Paso Robles Olive Festival draws thousands
—The 15th annual Paso Robles Olive Festival boasted over 100 vendors and an estimated 2000 visitors on May 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival, which was organized by the Paso Robles Downtown Main Street Association, was held at the downtown park for visitors of all ages. Vendors at the festival ranged from olive oil producers, jewelry makers, antiques, and a face painting station for the younger children.
“The community has been amazing for us… we’re the only vinegar makers here and we couldn’t have thought of a better place to start this business because we started at the farmers markets and the community… and the retail community has really, really supported us. We sell to quite a few people throughout San Luis Obispo County so it’s really been a wonderful thing,” said Cari Bourquin-Clark, who owns Chapparal Gardens along with her husband, Craig Clark.
The ‘Taste of the Olive’ competition was held for the first time this year, where visitors and judges mayor pro-tem Steve Gregory and city councilman Fred Strong ranked the four restaurants who participated in serving olive dishes, with first place going to Thomas Hill Organics.
The Olive Festival kicked off the festivities with a “Pre-Olive Festival Social Mixer” at the Allegretto Vineyard Resort on Friday, May 4 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, May 6, the first “Sunday Visit and Tour the Farm Day” occurred at local olive farms, such as The Groves on 41, Pasolivo, and more.
The 16th annual Paso Robles Olive Festival is planned for summer of 2019. For more information, visit pasoroblesolivefestival.com or pasoroblesdowntown.org.
