Ripon once held the record for being home to the most almond trees per capita. The self-proclaimed “Almond Capital of the World” is celebrating its 53rd Annual Almond Blossom Festival (ABF) this weekend. Admiring the pink and white beauty of the orchards in full bloom is only part of the tradition.
People congregate from all around the neighboring towns to partake in classic carnival rides, miscellaneous vendor booths and a community parade, but the events do not stop there.
Ripon always celebrates the ABF during the last weekend in February and this year it goes from Thursday the 19th to Sunday the 22nd.
The morning Bake Off kick-starts the pre-weekend fun on Feb. 19 with delicious goodies that will appease appetites until the Lion’s Club Spaghetti Dinner. Feb. 19 also marks Carnival $1 Night at the Mistlin Sports Park from 4-10 p.m. Carnival vendor booths will be open during the Festival on Feb. 20-22.
Other festivities include the Art Exhibit on Feb. 20 and 21, the American Legion Auxiliary Breakfast on Feb. 21, as well as the Ripon QB Club’s “Bratts and Beer,” the Saturday morning Fun Run, the afternoon parade and much more.
For details on the parade route or other information, please contact the Ripon Chamber of Commerce or visit their website.
Perhaps unconventional, though I would like to give a shout-out to the Diaper Derby, which is a crawling-only race for infants under 12 months. Yours truly actually won the 32nd Annual Almond Blossom Diaper Derby in 1994 (if I may, it wasn’t even close). This year the Diaper Derby will be held on Feb. 21 from 10-11 a.m. at Ripon High School.
Make your way to Ripon this weekend and join in on the celebration. You can see the Ferris wheel from the Jack Tone exit.