Eat your hearts out, The Artichoke Festival is back in Monterey

MONTEREY, CA. (KION-TV): Food vendors were setting up their stands getting ready for the big weekend.

"I hope that will help everybody out.”

Julia Perez has been a volunteer at the artichoke festival since she was 23 years old. She is in charge of the 7 artichoke food booths-- she said it hasn't been easy for artichoke growers this year.

“It has been a really, really tough year this year. Artichokes were lost underwater, and not just artichokes. It was all the vegetables in general." said Perez.

Kathryn Parish has been the president of the artichoke festival for 9 years. She said one of her growers lost about 50% of his artichokes.

"Our vendors have been struggling too, because of COVID and everybody still getting back all the prices and everything are still so high. So, you know, people are still working on a budget.”

“We need to get back to normal,” said Tracy Hood, owner of The Jerky Hut.

Hood is a vendor from Bakersfield. His business "The Jerky Hut" has been selling his bed jerky at the artichoke festival for 9 years.

He said he brought more products this year. He is anticipating big crowds.

“I do I actually brought more than I normally bring to the event, you know, expecting that more people would come out, which means my sales would be higher, which, you know, which is, you know what we all need?”

Parish said the festival was moved from Castroville to Monterey because of a lack of space and to save more money.

The artichoke festival starts tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will end on Sunday.