The 67th Holtville Carrot Festival

It’s Festival Time in Holtville, California!  As in earlier years I have been trekking out to Holtville to watch the Carrot Parade go by. And while many floats are the same from year to year there, are also new ones to see. And by the way I also like to watch the crowd which, due to the nice weather, this year was extremely numerous. A smiling soil                                                           and a loaded harvester Holtville or "the Carrot Capital of the World", celebrates carrots and the carrot harvest each spring with the annual Carrot Festival. It includes a carnival, parade, carrot cook-offs, and the  Annual Dia de la Familia "Day of the Family", in Holt Park at 11am until the food is gone! Olde Fordson puffing along                                 and a T-bird Carrot Festival's little and junior chef cook-offs  include recipes  carrot cheese and bacon dish or  chicken and carrot casserole. The competition is open to kindergarteners through fifth graders, and there are other divisions, including the competitive adult division for salad, vegetable and main dishes. The event takes place at Civic Center in Holtville. In addition to the recipes, the festivities and fun, the city selects a Carrot Queen and court annually. Easy Rider…. Music festivals, Rotary Club barbecue in Holt Park, a crafts fair and other events are part of the nine days of celebrating. Today is the last day of the festival and people will be streaming into the fairground with carousels and all kind of adrenalin-jolting rocket devices – nothing for me but  a lot of fun for kids and the younger crowd. Maybe next year you’d be here too?