Artichoke Festival (May 30-31) continues its Pursuit of Fun, expanding wild and wacky 5K Beach Run, adding two-day, 7-on-7 soccer tournament Pamplona, Spain may be famous for its annual running of the bulls, but nothing quite compares to the Artichoke Festival’s running of the human vegetables.
Monterey, CA, March 13, 2020 — Pamplona, Spain may be famous for its annual running of the bulls, but nothing quite compares to the Artichoke Festival’s running of the human vegetables. The festival’s second annual 5K Beach Run takes place May 2 along the sandy, windswept Del Monte Beach in Monterey. The wild and wacky fun run — with participants encouraged to dress as their favorite veggies — is a prelude to the two-day festival to be held this year on May 30-31 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds & Event Center in Monterey.
Started in 1959 in Castroville (the Artichoke Capital of the World), the Artichoke Festival has expanded its scope over the years to include musical entertainment, field tours, art competitions, chef demos, a Kids Zone and more. In addition to the Fun Run, the festival has added the first-ever Artichoke Cup Soccer Tournament to be held on both days of the festival. Twelve corporate teams of 10 adults each will compete in a two-day, 7-on-7 tournament to win the firstever Artichoke Cup. A portion of proceeds will benefit the nonprofit Monterey Surf Soccer Club. Admission is free to all festival admission ticket holders The winning team will be announced on Sunday afternoon, May 31. Last year’s inaugural Fun Run proved so popular that the festival has expanded it for 2020. Runners and walkers alike are invited for fun, exercise and goodies on the beach, starting at the Monterey Tides Hotel, 2600 Sand Dunes Dr., Monterey.