KELSEYVILLE – It is that time of year again: the turning of the season into fall, and fall is full of great traditions in Lake County – football, Halloween, raking leaves and the Kelseyville Pear Festival, to name a few.
While the weather doesn’t seem to be making the turn with us, it is clear that fall has arrived. The pear harvest has wound down and it is time to celebrate.
“The Kelseyville Pear Festival celebrates the agricultural heritage of Kelseyville,” said event Chair Marilyn Holdenried.
The Kelseyville Pear Festival is in its 17th year and it has continued to grow both in size and attendance.
The streets of Kelseyville will be filled with booths selling various crafts, food, clothing and more. Many are focused on the pear – offering everything from fresh and dried pears to pear milkshakes Others feature information about local groups and businesses.
This year, the festival begins a day early with a performance by cowboy singer Dave Stamey in the Wildhurst courtyard on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and the proceeds benefit Kelseyville Future Farmers of America.
Stamey has “delighted audiences in 14 states and finds that he prefers this to being stomped by angry horses.” He has been voted as Entertainer of the Year twice, Male performer of the Year three times and Songwriter of the Year twice by the Western Music Association. He has also received the Will Rogers Award from the academy of Western Artists.
The Pear Festival kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with a parade led by Grand Marshals Kirk and Quincy Andrus. It is focused on the high school’s homecoming court, homecoming floats, and the many groups and businesses that make Kelseyville a classic small town.
The family-oriented event celebrates Kelseyville’s agricultural heritage through entertainment and education. The festival is focused around the pear because Lake County has been known for its high-quality pears for decades.
Picturesque downtown Kelseyville is the perfect setting to showcase everything pear. Kelseyville used to be known at “The Pear Capital of the World” and many of its oldest families have continued to produce some of the best pears in California. While we see more vineyards that produce great wines popping up around Lake County, it is important to remember that the pear orchards are a huge part of Kelseyville’s heritage.
Looking a bit into the history of the pear in relation to Kelseyville, we learn that Thomas Porteus is credited for planting the first commercial pear orchard in Lake County with four acres in Big Valley, at the base of Mt. Konocti.
Orchards began to be planted in the late 1800s and by 1919, according to the agricultural commissioner's records, there were 700 acres of pears in the county. Pear acreage has fluctuated over the years, with a high of 8,000 acres to a low of 2,000.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s Lake County was made up of many small landowners who grew mostly grain crops, but the price per acre that pear farmers were receiving convinced many to also plant orchards. According to agricultural records, most of the plantings took place between 1910 and 1920.
Until the mid-1920s, the pear crop was dried here in Lake County and then hauled out to packing sheds outside of the county, but in the early 1920s, the California Packing Co. was established and at the time operated the largest dry yard in the world in Kelseyville. The Adobe Creek Packing Co. now stands at that location.
Today, approximately 2,100 acres of pears are grown in Lake County and each pear is packed with nutrition. According to USA Pear, fresh pears are loaded with dietary fiber, much of it in the form of pectin. In addition, fresh pears are a good source of vitamin C and potassium, and have no cholesterol, sodium or fat. Few natural foods provide this much fiber and nutrition for only 100 calories, making Lake County Mountain Pears a very healthy choice.
The Pear Festival began in 1993 and was co-chaired by Holdenried and Tootsie Huggins. According to Holdenried, it drew approximately 1,500 attendees in its first year and is expected to see anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 people this Saturday.
Holdenried has chaired the festival every year but two in its 16-year history and it is her goal to add new events every year to keep things fresh and exciting.
The Pear Festival will feature a quilt show, live music and performances, an antique tractor and engine exhibit, a fine arts show, a pear packing contest, new additions to the Pear Pavilion, and many children’s activities.
The Pear Pavilion this year is a unique experience for locals and visitors alike. Holdenried said she's very excited about all of the history that has been dug up in regards to pears in Lake County. Many people have worked hard to find antique farm equipment, Lake County photos of the past, packing house box labels, and more that really tells the history of agriculture here in Big Valley.
In addition, the Pear Pavilion will enable attendees to taste different varieties of pears as well as purchase many pear products from local farmers.
This year also brings “Pears on Parade,” where members of Konocti Art Society have created 20 beautiful and unique pear sculptures that have been on display in Kelseyville businesses this month. These sculptures will be raffled off during the festival at Westamerica Bank at 3:30 p.m., with the proceeds going to the Kelseyville High School Arts Program . To see the sculptures visit www.pearfestival.com/docs/pears-on-parade.pdf .
Making another appearance this year in conjunction with the Pear Festival are the partnerships with various restaurants throughout Kelseyville and Cobb. Buckingham Golf & Country Club/Tee Room Restaurant, Watercolor Restaurant, LuLu’s Ice Cream and Dessert, Focused on Wine, Live Oak Grill, Main Street Bakery, Studebakers Coffeehouse and Riviera Hills Restaurant and Lounge will all feature an item focused on the pear the month of September. You can enjoy everything pear, from pear martinis to walnut salad to Roasted duck with pear cranberry chutney to pear sorbet and many more delicious dishes.
Children’s activities include a children’s theater, a juggler, puppet shows, bounce houses and a petting zoo all in front of the Presbyterian Church. There will also be mule-drawn wagon rides down Main Street for the children and adults.
Come down to the 17th Annual Kelseyville Pear Festival this Saturday to celebrate one of Kelseyville’s oldest industries and bring in the fall season with pear foods and gifts, art, music, contests and more. Learn about the pear and what it means to the beautiful town of Kelseyville and its proud inhabitants.
For more information, visit www.pearfestival.com .
E-mail Caitlin Andrus at
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