The
San Benito Olive Festival was this past Saturday. It was a gorgeous day, and the setting—the
San Benito County Historical Park—was a perfect fit for the celebration of agricultural harvest and culinary delights. So much fun!!! Here's what I ended up doing on my checklist!
- Check! Make an olive wreath.
- Try a fresh fruit juice concoction by Gaspachos.
- Check! Paint rocks with ARTI-culture.
- Check! Take the walk and geology talk with Jim Ostdick, who walked across the United States earlier this year to raise funds and awareness for the R.E.A.C.H. Foundation. (I'm darn tootin' proud of myself for climbing up and down the slope with the help of my cane and the Husband.)
The Husband, our Friends, and I criss-crossed the park several times and still didn't experience all of the festival, particularly the cooking demonstrations, the merchants' booths, the nonprofit groups' displays, and all of the historical village's buildings and exhibits. Did you know there's an indoor model train display at the village? The Husband and I will visit the park throughout the year to see what we missed during the festival. For everything else, we shall wait patiently for next year!
I don't think it's well known that the San Benito Olive Festival is a non-profit organization. The organization, and festival, exists on the generosity of many, many volunteers and donors. All of the net proceeds the San Benito Olive Festival earns go back into the community. Thus far, it has donated to more than 20 local nonprofit organizations.
For more photos of the festival, check out the
album at Take 25's Facebook page.