- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Asparagus Festival
Categories: Local Flavor Arts & Entertainment Festivals Local Flavor, Festivals [Edit]
311 E Main StStockton, CA 95202
(209) 644-3740
- Hours:
Fri-Sun 10 am - 7 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
58 reviews for Asparagus Festival
58 reviews in English
-
Review from Robert C.
Lodi, CA
5/28/2011
Three things to remember when attending this Fesitval:
#1: Parking Sucks!
Be prepared to battle a ton of cars for limited parking on the street.
#2: There is a race before the Festival gates open to the public call "The Spear-It Run":
There is a childs 1 mile run, a 5k, and a 5 mile run in which you could do all three. Pretty fun but track is not to scale at all. If it were I'd be in the olympics!
#3: Bring sunscreen and $$$!
The weather is sunny and hot...the food and drinks are expensive and greasy!
Enjoy!
Would have received 5 stars if the entrance fee and food were less expensive... -
Review from Stephanie S.
Stockton, CA
Asparagus festival 2011:
I feel like a number of things have slightly changed since last years asparagus festival.
Parking:
It wasn't that much of a hassel this year to get parking and also the parking garage next to the movie theater was cheaper than last year; $20 for last year and $10 this year.
Admission:
I really think the recession has had an impact and they've put that into play because I believe it was cheaper than last year as well. We paid, $15 this year it was $10 for adults but if you had a college ID it was $7. Other than price there are always at least 3 entrances to get into the asparagus festival along center street infront of the waterfront.
Food & Beverage Tickets/Booths:
Same as before $1 per ticket with an average of 6 tickets per asparagus dish. One thing I wish they had at these ticket booths were the prices & dishes that can be purchased with tickets. They had a few but not all. Another helpful thing they put up here was that the asparagus ice cream was sold out. Helpful because there were people who wanted tickets specifically for that.
There are several food ticket booths this year but many didn't know and/or realize that so most people were at the ones near the entrances. Also if you wanted to purchase drinks you had to stand in a separate line just to get a wrist band, and this line was longer than the one to purchase food tickets!!
Asparagus Alley:
This was were all the main asparagus dishes were being sold.
-Deep fried Asparagus: 6 tickets
The tent for the deep fried asparagus was huge and there were many many lines but don't get intimidated by them since there are numerous lines I'd like to say average wait was 20mins? Either way they're delicious and piled on with parmesan cheese :) They also brought back the rance, 1 ticket for 2 lil orders of ranch. You might get upset though if your asparagus bundle doesn't look as big or as much as someone around you. But then again I'm not sure how they do a count or if they even do but the asparagus is huge!
-Asparagus Pasta: 6 tickets
It was alright, kind of bland pasta. With little sauce, olives, peppers, and asparagus. I'd say it was something worth skipping on.
-Steak & Asparagus sandwich: 6 tickets
Last year it was called Tri-tip and asparagus sandwich it was the same this year but maybe not tri-tip? I wish they had sauce for it though.
-Chicken Asparawrap: 6 tickets
I'd have to say I did enjoy this. Chicken, lettuce, carrots, cheese, asparagus, and some sauce all wrapped in a green (spinach) tortilla. It's served cold which I didn't mind but it was actually really good.
Other vendors, I can't remember the name but they had these huge smoothies that were served in giant margarita cups (but no alchohol served in them) We got two $8 ea. $5 for a small cup but half off if you got a refill. Walking around with these things so many people stopped us to ask where we got these, half of these people thought alcohol was served in them. hahah
After eating all those asparagus dishes we couldn't eat anything else besides a shared funnel cake.
I wanted a Lockeford sausage but I'll just take a trip to Lockeford.
Overall it was ok always fun to go out with the family. As the day goes on it gets warmer and the crowd gets bigger. So I highly recommend to go ont he first day or just go early. Plus no food will run out!!Listed in: 209 Grub
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
12/6/2010
Early this year was the first time in hella years I've been able to come to the Stockton Asparagus… Read more »
-
-
Review from Me M.
4/18/2011
Back in the day I would have given this yearly festival 3 or 4 stars. I used to handle the money and replenish the ATM's so I got in free, the location was much better, and I didn't feel like a sardine. Back then the deep fried asparagus were only $3.00 too! So what if I came home with a dirty ass car!
