Festival Celebrates its 22nd Year 

MARCH 2007 -- Celebrating its 22nd year, the Stockton Asparagus Festival

This year’s three-day run begins April 27, and concludes on April 29. The nationally-acclaimed festival will open at 10 a.m. all three days, closing at 7 p.m. Festival organizers anticipate a sunny weekend this year and expect this year’s attendance to break all records. And there’s plenty for the crowds to enjoy.

Stockton channel cruises return this year with a full schedule all three days aboard the 75-foot vessel “Princess of Whales” from Delta River Cruise and sponsored by The Port of Stockton. Up to 150 passengers per trip will get a waterfront view of downtown development and Port activities with a live narration by Delta River Cruise’s valley historian Bill Stritzel. An expanded schedule offers cruises from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. all three days aboard the high speed catamaran.

Asparagus Alley, sponsored by Bank of Stockton, will be ready to serve more of the Festival’s most sought after dish, deep fried asparagus, with its growing number of deep fryers and more serving windows to move the lines more quickly. This year, while standing in line, festival-goers will enjoy seeing action on the main stage and around the festival on a Jumbotron big screen. Others in and around the Great Circle will be able to see festival action on a larger screen next to the Main Stage.

The “Spear-Its of the Valley” pavilion, sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank, will again command its site in the Great Circle at Weber Point near the Main Stage. In addition to wine, micro-brews (including an Asparagus Ale by Valley Brew), and the popular Margaritas, Spear-Its will again be serving Aspara-Marys, introduced last year. This festival version of a Bloody Mary, served with a spear of asparagus, is offered in a souvenir glass imprinted with an Aspara-Mary logo.

While sipping your Aspara-Mary at one of the umbrella-shaded tables, you can enjoy the Main Stage entertainment: The Garage Band followed by the Original Family Stone on Friday; Chicago Tribute Authority followed by John Waite on Saturday; and The Groove Kings followed by Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chuck Negron Formerly of Three Dog Night on Sunday; all brought to you by the sponsorship of The Sheraton at Regent Place.

The DeCarli Stage will continue offering a wide variety of local talent along with some notable regional entertainment in its shaded waterside DeCarli Square venue, sponsored by River City Bank.

In addition to stage entertainment, the Festival offers a variety of strolling entertainment. The popular French stilt-walkers Dragon Knights will return to enchant the crowds as they stroll throughout the grounds, while the Frisbee-catching Skyy Dogs perform their acrobatic tricks in the Great Circle at Weber Point. New this year will be the Fabulous Fat Brothers, an entertaining duo from Canada. Dressed as chefs and standing 9 feet tall and 5 feet wide they are real showstoppers. Another Festival surprise will be the California Repercussions, a group of musicians who love playing together, hitting the Festival on Saturday and wowing the crowds with their energy and fast-moving tempo

There’s something for every kid in the family to enjoy in the Kaiser Permanente Thrive Asparazone where they can ride, slide and twirl on the variety of inflatable attractions and mechanical rides offered near the Main Stage at Weber Point..

Thanks to the festival’s beautiful waterfront setting, McLeod Lake will sport a covey of visiting yachts, and Leadership Stockton will again offer paddleboat rides in the channel at the south seawall. Also taking advantage of the waterfront backdrop will be the KCRA broadcast tent at the McLeod Lake Amphitheatre Stage. Come see live broadcasts by your favorite KCRA anchors

McLeod Lake will also be the location of the Hole-in-One golf competition, sponsored by Food 4 Less/Rancho San Miguel, with duffers aiming their shots out to a floating green, vying for a $100,000 purse and an added bonus of a ML350 Mercedes Benz donated by Berberian European Motors.

Nearby in the Center and Fremont intersection the California Milk Advisory Board-sponsored Got Milk? Gravity Tour will thrill with daredevil BMX bikers, in-line skaters and skateboarders. One of this year’s Festival surprises will be the appearance of Tyson, The Skateboarding Bulldog who will delight crowds with his skateboarding skills as a warm up act for the Gravity Tour.

The Arts and Crafts Show, sponsored by Peels, will set up again in Martin Luthern King Jr. Plaza offering shoppers a wide array of selections from 100 booths. Across the street in front of City Hall in Civic Court the Stockton Certified Farmers Market, sponsored by Food 4 Less/Rancho San Miguel, will be selling a variety of fresh produce.

Nearby in the Civic Auditorium Alder Market will feature celebrity chefs sharing their favorite asparagus recipes in Food 4 Less/Rancho San Miguel’s Celebrity Kitchen. Martin Yan returns to the Festival this year to cook up a storm on Friday and Saturday. Another Festival surprise will be Michael Midgley, Stockton’s own “Top Chef” from Bravo’s reality cooking show who will be featured on Saturday and Sunday. KCRA anchors will also cook up some asparagus fare throughout the three days. Another Festival highlight in the Civic Auditorium is the beautiful Home & Garden Show, sponsored by KB Homes, offering everything you would ever want for your home.

Festival revelers can watch local celebrities test their strength and skills in the Mayor’s Celebrity Spear Throwing Competition on Friday, April 27 at noon at the Main Stage at Weber Point, sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank. Not just for adults, there is a kids’ division too. The top three throwers in each age category will win a prize and get their photo taken with Mayor Ed Chavez. There’s also a fun mascot category featuring favorite mascots from local and area sports teams.

The now-established and nationally-acclaimed Deep-Fried Asparagus Eating Competition will return for its fourth consecutive year, produced by the International Federation of Competitive Eaters and sponsored by Washington Mutual. IFOCE champs will compete against others for the asparagus title at noon Saturday at the main stage at Weber Point. This year’s contest promises to be especially competitive with two-time winner Joey Chestnut returning to defend his title.

On Sunday morning, the Kaiser Permanente Great Spear-It Run takes place; a flat and fast 1-mile, 5K and, new this year, a 5-Mile course, hosted by Mayor Ed Chavez, former police chief and a 5K runner as well. Headed by Tony Vice of Fleet Feet of Stockton, the run is coordinated by the Sundance Running Club and the Stockton Sports Commission. All three runs follow a course along the beautiful downtown waterfront and finish on the north seawall of Weber Point Events Center.

Of course, this three-day festival extravaganza would not be the rousing success it is, without the 5,000 community volunteers who come together each year to help make it happen. This volunteer “spear-it” is like no other and benefits the entire community. More than 100 local charities will share in contributions made from the proceeds of this event. To date, over $3.6 million has been donated to local charities.

Don’t miss the “Best of the West Food Fest” – the award-winning Stockton Asparagus Festival – April 27-29th on the downtown Stockton waterfront. General admission is $10; $5 for seniors and teens (ages 11-17); kids 10 and under are free thanks to Bank of the West. Discount tickets are on sale at all area Applebee’s. Get your tickets in advance at the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce or the Downtown Stockton Alliance. Or, don’t wait in line. New this year is online ticketing from Admit One E-Tickets, sponsored by the Stockton Conference & Visitors Bureau.

 There’s plenty of parking around the Festival site, with more than 10,000 spaces available. City parking lots and garages will offer $5 all-day parking. On Saturday and Sunday, there will be shuttles from the parking lots and garages to the Festival site. Don’t feel like driving? The easiest way to get to the Festival is by Asparabus from San Joaquin Delta College. It departs regularly from Shima Parking Lot on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and stops at Oak and Center streets downtown, next to entry Gate 3.