The Artichoke Festival has announced that it is cancelling its popular 5K Beach Run, which had been rescheduled for Sept. 12, 2020, from its original date in May 2020.

Castroville, California, July 23, 2020 — The Artichoke Festival has announced that it is cancelling its popular 5K Beach Run, which had been rescheduled for Sept. 12, 2020, from its original date in May 2020.

“The Artichoke Festival Committee has decided that the need to keep participants, spectators, and event volunteers safe and healthy is the most important consideration during this ongoing health crisis,” the festival said in a letter sent to registered entrants and previous participants. “As we have monitored the current situation and look toward the near future, it has become evident that a mass gathering such as a beach fun run will not be safe in our community in September.”

The festival plans on bringing the 5K Beach Run back in the spring of 2021, in advance of the Artichoke Festival on June 5-6, 2021, and will announce a new date at the beginning of 2021. Those interested in participating are encouraged to go to the festival’s website at ArtichokeFestival.org for info, and consider signing up for the festival’s newsletter for the latest news.

“We are immeasurably grateful for the patience and understanding our Beach Run entrants have shown us in the past months,” the message said. “We look forward to a healthier time when we can once again see you all at one of our Artichoke Festival events in the months ahead!”

The Artichoke Festival will return on June 5-6, 2021, at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center.

POLICY FOR PAID ENTRANTS

The festival will refund participation fees to all currently registered participants of the 2020 Artichoke Festival 5K Beach Run, beginning on July 20, 2020.

As an organization whose mission involves connecting people with a unique celebration that also allows it to give back to the community, donations and proceeds enable the Artichoke Festival (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization), to continue funding many charitable and educational non-profit organizations within Monterey County. The Artichoke Festival has given back more than $210,800 in the past decade to local support programs and non-profit organizations.

About the Artichoke Festival
California’s artichoke history began in 1922 when the first artichoke shoots were planted in Castroville. Today, more than nine decades later, nearly 100 percent of America’s fresh artichoke supply is grown in California and nearly two-thirds is grown around the small town of Castroville.

The Artichoke Festival began in 1959 and has since developed to become a harvest festival to celebrate the iconic artichoke and region known as the “Artichoke Center of the World.” The Festival features family-fun events for all ages and has been a primary source of funding for local non-profit groups for many years.

For more information, visit https://artichokefestival.org/.

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