Artichoke Festival continues its pursuit of fun, expanding wild and wacky 5K Beach Run, a

MONTEREY, Calif. - March 1, 2020 - PRLog -- Pamplona, Spain may be famous for its annual running of the bulls, but nothing quite compares to the Artichoke Festival's running of the human vegetables

The festival's second annual 5K Beach Run takes place May 2 along the sandy, windswept Del Monte Beach in Monterey. The wild and wacky fun run — with participants encouraged to dress as their favorite veggies — is a prelude to the two-day festival to be held this year on May 30-31 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds & Event Center in Monterey.

Started in 1959 in Castroville (the Artichoke Capital of the World), the Artichoke Festival has expanded its scope over the years to include musical entertainment, field tours, art competitions, chef demos, a Kids Zone and more. In addition to the Fun Run, the festival has added the first-ever Artichoke Cup Soccer Tournament to be held on both days of the festival.

Twelve corporate teams of 10 adults each will compete in a two-day, 7-on-7 tournament to win the first-ever Artichoke Cup. A portion of proceeds will benefit the nonprofit Monterey Surf Soccer Club. Admission is free to all festival admission ticket holders The winning team will be announced on Sunday afternoon, May 31.

Last year's inaugural Fun Run proved so popular that the festival has expanded it for 2020. Runners and walkers alike are invited for fun, exercise and goodies on the beach, starting at the Monterey Tides Hotel, 2600 Sand Dunes Dr., Monterey.

Those dressed as their favorite vegetable have a chance to win a free ticket package to the festival. All registered Fun Run participants receive an Artichoke Festival 5K Beach Run T-shirt, a free artichoke in their goodie bag, one free entry ticket to the festival, and restaurant discounts at Monterey Tides, the beautiful boutique hotel on the sands of Monterey Bay.

What's more, it all benefits charitable causes across Monterey County.

Online registration continues until April 29 at www.active.com. Race-day registration will start at 8 a.m., on Saturday, May 2, in the Bay View Room at the Monterey Tides. The race begins at 10 a.m. on the beach. Course closes at 12:30 p.m.

Registration fees are $40 per individual through April 1 ($45 until April 29). Kids are $10 through April 1 ($15 until April 20), with a T-shirt included. There are military and senior discounts (with ID).

For more information, visit www.artichokefestival.org.