Since the change of venue it's kinda lost its appeal to me and i'm almost certain next year i'll ignore my friends plea to accompany her.....again!
Who knows what genius came up with the idea of having to buy tickets to purchase food and drinks but it's a real PAIN IN THE ASS!!!
Aside from being on the 5:00 and 6:00 news and holding up the "follow me on twitter" sign (I don't even have a twitter account LOL) and meeting/hanging out with Dirk Verdoorn there was not much to keep me going back.
Hmmm, ok so let's see.....
admission $12.00
deep fried asparagus $6.00
sausage $6.00
lemonade $4.00
beer x 3 $15.00
sweat beads, headache, irritating people ....PRICELESS!
Ugh....doubt i'll be back! -
Review from Stephanie D.
Sacramento, CA
4/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love the Stockton Asparagus Festival! If you love asparagus or just want to try different types of foods, see a concert, sit in on a cooking demonstration, ride in a paddleboat, or meet your favorite KCRA celebs, this is the place. The following are my recommendations:
1. Arrive between 10-11:30am. There are no lines for food this early in the day. After noon, expect to wait 20-45 min. for asparagus dishes.
2. Don't waste your money on parking fees for the parking structures. Park in one of the neighborhoods. There's no parking enforcement during the festival (even if that info is not posted on the street, it's true).
3. Currently, you have to purchase tickets to buy food. There are ticket booths everywhere. If you want to avoid a line, find a ticket booth in the middle of Asparagus Alley instead of near the entrances.
4. If you're trying to decide which food to try, I love the deep fried asparagus, asparagus and tri-tip sandwich, and the asparagus ice cream.
5. Bring your sunblock!
6. If you want to avoid port-o-potties, there are bathrooms in the Civic Auditorium (where the Celeb Kitchen is).
7. Enjoy! All the money goes to charity. -
Review from Juan F.
4/26/2011
This is a good event to spend good times with friends and family. I've been here for the past two years. This year we took the shuttle from Delta so we wouldn't have to worry about parking and what not. However, like every other festival, food is overpriced.
I've tried a lot of things.
Fried Asparagus: $6 for 6 pieces. I don't know how they grow their asparagus so big. The size might make you think that its going to be tough and dry, but it is actually super tender. The batter is crispy and the parmesan cheese gives it the saltiness it needs.
Grilled Oysters: $8 for 3 pieces?! Overpriced. However, the marinate they grill it on its pretty good.
Fried Alligator on a Stick: $10 for 1 piece...wtf. We wanted to try it because it is kind of the unusual food. It was pretty good. The alligator meat tasted like chicken...it could've been chicken. I'll never know.
Shave Ice: $4 for a cup. More like crushed ice with syrup.
Asparita: $5. Tasted like a regular margarita. Its pretty good though.
Chicken Aspa Wrap?: $6. The wrap was really good. The chicken was moist and the sauce was sweet. Very refreshing with all the veggies.
Kettle Corn: I tried the free samples and they were good.Listed in: Stockton's Best
-
Review from Stacey P.
4/10/2011
It's this weekend! April 15th-17th!
I've been a volunteer here for the past two years. I take your tickets and give you delicious fried asparagus in return. I always return to volunteer because I love seeing the community have such a great time and it reminds me of the great food fairs back home in LA.
And just like LA... the prices for parking, entry, and the food are pretty ridiculously high. As a volunteer, the entry is free for me and I sometimes get to take home any leftover deep fried asparagus :) but if it wasn't for that I'm not too sure if I'd be willing to pay for everything. However, I do want to try out the asparagus margarita!
Overall, it's a pretty cool event but overpriced.Listed in: College Highlife
-
Review from Brittany H.
Roseville, CA
6/17/2011
This review is strictly for the 2011 festival, as it was the first one I've been to. Chances are, I probably won't go out of my way to go back.
Let's start with the whole "asparagus" thing. Where was all the asparagus, anyways? There were only a couple locations around the entire place that was asparagus, besides that it was almost totally fair food. I'm talking hamburgers, french fries, pizza, chinese food, legit fair food- nothing consisting of asparagus. I was thinking I was gonna go and see fields of endless asparagus, with food joints serving asparagus ribs, asparagus salad, asparagus this & that.. but nope..
