CARPINTERIA, Calif. – The 40th Annual California Avocado Festival celebrated its milestone with a lively Guacamole Contest that highlighted local culinary talent and community fundraising. The event, held at the festival grounds near the iconic Ferris wheel, featured two dozen entries judged by a panel that included Grammy‑winning musician and producer Alan Parsons and Rori Trovato of Rori’s Ice Cream.

Contest Winners Recognized

Guadalupe Santana was honored with the Best Presentation award for a display that incorporated the festival’s Ferris wheel, a nod to the event’s 40‑year legacy. Santana has previously taken home the Best Guacamole prize, underscoring her continued excellence in the competition.

Ramon Velazquez, a chef at Corazon Cocina Sur on Linden Avenue, captured the Best Guacamole award. Velazquez explained his winning recipe: “I went to the farmers market in Ojai, found beautiful pistachios, and added pistachio oil. I like texture and simplicity. Sometimes you can have too many ingredients and get overwhelmed, so I kept it local and simple, using local ingredients as much as we can.”

Fundraising for Future Farmers of America

While judges sampled each entry, festival attendees participated in a silent auction, bidding on giant avocados and avocado trees. All proceeds were directed to Future Farmers of America, supporting youth agricultural education throughout the region.

Looking Ahead

Following this year’s success, organizers hinted at expanding the competition next year to include a separate category for restaurants and professional chefs. The audience also enjoyed tasting the various guacamole creations and exploring other festival displays and food offerings.

For more information about the California Avocado Festival and upcoming events, visit www.avofest.org.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.