Asparagus Festival to kick off in Stockton today

STOCKTON — Ask Asparagus Festival organizer Tony Noceti what asparagus related dish he’s looking forward to the most this weekend, and you’ll get a hearty laugh.

After quick and careful consideration, bacon was the obvious pick.

“I dig the bacon-wrapped asparagus, that’s one of my favorites that stands out,” Noceti said. But he doesn’t stop there: Deep-fried asparagus and asparagus ice cream can’t be overlooked.

“Those are my three,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’m so full that I need a wheelchair to get around.”

There will be plenty of fresh asparagus to go around at the San Joaquin Asparagus Festival, which kicks off Friday at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and goes until Sunday.

Celebrating the rich history of asparagus in San Joaquin County, the festival offers live entertainment, craft beer, wine, carnival rides, farm animals, and dozens of unique dishes with asparagus as the star.

The spring vegetable will be served as corn dogs, stuffed with steaks in burritos, steamed and served with garlic butter or balled with crab meat.

It’ll offer a twist to mac and cheese, become coated in chili cheese, be sprinkled with Parmesan — the creations appear endless.

Organizers this year are expecting upwards of 65,000 people to attend over the course of the weekend and Noceti is looking forward to families enjoying what the festival has to offer.

“It’s a lot of fun; looking ahead to the weather forecast it’s looking to be in the 80s, that’s beautiful,” he said.

As the largest asparagus festival in the West, it attracts crowds from across Northern California and Nevada. Noceti said because of the expected crowd turnout, there will be added police presence and parking will be organized by professionals, and additional bus routes and shuttles will be offered.

The festival has come a long way after the Noceti Group, created by Tony and Carol Noceti in 2009, announced that it would keep the festival in Stockton, just months after organizers said they would end the event due to declining attendance.

“We have to keep it here in Stockton,” he said proudly.

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