I will say however, that the deep fried asparagus with the cheese on top was super yummy. The aspara-ritas were on point. Beyond that, I'm not quite sure why it was called an asparagus festival. I could have gone to the state fair for this! We went on the second to last day (I think) and they were completely out of asparagus ice cream :( !!!!!!
Parking didn't seem too shabby, but we got there early. Wear like nothing except loads of sunscreen because Stockton is seriously like the buttcrack of Cali that is completely dry. It's hot as hell outside. I got sunburnt to crisp watching the bands.
The bands were fun and lively. The old men with hair down to their waists brightened my day while my back was frying.
Prices were actually sort of expensive, for having barely anything asparagus. The aspara-ritas saved my life. If you go, just have like 12 of them & you're good to go for the day. They do offer student discounts so if you're a poor college kid like me, bring that school ID. -
Review from Eric N.
12/17/2010 4 Check-ins Here
5 stars just for the fried asparagus!!
Lets be honest here...with so many things that you could "improve" in Stockton the Asparagus Festival is one of the bright shining spots the city has to offer. For many people it is an event you either love or hate.
I heard that the idea for the festival came from a trip by some of the Stockton government officials to the Gilroy Garlic Festival. I do not know why they ended up going with asparagus but between the Asparagus Festival and the Lodi Grape Festival you have all your vegetables and fruit taken care of.
Yes it is true I liked it when the festival was out at Oak Park better as a venue because of the park setting but lets be honest the parking situation out at Oak Park was HORRIBLE. You parked across the street in a dirt lot that was a corn field a couple weeks earlier. I think the move of the festival from out at Oak Park to downtown was a natural progression.
With all the stuff they have done to improve Downtown Stockton in the last decade or so this was the icing on the cake. With concerts at Weber Point Events Center, the car show, random vendors and of course Asparagus Alley!
Where else can you eat both fried asparagus and asparagus ice cream all in the same day?
I would come home for the weekend to visit from SoCal just for the festival. I think that deserves 5 full stars.
:0) -
Review from Helen H.
Updated - 4/16/2011 3 photos
There was a lot more people this year compared to last year for a Friday, but it was still manageable. Lots of police presence, I'm thinking their whole force was there.
The motivating factor for me to come again was the asparagus ice cream. They ran out last year and I was very disappointed. But this year- mission accomplished! The asparagus ice cream wasn't really sweet. In fact, it didn't have much of a flavor to it but I guess that is how asparagus tastes like. Of course, I got the deep fried asparagus again. $6 for 6 stalks, but I got 7-yay!
I do not see myself coming back again, unless they come up with something very innovative. No, the Aspara-Chicken Wrap does not count.
Tip: If you are feeling thirsty and do not want to pay $3 for water/soda then go into the Civic Auditorium building where they have samples of Yakult- good for your digestive system! :)Listed in: Festivals
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
5/1/2010
Asparagus Festival is located in downtown Stockton- kind of in a ghetto neighborhood.
Came here on a… Read more »
-
-
Review from melissa b.
Sacramento, CA
4/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Seriously fun! The eating is horrible for the healthy lifestyle, but it's only once a year so open the flood gates. Beers, fried asparagus, funnel cake, sausage. Try to get here earlier in the day as it gets pretty crazy around 4 and later.
Mmm mmm. Good thing it's only once a year! -
Review from Jennifer F.
Modesto, CA
4/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Over all we decided this is ok but not really for kids.
I wanted to see Smash Mouth for years so I was happy to pay 12 bucks to see them this year. I'm glad I did! Cause that was great!
The rest of the festival was just ok. There was a lot to see but I didn't want to see it all because it was so crowded. And not just because there were tons of people but there was just too much packed into one little area. It was dirty, trash everywhere. And people smoking everywhere which I know doesn't bother some people but it bothers me when people are careless about it and blow it right in your face.
There was a kid area but it was lame. I was not about to pay five bucks per kid so a sea lion could kiss their cheek for five seconds.
Most everything seemed to be overpriced as well. And to buy food or drinks you have to wait in a ridiculous long line to buy tickets. You then use the tickets to purchase food and drinks. I understand that it's because the money goes to charity. But there must be a more efficient way to do this. Especially when the people running the booths are moving very very slow.
