AT THE 2018 CASTROVILLE FESTIVAL, THE MODEL WHO PORTRAYED THE ICONIC “ARTICHOKE WOMAN” POSTER WILL BE PRESENT AND WILL SIGN POSTERS.

At the 2018 Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival, Joanne Gallaher, who was the model for the classic “Artichoke Woman” poster that was used for the Castroville Artichoke Festival in 1988, will be present and will autograph posters. March 24, 2018, Castroville, California — At the Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival, which will take place on June 2-3, 2018, at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center in Monterey, Joanne Gallaher, who was the model for the iconic “Artichoke Woman” poster that was used for the Castroville Artichoke Festival in 1988, will be present and will sign posters. The image was influenced by a photograph taken by the renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz in 1979 of Bette Midler for Rolling Stone magazine to promote her film “The Rose.” Additionally, it was influenced by Marilyn Monroe’s 1948 status as Castroville’s first-ever honorary Artichoke Queen, as well as Monroe’s first Playboy centerfold image in 1953. Sue Bennett, a photographer, and Gallaher, a longtime friend, worked together to create the portrait in 1986. It depicts Gallaher resting on a “bed” of artichokes, striking a stance that is very similar to that of Midler with whom she shares a similar pose. Bennett and Gallaher merged their shared passion for artichokes into a creative endeavor that served as both a tribute and a creative endeavor. A postcard featuring the photograph was released for the first time in 1987. It was then sold at the Giant Artichoke restaurant and shop in Castroville. In 1988, the image was selected to be included on the official poster for the Artichoke Festival that year. Since their initial encounter in 1977, Bennett had developed a strong friendship with both Gallaher and her husband, Bill Mueller. Mueller, an architect, served as the designer of Bennett’s studio space, which was located in the Babbitt building in Flagstaff during the early 1990s. In the years after Mueller’s passing in 1999, Bennett delivered a speech at his memorial service, during which he entertained the attendees with humorous tales that included the three of them. During the course of the two-day festival, participants will have the opportunity to partake in a variety of activities, including but not limited to: hundreds of fresh artichoke cuisine delights, a beer, wine, and spirits garden, chef demonstrations, live entertainment, field tours, and more. People aged 13 and older are required to pay $15 for general admission; seniors aged 62 and older and military personnel with identification pay $10; children aged 6 to 12 pay $5; general admission for one adult, including a wine tasting pass, costs $45 (the individual must be at least 21 years old); wine tasting on its own costs $30; and field tours cost $10 (daily tour schedules will be announced at the Festival), which can be used by either an adult or a child aged 5 to 12 years old. At nine o’clock in the morning on June 3, 2018, customers may make orders online. There will be no refunds. Along with the Arti-Family Pack and the It’s A Date bundle, there are also two cheaper packages that may be purchased. The former is thirty dollars, which is ten dollars less than the market price. The package comes with two tickets for adults and two tickets for children, and it is valid for either Saturday or Sunday. This early bird offer will expire at twelve o’clock AM on May 19, 2018. There will be no refunds. Two adult tickets and two tickets to a wine and beer tasting are included in the It’s A Date package, which is available for either Saturday or Sunday and costs $70. This package is only available to those who are at least 21 years old. About the Artichoke Food and Wine Festival that takes place in Castroville Since its inception in 1959, the Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Celebration has evolved into a harvest festival, with the purpose of commemorating the world-famous artichoke and the area that is often referred to as the “Artichoke Center of the World.” For many years, the festival has been a key source of money for local non-profit organizations, and it also contains programs that are entertaining for families and available to people of all ages. For further details, please visit the website at http://artichokefestival.org/. . Chatterbox PR Marci Bracco Cain Salinas, California 93901 (831) 747-7455 is the contact information. Please visit http://artichokefestival.org/.