Take Us to Asparagus Alley, Please and Thank You

THAT'S THE SPEAR-IT: The month of April means so many wonderful things to so many people — it is a month of mondo music festivals, of kite-focused festivities, of wildflowers and cultivated flowers and simply being outdoors — but for snackers who dig healthy finger foods, asparagus is the central star. For this is the tasty time of year when the elegant spears truly start showing up in just about everything we eat, or want to eat, from creamy pastas (where the asparagus tips soak up saucy flavors) to supersized salads (where the asparagus tips outshine almost every ingredient, including the croutons). That's because the asparagus is a spring star, a vibrant garden grower each April, and celebrating it in a place where it grows so well? That's been a tradition for an impressive, and appetizing, 37 years.

THE SAN JOAQUIN ASPARAGUS FESTIVAL... is known for its Midway of Fun, its cute petting zoo, and all of those live music performances, too. But if you want to snack on the elegant, palate-pleasing plant, a green goodie that can be prepared in so many creative ways? Off to Asparagus Alley you must go, where asparagus-everything awaits. Bygone festivals have seen an impressive variety of asparagus-y eats, from asparagus-packed tacos to bacon-wrapped asparagus to deep-fried asparagus to blended drinks that boast that sweet shade of asparagus green. And asparagus ice cream? Plenty of people do want to give it a try. Cooking demos are also on the schedule, should you want to pick up tips to better your tips. For more information about this Stockton celebration, follow the scent of sizzling asparagus goodness to this site now.