The fried asparagus tasted awesome! But not no awesome that I will go back! -
Review from John W.
Long Beach, CA
4/16/2011
So being stuck in Tracy for 7 weeks cor work speaks to my "get the hell out of town whenever possible" side. I heard this is THE PLACE to be in the San Joaquin valley this weekend and since I had a day off, I hit the road to check it out.
I love asparagus, but a margarita? Okay, I'll bite!
Parking is a bit of a hassle price wise. $15-$20. That seems a bit steep...so I found street parking a few blocks away and walked and saved my money. My only fear was that my car would be vandalized with my Dodger sticker on the back window...
$12 to get in. Reasonable and no line...but then I found out why. To buy 90% of the food items or beverages, you need tickets. And considering I saw 3 ticket booths, you can imagine how ridiculously long the lines were. So I stood in line for 30 minutes before i finally got my tickets. Now there are food vendors all over...like kettle corn, some Thai stands, a couple BBQ places, various meats on sticks...but I drove for frickin asparagus. Now those items are centrally located by the main stage area...and that's it. And you can imagine how long THOSE lines were. So I stood in line for another 40!!!!! minutes before i finally got my asparagus margarita and fried asparagus.
So I've waited a grand total of 70 minutes for what? Yeah, fair food. The margarita was good! Not 70 minutes good, maybe 20. The fried asparagus I can make at home and it would probably be hotter and taste fresher.
There were a few upsides. They had a great art/wine area and a fantastic dog show. Not dog show like "dog show", but frisbee catching dogs and stuff like that. Being a dog lover, I liked that. A stage circus performed every couple hours and they have live music at 1 and at 4:30. Saturday was Smashmouth and they weren't charging extra...so you can either look at it like $12 for a Smashmouth concert with a side show of stuff or $12 for a ticket to the fair and a free concert...
At least it got me out of my hotel room for an afternoon/evening... -
Review from Stewart B.
East Bay, CA
4/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
My review mirrors Stephanie D's.
Only bummer part was that they ran out of Asparagus Ice Cream on Saturday, so the Sunday crowd was SOL.
I like that the proceeds go to charity.
Lockeford Sausages, awesome! -
Review from Maureen G.
Stockton, CA
Updated - 4/20/2011
I figure each and every Asparagus Festival has a flavor unique and all it's own, why not rate each one individually?
So, here goes. I was manning (or womaning) a booth on Friday. The weather was gorgeous, a nice Delta Breeze was floating through the venue and the living was easy.
Fast forward to Saturday. Hit the gate at 3pm and man what a difference; wall to wall people. More heat and less of a breeze as I moved toward the main stage.
My personal favs for the 2011 event:
1) Asparagus Alley and that fine deep fried Asparagus with garlic and hecka mounds of Parmesan cheese
2) The wine tent with the big giant fan, a server named Moey, and ice on the side!
3) The big bales of hay outside of the wine tent where we could enjoy the music and our ice cold wine
4) Even though it was packed the crowd behaved well, people were courteous, kind & friendly
5) The awesome bunch of kids at the Spiritual Reading/Dream interpretation booth. An awesome bunch of young Christian kids that were praying for folks, loving on folks; just some real nice young people!Listed in: Local Yocal, Stocktonianna, Family Fun, Downtown Stockton, Festivalpalooza
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
2/16/2010
I used to love this festival when it was in Oak Grove Regional Park, a county park filled with… Read more »
-
-
Review from Whitney B.
Birmingham, AL
4/25/2010 2 photos
I love asparagus. I love asparagus so much that I was willing to pay $12 last year to get in. I love asparagus so much that I was willing to fork out the extra cash just to try the fried asparagus and asparagus margaritas, even though it meant getting butt effed by the ridiculous prices. .
The heat, oh the heat. The posses, oh the posses. The traffic, oh the traffic. The crappy music, oh the crappy music. The trash stupid inconsiderate people leave on the ground..you get the point.
Did I make the best of my situation? You bet. Did I attend this year? Hell no, and my ass thanks me for it. -
Review from Monica M.
