Healdsburg Farmers Market's 40th Annual Zucchini Festival is Saturday, August 3rd 2024!

It’s coming down the track…the Healdsburg Farmers Market’s hilarious Zucchini Festival! This family-friendly  event has been happening almost as long as the market has existed, and this year promises to be better than ever.  

There are two competitions and some great prizes. The primary event is the Decorated Racecars, which involves decorating a zucchini, putting wheels on it, and racing it down a wooden track, made especially for this event. The other is a Giant Zucchini Competition, where your biggest garden nightmare could win you a great prize! 

The Healdsburg Farmers Market is one of the first twenty-two farmers markets in the state, begun in 1978. The Zuke Fest idea came from the mid-west, modeled after Pinewood Derby races, and was brought to Sonoma County by  Hilda Swartz, current manager of the Sonoma Farmers Market. Hilda had seen this at a county fair in Iowa, returned,  built a track, and held the first festival around 1980, at the Santa Rosa Original Farmers Market, which she managed at  the time. 

The few markets in the area all worked together in those days, and the track was shared with Healdsburg for  several years - until the transportation became challenging. So, Jerry Stewart, a market patron and husband of contest organizer, Barbara, built a track just for the Zucchini Races. His penchant for answering the telephone, ‘Jerry  Stewart here’ was emblazoned on the track after his death. It has since had a pumpkin painted on it, as it’s used for the  Pumpkin Festival as well, which was started by Renee Kiff, then market manager, ten years after the Zuke Fests began.  

Registration is held the day of the event, from 8:30-9:30. Winners are announced at 9:45 and races begin at  10 am, where prizes are given as well for the fastest ‘cars’. There are three age categories for the Decorated Racecars: 7 and under, 8-15, 16-adult. The public votes for their favorite, so if you’re entering, bring all your friends! The races are  held in the parking aisle adjacent to the market. 

Prizes include: 
Toys from Toy Chest 
Books/Games from Copperfield’s Books 
Gift Certificates from Noblefolk Pie and Ice Cream 
Gift Certificates from Shelton’s Natural Foods 
Gift Certificates from Pizzando and Spoonbar 
plus…Market Bucks, good at any booth at the market!  

This event is well worth taking the time to come enjoy, plus, this farmers’ market shines as one of the best in the county. It’s an ideal Saturday morning place to eat breakfast or brunch, shop for all your cooking and snacking needs,  meet up with friends, and enjoy a unique, vegetable celebration. 
For more information, please refer to the website:
https://www.healdsburgfarmersmarket.org/zucchini-festival-2024- aug-3/ 

Long live the Zucchini Festival! 

CONTACT: Janet Ciel, Market Manager 
Healdsburg Farmers Market 
707 824-8717 
manager@heladsburgfarmersmarket.org