The California Avocado Festival

Avocado lovers are expected to be out in droves this weekend in downtown Carpinteria — to celebrate and munch on the creamy, green-fleshed fruit.

The California Avocado Festival board of directors will host the free, three-day street festival from 1 to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday along the 800 block of Linden Avenue.

The festival, now in its 31st year, features more than 75 bands performing across four stages, avocado-inspired food, drinks, vendors, and merchandise celebrating the scaly-skinned fruit. And, of course, guacamole.

“It’s good family fun, everyone enjoys the broad diversity of music and beautiful weather in Carpinteria,” said Anthony Staal, California Avocado Festival volunteer board member. There are amazing foods.”

The event celebrates the avocado orchards scattered across the Carpinteria Valley.

“The best avocados in the world are from the Carpinteria Valley,” Staal said. “When you taste our avocados compared to other regions — they are amazing.”

The weekend gathering has been dubbed one of the largest free street festivals in California, drawing crowds of more than 100,000 people.

“People come from all over the world — the beauty of the Avocado Festival is that for three days we become a huge destination,” Staal said. “We provide a venue for nonprofits and for-profits. Most local businesses have an uptick in sales.”

To read more about this event and what they have to say about it on Noozhawk, click here.

Also, visit avofest.com for more information about the festival.