4/26/2010 1 photo
Sunday was a beautiful day to go to the Asparagus festival and although I am a Stockton native, this was my first time going to the waterfront as the last time I went the festival was at Oak Grove Park.
We got a late start, but had our parking pass and tickets already in hand and it was easy to park and walk in. Parking was $10 bucks and admission was $12 (although we had a friend that got us in for half price).
Our first stop was to get tickets, so we could purchase food and drinks. Most of the asparagus food items i.e. deep fried asparagus, asparagus pasta, steak sandwich were $6. Beer, wine and margarita's were $5. Soft drinks and water were $2.
On Center street and in the middle by the kiddie area, they did have vendors with all kinds of fried concoctions (calamari, fish & chips, etc) where you were able to use cash instead of tickets.
I tried the Aspara-rita which actually was pretty good (didn't taste like asparagus) and I went back for another. We waited in line for about 25-30 minutes for the deep-fried asparagus and it was well worth the wait. (They really need to sell ranch dressing as they'd make a killing off of that!) I also stopped by Strawberry Desserts and got myself a strawberry parfait. Fresh strawberries and whip cream. YUM!
There were a lot of Stockton PD walking around which is cool as there were no incidents. They have 2 live music stages. Sunday afternoon, they had Loverboy. We found some shade and got to listen to them for a bit.
What I did enjoy most was the people watching. The sun comes out and the clothes come off. Yah Stockton! -
Review from Alma R.
4/25/2010
Because it's either really hot, I'm somewhat intoxicated, I'm extremely full and/or uncomfortable from eating so many fried asparagus spears, my allergies are blurring my vision, or because the crowd is massive...it's really hard for me to enjoy my time here. I want to like it, because the location is really ideal (by the Marina), and it's a Stockton thing, but it's difficult for me to do so.
I usually get in free and avoid the $12 general admission fee, but once inside, my wallet depletes because I get excited to eat and/or drink. Prices are typical of any other festival, but after eating and walking around, there seriously is nothing left to do. (I saw Yan Can Cook, actually cook, which was a highlight last year, but this year...my highlight was getting one of those little umbrellas in my smoothie.)
Anyway, they definitely need some fun things for the young adults to do, other than drink our lives away. (Oh wait, we like that.) -
Review from Darren M.
Sacramento, CA
4/27/2010 7 Check-ins Here
Expensive as hell, FOOD/DRINK tickets, too many people, ghetto atmosphere.
And it's in STOCKTON, ooh yay........
Weather was nice.
Lets just leave this review here, I was being paid to work a booth if it weren't for that I'd have been VERY angry that I "paid" $12.00
RIPOFF
AND why on earth would anyone let them close down main downtown streets for OVER a week instead of just using the MUCH better suited, EASIER parking probably CHEAPER Fairgrounds? makes NO sense to me.
Asparagus blows. -
Review from Anna V.
4/22/2010 1 photo
Asparagus Fest 2008 - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts!!! WOOOO!!
In 2007 Fabiola da Silva (and other athletes) was there (I think I was the only one who recognized who she was because I saw her at the X Games like a decade ago)... such a badass of inline skating when it used to be cool.
I went to this festival twice (2007 and 2008) and both times I had fun. I think it's only fun when you drink there, and their drink prices aren't too bad. Their "asparagus" drinks are funny... they are simply beers and margaritas with tiny specks of asparagus sprinkled on top as a garnish, lol. Last time we totally overbought tickets, so we used the rest of them to get souvenir wine glasses :)
This festival draws in all kinds of people and it's great to see everyone having a great time.
The food is really good... it's a good idea to have someone to share it with so you can have more room to try everything!Listed in: Festivals! :)
-
Review from William D.
Oakland, CA
4/26/2010
If you like waiting in line & drinking beer in the sun this is the event for you.
12:00 noon on a brilliant spring Saturday ,wait in a 15 minute line to spend $31.00 to get me,teen daughter & the mrs in.
Wait in line 5 minute line to buy food & drink tickets.
Wait in line 45 minutes for deep fried asparagas,kinda bland but pretty tasty($6.00 worth of food tickets per order)
Wait in line (2 minutes)to get ID verifcation braclet.
Wait in 5 minute to get two beers(10 coupons),they were ice cold though.
