February 21-23, 2025
Annual Almond Blossom Festival, Parade and Carnival is produced by Ripon
Chamber of Commerce:
riponchamber.org
This is the big event of the year for Ripon, CA, and is always held on the last weekend in February. A parade, fashion show, queen coronation, carnival at Mistlin Park, adorable Diaper Derby, and endless fun await visitors to this grand event held each year, always the last full weekend in February.
Why Almonds?
Ripon, located in San Joaquin County, doesn't just grow almonds to feed locals who celebrate with a festival every year. Almonds consistently rank among California's top 5 crops and make up nearly 100% of the nation's export of almonds, equating to $4.7 billion in sales, and supplying around 85% of the world's almonds. Source: California Agricultural Statistics Review
Among Ripon's contributions to the almond industry are Van Duyn Family Farms, whose owner, Steve Van Duyn, has been board director of Blue Diamond Almonds; Almond Ace Packing; and Ripon native Dr. Ted DeJong, recognized by Almond Board of California for his decade of research on almonds. The retired UC Davis professor and pomologist developed a computer simulation, a virtual tree modeling how the entire almond plant works together, what drives its growth and development, and what resources it requires for best management practices in orchards.
Financially critical to the local economy, almond blossom time is also esthetically important. "Ripon Snow in the self-proclaimed Almond Capital of the World - is the final act that brings down the curtain on the almond blossom season coating the earth with a gentle blanket of blossoms," said reporter Dennis Wyatt, who described bloom season as Nirvana. "...the most glorious sight ever created by Mother Nature - billions upon billions of delicate white and pink almond blooms bursting everywhere you look." It's "breath after breath of the sweetest perfume ever concocted."
So on with the show! The Ripon Almond Blossom Festival began in 1962 and is the talk of the town each year. Almond blossoms last only about two weeks and happen some time between mid February and mid March. Since the festival is held the last full weekend in February, your chances of seeing blossoms is pretty good if you decide to attend.
Almond Blossom Carnival is part of Almond Blossom Festival at Mistlin Sport Park & River Road. The carnival which is operated by Classic Amusement based in Hayward, Calif., runs from Thursday to Sunday.
Tickets can be purchased at the Carnival ticket booth on Thursday night starting at 4 p.m. Wrist bands for unlimited rides on special pay-one-price days have cost $35 pre-purchase and $45 door in past years. Contact the Ripon Chamber at (209) 599-7519.
Ripon Chamber of Commerce Almond Blossom Queen Coronation will be held Thursday at 7 pm at the Ripon Community Center, 334 West 4th Street. The Queen Coronation is free to the public. Miss Almond Blossom/Miss Ripon will be crowned at 7:45 pm. In conjunction with the Coronation the Ripon Lions Club will have their famous spaghetti dinner starting at 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices: please call the Ripon Chamber of Commerce, (209) 599-7519.
Annual Almond Blossom Festival at Mistlin
Sports Park on Jack Tone and River Road
will open at 12 pm. There will be food,
arts & craft and commercial vendors. The
Carnival will open at 3 p.m.
Annual Almond Blossom Festival Parade: Annual Almond
Blossom Festival Parade and bring you
friends and family. The parade route
starts at Stockton Ave. and 4th Street,
along 4th Street to Vera Ave. to Main
Street, then continues on Main Street to Nourse Ave.
The charm of a city that produces almonds galore is a sight to behold in the spring when the almond trees light up with white blossoms that look like snow. The festival and parade pay homage to the hard working people whose lives are tied to almonds. This celebration brings joy to those people who live in Ripon, located in California's farm belt. But visitors will find the events worth a trip to Ripon, California in the spring when the weather is ideal and the whole town comes out.
Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.