Juan Bautista State Historic Park and the Plaza History Association and features a tour, a lecture, and a showing of Vertigo.

• 3:00 p.m. — a 1.5 hour guide tour of the mission and park, highlighting Vertigo stories and film locations.
• 4:30 p.m. — "Mastery of Hitchcock," a talk by Luis Camara, CSU Monterey Bay film professor, at the Plaza Saloon.
• 8:10 p.m — Vertigo on the Plaza lawn. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. It may be chilly, so bring jackets or extra blankets. 

The movie is free. The tour is $15/person and Professor Camara's lecture is $10/person. You can do both the tour and lecture for $20/per person. For more information about Vertigo Day, click here.

Wondering where to eat before the movie? San Juan Bautista has several restaurants, including Vertigo Coffee which serves awesome handcrafted, oven baked pizza. For info about places to eat and drink in San Juan Bautista, check out this link.

I can't leave you without a clip from Vertigo. This scene is from the imaginary bell tower of Mission San Juan Bautista. By the time Hitchcock came to San Juan to shoot, the mission no longer had a bell tower, so he built one for the movie. And, a taller one at that.

2015 Aromas Day Parade

The Aromas Day Parade is the narrowest of all the parades that take place in San Benito County. Hands down. The parade, which took place last Sunday—Aromas Day, gracefully marched up Carpenteria Street that was lined with booths on both sides. I loved the joyful cheers and happy faces of the parade participants and us, parade viewers.

The Husband and I were getting corn dogs when the parade started so we missed the first few floats and also a good spot from where short me could see. No problem. I simply held the camera up high, clicked, and hoped for the best. Here are four of my favorite parade entries.

North Monterey County High School Marching Band

Former Aromas 4-H members

Women's Club of Hollister

Transition Aromas

To see more photos of the Aromas Day Parade, check out my album at Take 25 to Hollister Facbook page. You ought be able to see the photos without logging on or having a Facebook account.

Aromas Day!

Aromas Day was a blast! I could not ever have imagined what it would be like. It had a little of everything for everyone—live music, fine arts and crafts, food, fresh produce, classic cars, and pony and carnival rides for the kids. And, many of the residents held yard sales. 

Too bad the Husband and I got there towards the end of the day. Next time, we'll be there earlier to see all the booths as well as hear the various bands and check out the many, many yard sales. Well, I'll do the sales, while the Husband enjoys the bands under the shade.

One of my favorite things of the day was riding the shuttle from the big field of a parking lot by the school to the center of town. We could've easily walked the short distance, but once we saw the shuttle, we hopped on. It was a trailer hooked up to a tractor. We slowly rumbled our way up the street amidst the walkers who were stopping now and then to look at stuff for sale in people's front yards.

I noticed golf carts and a hay wagon pulled by a tractor were also used as shuttles. I liked ours the best because it reminded us of a San Francisco cable car. I also liked that I sat next to a woman  with a lovely English accent who reminded me of Kate Winslet. She was quite friendly and magical. Talking with her and waving at the walkers got me into the spirit of fun. 

I loved the whimsy of the amazing handcrafted items that the artists had on display and for sale, which was another favorite aspect about Aromas Day for me. That art piece of a garment in the above photo was made by Aromas artist Susan Shirley of Mosshollow. The dress, made of natural fibers, including wool that she spun, also has a bustle.  Very cool!

Until last year, I had driven through Aromas a few times while meandering the back roads. When a friend and I checked out several of the artists during last year's Open Studios Art Tour, I kinda fell in love with the town. Aromas is a non-incorporated city with nearly 2,700 residents. The town has the distinction of sitting on the border between San Benito and Monterey counties, which means some residents technically live in San Benito County and others in Monterey County. 

One more favorite thing of mine about Aromas Day: We purchased three fresh ears of corn for $1 from the Aromas 4-H booth. Here are a few more random photos of Aromas Day. Come back tomorrow for photos of the Aromas Day Parade.

Saturday in the Park

It was a perfect lazy afternoon at Dunne Park yesterday. Just as Saturday ought to be—relaxing on the lawn, eating, watching kids play, chatting with friends, and listening to the music of our local bands.

Dave Huboi & the Architecturals performed the first hour of the Music in the Park concert, while Mr. O's Jazz Bank played the second hour. We are fortunate to have wonderfully talented local musicians.

The free Music in the Park concerts in Dunne Park were organized by Greg Harvey of the Joshua Inn Bed & Breakfast and Mr. O's Academy of the Arts. Last Saturday afternoon was the first of three concerts. The next two will be September 26 and October 24.  They'll be both Saturday afternoon, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Here are few more photos from Saturday.

Aromas Day 2015

This year I plan on going to Aromas Day on Sunday, August 30, 2015. It's an annual event celebrating the cute little town of Aromas, California, which is in both San Benito County and Monterey County. Everyone is invited to this free community event, which runs from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

According to the Aromas Day website, the day will start at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast at the Aromas Grange. The breakfast will be offered until 11 a.m. The food and vendor booths will open at 9 a.m.  Lots of live music with different artists every hour will perform every hour, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The celebration will also feature a parade, a classic car display, artwork by local artists and artisans, a book sale at Aromas Library, and much, much more. Check out this link for details.

I'm looking forward to Aromas Day.  See you there!

Music in the Park

Saturday, August 29, 2015, is the date for the first of three upcoming free Music in the Park concerts in Downtown Hollister. Everyone is invited—young and old, singles and families. 

The concert will be from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Dunne Memorial Park on Seventh Street, between West and Powell Streets. 

The performers will be Mr. O's Jazz Band and David Huboi and the Architecturals.

Mr. O's Jazz Band at the 2014 San Benito County Fair

The concerts will be held near the tennis courts. Planners say to bring a blanket and/or low-back chairs to sit on. And, yes, we can also bring a picnic or refreshments. Reminder: No wine, beer, or any other kind of alcohol is allowed in the city park. 

The next concerts will be September 26, 2015 and October 24, 2015. Both Saturdays.

Mr. O's Academy of the Arts is sponsoring the free concerts. 

If any musicians and bands would like to perform at future concerts, contact Mr. O. (Contact details are on Mr. O's Academy's website.)

For more details on this Saturday's event, check out this Facebook page. 

David Huboi & The Architecturals at the 2013 San Benito Olive Festival

29th Annual Street Festival, Car Show, Swap Meet, and Chili Cookoff!

Here's how late I can be: I finally "processed" some of my photos from last year's street festival. Ha! Just in time, too. This Saturday, July 18, is the 29th Annual Street Festival, Car Show, and Swap Meet in Downtown Hollister. New this year is a Chili Cookoff. 

The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on San Benito Street, between Fourth and South Streets. Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Streets will also be closed between Monterey and East Streets. 

Lots of old, older, and even older cars to see. Also, live music and entertainment to enjoy on two stages. Be sure to stop at the Hollister Downtown Association's booth for a free slice of watermelon.

The Hollister Downtown Association sponsors the event each year. Thank you, Brenda and team!

Here are a few more photos from the 2014 festival and car show. Maybe this year, I'll get Saturday's photos up sooner. Have fun at the festival!