I did have fun hanging out with my family,viewing some art displays,seeing Blue Qyster Cult & having a couple of frosties,but I think once is enough for this festival.Oh yeh $10.00 to park...
2.5 stars..... -
Review from Christine K.
Menlo Park, CA
5/17/2007
In the old days, I would have given the good ol ass-pa-rag-us festival 5 big honkin' stars. Back when it was held in a nice cool green field, with organized lines and shady trees and ample, easy, non-dusty parking.
But now, it has all changed. The waterfront location in theory is a good idea. In practice it's horrible! Sure, it's pretty b/c it's by the water and such but it's BLACKTOP during SUMMER. It's.frickin'. HOT. Also, the lines are poorly managed, they even have wait times posted. Wait times! Like it's a ride at Disneyland. Sad what this once great festival has become. -
Review from Dave F.
Updated - 4/10/2011
Reminder people, it's that time of year, and even if you don't enjoy the green spear, come out and support your local charities. It is they afterall, who really benefit, and thru them you.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
-
5/2/2010
Just a quick note on another Yelpers comment about closing off the downtown streets to have the… Read more »
-
-
Review from Teresa S.
La Riviera, CA
5/2/2010
Stop griping peeps. It's a festival, of course everything's gonna be overpriced. You go anyway because...
...It's one of things we Stocktonians look forward to all year. It showcases our city, we're not all crime and foreclosures. We can eat fried asparagus and then dance it off.
...Your consumer-driven conscience is soothed just a bit knowing part of the proceeds go to local non-profits, who are suffering big-time in this crappy economy.
If you really can't afford the entrance fee, offer to volunteer for a shift and you get in free that same day!
...The music. They've got a little something for everyone, either at the main stage or DeCarli Plaza. $12 to see at least one big act is still a good deal (unless you're a student like me and you get in for $7!).
This year I saw Pete Escovedo (Yes, that was me shaking my booty up front by the stage. No I hope you didn't put it on YouTube). Also Sha Na Na, a bit disappointing with only one original member (Where's Bowser?), but the nostalgia factor helped. In 2008, I saw the bad-ass rock-n-roll Joan "I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation" Jett, and WAR (got a pic with Lonnie Jordan who was totally cool). In 2007, I danced barefoot like the little hippie child I was to the sounds of Blood, Sweat and Tears and Chuck Negron.
...Fried asparagus. Need I say more....
My big hint...go on a Friday. It was so lovely not waiting an hour for fried asparagus...and if you dig libations, well there's always an Asparita...Listed in: Stockton IS magnificent!
-
Review from jose p.
San Jose, CA
4/25/2009
weather was nice, spent a lil bit of cash at the entrance but it was all good. Had a few beers in the parking lot to save a few bucks.
Deep fried asparagus was really good, I got the hook ups from this guy that was frying, he needed a beer bad so he gave me money and asked me to buy him a couple of beers in exchange for a couple of orders of some deep fried asparagus!
Now my pee pee smells funny.
Thank You! -
Review from Karlee D.
San Francisco, CA
5/6/2007
Last time I went to the Asparagus Fest ( i think it was 99 or 00) I drank waaay too much captain , got in a fistfight with a guy I think his name was Taylor....(yes, I kicked his ass..) and nearly got arrested by Horse Police for forementioned ass-kicking.
Gotta Love Stockton.
Oh yeah! dont forget about the Asparagus -piss for days to come...
My review wouldent be complete without mentioning that. -
Review from Thadd L.
San Francisco, CA
3/31/2006
This was just about one of the only cool things to do in Stockton. I was never a Delta River Rat so of my youthful days this is what I remember looking forward to.
There is a ton of good food all showing off one of the valley's best crops. The festival also goes on during the part of the year when the weather is just heating up and people want to celebrate. You know what that means? Booze. Day Drinking. Drunk Trashers. Woot. Nothing but cut off shorts and sleeveless tees as far as the eye can see. Truly an event that could only go down in Stockton, CA. -
Review from Joe T.
Sacramento, CA
4/25/2009
Went today with my wife and kids. Parking in carajo (very far away)... they had a shuttle though but that mother was jammed. Finally got there and was glad I bought tickets online because the line to get in was RETARDED long. (Note to self: Californians must REALLY love Asparagus). The place was crowded but simmered down a lil bit after 3 pm. Food was ok but the prices are nuts. 2 bucks for a bottled water? C'mon...
