UPDATE: O’Rourkes win first Fresno State Hot Dog contest – bit.ly/FSN-HotDog15Winners
A hot dog-eating contest, Kids Zone and free wine tasting will spotlight the 9th annual Fresno State Farm Festival Saturday, July 11 at the Gibson Farm Market.
The new eating contest featuring Fresno State student-produced Bulldog hot dogs will start at 11 a.m. and will include six, four-person teams. Participants must be 16 years or older and registered by July 9. Entry forms will be available at the market starting Thursday (June 25).
Adults can also enjoy a complimentary wine tasting with food pairings from noon-4 p.m. at the event. Five wines produced by Fresno State students and staff will be available: Nouveau Blanc, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Tailgate Rose and Touriga.
From 8 a.m.-noon, children can take part in the Kids Zone that will feature contests, puzzles, farm trivia, face painting and a free nursery-based craft activity.
Also during that time, market visitors can taste free samples of foods produced by Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology students on Fresno State’s 1,000-acre University Agriculture Laboratory.
Nina Palomino, farm market manager, said this annual event is one of the Farm Market’s most popular of the year and she expects it to be as successful as previous years.
“Our students are passionate about the opportunity to interact with the campus and community while highlighting the importance of agriculture at Fresno State,” Palomino said. “Our goal is to be interactive as possible, ultimately providing a hands-on experience for all ages.”
New items that are featured at the market include the Woofle Waffle Mix developed by Food and Nutritional Sciences students, as well as the return of Fresno State ice cream toppings.
The Farm Market is located at 5368 North Chestnut Ave. (north of Shaw) and is open from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. on July 11 – the market’s normal Saturday summer hours. The store is also open weekdays through mid-August from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.
Visitors are encouraged to park on the north side of the market. Gibson Farm Market parking is not available in the Maya Theater lot to the south.
