CORNING — One thing that becomes obvious when approaching Corning by car is that there are olive orchards everywhere.
Well, maybe not everywhere, as some farmers grow walnuts and fruits, with ranchers keeping open space for cattle grazing. But there are enough olive trees, with their broad-base trunks and gnarled branches, around the town to constitute the dominant industry — and the Corning Olive Festival is the annual event to honor that legacy.
Enthusiastic attendees milled around dozens of vendor and organization tents, with the tempting smell of food cooking in mobile units, to keep interest high in the event, an annual one since 1947. Jump houses, games and activities kept children entertained; across a bridge was live music and a car show that attracted 60 entries.
Corning’s Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event that took place in adjacent Lennox Park and Corning Community Park.
For the kids, PAL (Police Athletic League) Mentoring had a tent offering free small pumpkins and the chance to decorate them with colored pens. Jackson Hale, a third-grader at Emma Wilson Elementary School in Chico, sat at the table and admired the decorating job he had just completed.
“This will be my only pumpkin this year,” Jackson said when asked if he planned to get more of the orange gourds as the month went on. He said he wouldn’t be carving this one; the coloring job satisfied him.
“We’re giving kids free pumpkins we had donated to us by Pro Pacific Fresh,” explained Dusty Jobe, the coordinator of PAL Mentoring. The group organizes middle school and high school students to mentor students in kindergarten through eighth grade. “Community service is a big part of our program.”
Another youth-oriented service organization, 4-H, had a table nearby; groups from Corning, Flournoy and Paskenta teamed up to operate it. Corning fifth-grader Allie Morgan and her brother, third-grader Matthew Morgan, manned the table covered with homemade treats for sale as a fundraiser.
Proceeds would benefit 4-H members who want to attend the 4-H Camp in Mill Creek, a small town near Lassen Park.
What does Allie like best about 4-H?
“I like raising animals,” she explained. She has raised pigs for two years; she’ll get her next pig in January.
Matthew wasn’t sure about this business of selling goodies: “It’s kind of hard,” he said.
High spirits
Karen Hinton, sales manager at Paskenta Brewery and Distillery at Rolling Hills Casino, attracted visitors to her booth, offering a free prize to anyone who wanted to roll a die. The number on the die determined what prize the participant would get.
She also sought to introduce people to the products her company offers — locally brewed beers and locally distilled drinks.
“We want to increase awareness in our community,” she said, representing a company that — for now — is definitely overshadowed by the casino nearby. The company offers gin, vodka, “apple pie moonshine,” white rum and spiced rum, and “is working on whiskey,” she said.
Paskenta Brewery and Distillery official Antonio Perez said his company seeks to become a regional distributor of its products, which for now are only available at the Corning casino and a few other tribal casinos.
“We’re testing a few recipes” on the whiskey, which the company is aging in barrels right now, he said. “We’re going to be doing some blends.”
Producing bourbon, as the company intends, “takes about three years,” Perez explained. However, “we should have some whiskey — we hope — by March or April of next year.”
Jordan Thuemler of Willows had a booth where she offered freeze-dried candies, using the dehydration process to create some interesting textures and flavors. Jordeeze Kandeeze, the business she operates, has only been going since July – though Thuemler said she’d like to expand her company to an internet operation and possibly a storefront.
“I make hiking food and ‘bug-out’ food,” good for storage in backpacks, she said. “It’s a unique twist on candy. I draw all the water out, leaving it with an intense flavor and crunchy texture.”
J.J. Newburn of Corning was certainly impressed with the offerings, purchasing a bag of “Frittles.” She is a newcomer to Corning, having been in town only since May.
“I didn’t have anything else to do, so I wanted to come here and support some local businesses,” Newburn explained. “So far it’s really nice. I like it.”
Nearby, Kimberly Gale and Jessica Boyt were operating a booth for Perfectly Festive Holiday Shoppe, located at 740 Main St. in Red Bluff. Several items had a Halloween theme, while a table had some Christmas-themed items. Are people really thinking about Christmas when it’s 90 degrees outside, as it was in Corning on Saturday?
“Yes,” Boyt said. “We had an event called ‘Christmas in July’ but we also have Halloween items. We carry pre-owned, vintage items and sell things from several holidays, such as Easter.”
Gale added the store will participate in Red Bluff’s “Sip and Shop” event Oct. 13, and will host a Paint Night Oct. 21 and a “DIY kids ornaments” event Oct. 20.
Other Corning Olive Festival events included an olive-spitting contest, a raffle and a giveaway of small dressers as well as plush pillows.
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