I spent an easy $150 bucks in this place. It's expensive. I can't see why they want to beat people over the head for food. I felt like I was at Six Flags the prices were so high. Next time, I'm bringing a picnic lunch.
Got to see area around the festival. Looks very pretty (even though I heard some bad stories about Stockton) and I got some good pictures. Kids had alot of fun. Some interesting stuff for sale in the arts and crafts area. Live music was nice (even though i'm not the biggest Starship fan - they're a lil bit before my time).
One bad thing I gotta say about this place, was there were alot of hard looking cats walking around. Y'know the type, jailhouse tattoos all over their necks and whatnot. I mean, who comes to an outdoor festival like this and wants to grill people like they're walking around a prison yard. It was kinda ridiculous. Saw alot of families though and everybody seemed to be having a good time. I'd go again. -
Review from Sylvia O.
It gets hot, it gets crowded, the entrance fee is a bit pricey for my taste, and I do miss the old venue, but now my allergies aren't as bad when I go, there's a (light) breeze that comes in from the delta, and we get to enjoy the beauty of downtown Stockton.
Lots and lots and LOTS of food vendors. You'll totally want to eat everything! Plenty of cool arts and crafts vendors too. If it gets too hot for you, head over to the civic auditorium for AC and more vendors. Asparagus alley: long lines, but seeing everyone pass by you with fresh hot deep fried asparagus keeps you determined to get your own! Worth the wait. YUM!
Go early in the day when it's less crowded, have an asparagus margarita, try the bbq oysters (heard they were really good) and wear plenty of sun block. -
Review from Wel C.
San Francisco, CA
5/4/2007
What a great event for the uneventful city of Stockton!
The waterfront is looking pretty good these days.
Can you believe this one huge event is orchestrated by one woman, Kate Lewis, a staff of two and a gazillion committed volunteers ?!!
I bow down to Kate, her staff and all her volunteers.
Go Asparagus! -
Review from Danny D.
Stockton, CA
4/9/2009
I've lived in Stockton all my life and I'm ashamed that I've only started going to the festival the past three years. Plus, it used to be held right by my house off of Eight Mile. NOw its held downtown.
I can't wait for it later this month.
Last year I had a great time. Warm weather (felt like 100). I was drinking ShockTop the whole time. The pasta was awesome.
I just wish the whole event was bigger. I wish they would have rides (for adults and children), more exhibits & shows. I have a feeling it will some day.
The price is reasonable. I remember the first year I went I got in for kids price. I don't know how that happened but it was great. -
Review from Robert Y.
4/26/2011
This annual event is unique to stockton and right by the delta. The breeze is usually quite relaxing as it gets quite hot in stockton around the time of the festival. They have many food booths including the fried asparagus and also many shows, live music, and other attractions. The university of the pacific also has a health booth that offers blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol screenings. I would check that booth out while enjoyng the festival. You can park 10min walking away from the fair to avoid paying for parking
-
Review from Ronald M.
Sacramento, CA
4/26/2010 1 photo
Location: Coming from Sac Town easy to find via GPS. The challenge was finding street parking, never did. But got lucky, found city parking across from the arena, only 1 block away from the gate 4.
Atmosphere/Ambiance: Festival, festival, festival. It's been several years since the last time I was at this one; it was still at the Oak Grove Park. The location at Weber's Point is a great place to people watch. Enjoyed the "Celebrity Kitchen, Home & Garden", live cooking demos. "Arts N Crafts" at the ML King Jr. Plaza and live music at two stages. Weber's Point is a gem for the City of Stockton. Made for nice afternoon.
Product: Everything asparagus!!! From the time you walk through the gates you receive the ASPARAGUIDE, which has the ASPARAMAP, so you can find the ASPARAGUS ALLEY, have some DEEP FRIED ASPARAGUS and wash it all down with an ASPARA-MARY then walk it off with a stroll down the SPEAR-IT-LANE.
If you don't want your bubble busted STOP, DO NOT READ ON.
Service: I just love standing in line to receive my tickets to stand in another line to receive my asparasteak sandwich, and then stand in another line to receive my deep fried asparagus. It all went down good an hour later, yum.
