What could be more quintessentially California than a festival paying tribute to the Avocado, full of different guacamoles, and getting there on the Pacific Surfliner? This is the 40th year they've been having this festival. There is even Avocado ice cream!
Entry to the Festival is free, and the booths are sponsored by local non-profits to raise money for their worthy causes.
We've done this trip a couple of times, and it's always been fun.
This unique festival is in Carpinteria, only a couple of blocks from the Carpinteria Amtrak station. It's one of the largest festivals in California, with three days of fabulous food and terrific music.
[https://avofest.com/](https://avofest.com/)
In case you didn't know, Santa Barbara County is the third largest avocado producer in North America, with Carpinteria being a major contributor.
As the Festival has grown, so do the number of participants and festival-goers. In past years, over forty non-profit groups benefited by catering to 100,000 avocado visitors. The California Avocado Festival™ itself is a non-profit group that generates its own operating revenue each year. The annual event is completely organized by a committee of volunteers, and includes one part-time staff person.
Our group will take the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner from Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles, to Carpinteria.
We'll walk to the Festival from the Amtrak station, just a few blocks.
See a video from last year's festival
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u9kEXivElM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u9kEXivElM)[QI7U](https://youtu.be/C5BR4_hQI7U)
You need to buy your Amtrak round-trip ticket for Sunday, October 4, on the Amtrak web site. Train numbers are below.
[https://www.amtrak.com/home.html](https://www.amtrak.com/home.html)
Our group will take the
765 Pacific Surfliner -- leaving Union Station at 9:13am, arriving in Carpinteria at 11:27am.
Ticket prices:
Senior ($30 Coach)
Return trip:
790 Pacific Surfliner -- leaving Carpinteria at 4:57pm, arriving at Union Station at 7:43pm.
Ticket prices:
Senior ($30 Coach)
There are two areas to park at Union Station. One, East, is $8 for the day, the other, West, is $16 for the day. See the map in the photo. The Union Station web site says the West area has limited parking, so it might be best to plan to park in the East structure.
We can form carpools closer to the event date.
Join us to Celebrate 40 Years of Peace Love & Guacamole!
