Celebrating local harvest and culinary delights, the Fourth Annual San Benito Olive Festival will take place on Saturday, October 14 at the San Benito County Historical Park, a once working ranch, located just eight miles south of Hollister. The one-day fresh culinary event will delight visitors with samples offered by award-winning olive growers, world-class vintners and craft brewers. Festival-goers can catch up with friends and family as they eat, drink, stroll through the historical village and enjoy a wide variety of entertaining activities such as cooking demonstrations, hands-on crafts, live bands and cultural dance performances.
Olive oil producers showcased at the festival include: MoonShadow Grove, Trabia Farms, Oils of Paicines, Brigantino Olive Oil, Big Paw Olive Oil Company and Papa Joe’s Spicy Products. Olive lovers will be able to sidle up to the olive bar inside an old-time saloon in the village. More culinary delights will include organic tapas presented by the Farmhouse Cafe, Mediterranean cuisine by Mr. Falafel, gourmet cheeses by Tres Bien Creamery, pesto pasta and garlic chicken by Hog Tie Catering and fresh juice and fruit kabobs by Gaspachos.
At the VIP Tasting Grove, guests will savor fine wine and craft beers from Calera Wine Company, DeRose Winery, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Kori Wines, Fortino Winery, Morgan Winery, Grillin and Chillin Alehouse, Anchor Brewing Company, 18th Barrel Tasting Room and others.
On the cooking demonstration stage, professional chefs will engage foodies with their unique olive and olive oil inspired recipes. Among the featured chefs are Jeff Walker, executive chef of San Juan Oaks Golf Club in Hollister and Chef Carlos Pineda of the Culinary Academy and Kneaded Bakery in Gilroy, who was the Garlic Showdown winner at this year’s Gilroy Garlic Festival. There will also be a surprise chef from the Campbell campus of the International Culinary Center, formerly known as The French Culinary Institute, which alumni include Chef Bobby Flay and Chef Antonia Lofaso.
Other festival highlights include Botanical Family Fun, olive wreaths crafting with Bea and Malia Chang, rock painting with ARTI-Culture, flower bouquet making with Judy Hess of the Gilroy Demonstration Garden and Paint and Plant with The Garden Mart.
The festival will also include ample opportunity for early holiday shopping with jewelry, handcrafted soap and other unique finds available from local artisans. The Gilroy Demonstration Garden will host a stall with lavender, wreaths and seasonal produce for sale.
Jim Ostdick, who hiked across America earlier this year, will give a walk and geology talk, including a gentle climb up the trail behind the historic village to a view overlooking the park and the rolling foothills of the Diablo Range. Â
There will also be live music, dance performances and a DJ.
San Benito Olive Festival at San Benito County Historical Park, Tres Pinos. Saturday, October 14. Tickets at sanbenitoolivefestival.com.