Cost: The cost is the reason why I haven't returned every year. For two of us, parking, entrance, two steak sandwiches, one deep-fried asparagus, and one lemonade (not fresh), we spent $55.00. For a little more you can enjoy a nice complete steak dinner at RC's. They say it's a family event, but I can only imagine what it would cost. Don't get me wrong; they are doing it for charity. If they could find a way that I can deduct it on my income tax I'd be willing to pay more and go more often.
Summary: 3 stars, it goes in my PDA, but won't go out of the way. -
Review from Judy L.
San Francisco, CA
3/16/2008
I miss this annual festival. I'm glad it moved to the waterfront in Downtown - the old location (from the 80's) caused my allergies to flare up. Great food. Great people watching.
But its HOT - bring extra cash just for water.Listed in: Festival Time
-
Review from Megan G.
New York, NY
10/23/2006
5 Stars? Really, everyone? Really?
I liked this as a kid, strolling around in a large, ample space, eating everything asparagus-related. Whooo.. Asparagus Ice cream? CRAZEEE!!!
I liked my Asparagus Festival sweatsuit I got each year. My favorite year was when it was red. I also remember years of pink and purple. I went to school with many of the asparagus farmer kids, so this is something I remember fondly...
That said, we revisited this in downtown Stockton about 2 years back. It sucked. It was too crowded, lines for stuff were not managed well. I saw three people faint. No kidding. 2 while in line for snow cones.
Should I have knocked back a few before heading over? That's the only way I can think that this was ok. And I am a total festival gal. I love the fair, I want to go to the Boardwalk, I am ready, bring it on.. but there's NO WAY this is worth 5 stars. NO WAY. Ugh. -
Review from Melissa S.
Oakland, CA
4/29/2006
EDDIE MONEY + DEEP FRIED ASPARAGUS?
enough said.
meet me in the spear-it tent fools.Listed in: If my cell phone is off, Spending hard earned cash in…
-
Review from Pete C.
Milpitas, CA
4/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cool festival in stockton. got crowded as the day went on, but tried the fried asparagus, didn't like the steak asparagus burito. lot of booths of foods,drinks, and different items. smash mouth performed. family friendly
-
Review from Snake P.
Sacramento, CA
4/26/2009
It's $12 per person ($24 for two) and $10 for parking, so you are into for $34 before you even enter. After getting in, all you will find are little vending booths sellling junky stuff (think state fair vendors, but on a smaler scale) and food from vendors (again, think state fair).
Although, this event is called the asparagus festival, there really is very little about asparagus. Sure, there's the $6 deep fried aspargus (it was nothing special) and the aspargus burrito (sounds gross) and aspargus steak sandwich (didn't try), but that's all there is about aspargus.
There's some kiddie rides, a sea otter demo, and live band (they were pretty good). Not much else.
Overall, there's not much to do. If there's two of you, you're paying $34 for the privilege of eating (state) fair food. -
Review from Tiffany M.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2007
1 star for celebrating such an uncelebrated vegetable.
1 star for the memories of tin mugs in the beer garden.
1 star for reminding Stocktonians that there is a beautiful park in its northern area... before they make it into more track houses...
and a final star for being the ONE thing that gets Stocktonians to use their busses. -
Review from Joy P.
Los Angeles, CA
10/18/2006
I rode my banana seat bicycle from a little past Elkhorn Elementary, all the way down 8-Mile Road to the very first Asparagus Festival, eons ago. That alone will always be reason for the 5-star tag.
It's definitely one of the best food festivals I've been to. Where else are you gonna eat fried asparagus ice cream while making fun of the plentitude of mullets? That's priceless.
Just writing this makes me wanna plan a 2007 vacation back to the homeland for the festival. Viva l'asparagus! -
Review from Garrett B.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2008
Funny how the biggest beer drinking event in Stockton revolves around asparagus. Don't you all know what happens when you mix the two together?
I don't want to comment on the way the festival is now, because I'm a little jaded about the change in venue. When it was held in oak grove park on eight mile road, it was the best party ever. Now there is not even a car show, or any shade to prevent 3rd degree sun burns from the 100+ degree temperatures.
