There are an elite few foods industries in this world that rival wine in their subtle variances, multitude of uses and ability to tantalize: honey, beer, even salt. Empires are built on such singular culinary diamonds. Entire festivals are constructed to celebrate their flavorful genius. Many hail from far away lands and bygone eras, traversing time and space to delight us again and again. Those that have taken root here do so most often in California, but the Texas Hill Country is loosening California’s stranglehold on these champions of cuisine. The latest in this long line of Hill Country agricultural recruits is the olive and San Antonio has the festival to prove it.

The second annual Olives Olé Festival, The International Olive Festival of Texas, is coming to Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard near Elmendorf on March 27. Sponsored by the San Antonio chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, an international organization devoted to community service and composed of women invited from the fields of food, wine and hospitality, the Olives Olé festival raises money for scholarship programs and community gardening and other projects. “Last year we expected a turn out of 200-300 and got over 2,000,” says Les Dames d’Escoffier member June Hayes. This year the festival is prepared for larger crowds and looks forward to breaking their inaugural record of $35,000 raised for the community.

While olives are an ancient staple of the Mediterranean diet, they’re relatively new to Texas. The U.S. only hosts four other festivals similar to this one, one of which is in Florida and the other three in California. “None of them are like Olives Olé, for the San Antonio festival has a uniquely heavy emphasis on education,” say festival co-chairs Cathy Tarasovic and Sandy Winokur. A massive sampling table featuring olives from around the world is the festival’s centerpiece. Additionally, there will be ongoing cooking and kitchen demonstrations with sampling, an olive oil tasting tent, olive oil based beauty products and a soap making demonstration, a three-dimensional Mediterranean food pyramid housed in a tent dedicated to information on olive oils’ many health benefits, children’s activities, prize drawings, and gourmet concessions.

The American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, the San Antonio Dietetic Association, the American Cancer Society and 25 gift, herb and garden, and crafts vendors will participate. Guest speakers include a panel of pioneers in the olive industry They will advise on everything, from keeping a Mediterranean pantry to growing and preserving your own olive trees and herbs in a home garden or for profit on a commercial farm. Guided tours of the working Shady Oaks Olive Orchard are scheduled throughout the day. “Last year’s olive oil tasting was in a room for 40 and we had standing room only and people knocking on the door. This year, we’ve dedicated a whole tent to pairing olive oils with foods and wines to teach people how to avoid costly mistakes,” says June of the festival’s second most popular feature.

The festival runs from 10:00-3:00 and tickets are $10 at the gate or area H-E-B stores. Concession tickets for upscale gourmet foods featuring olive oils and Texas products, Texas wines and other beverages will be sold separately, but festival organizers say many people will be satisfied with the free tastings and samplings alone. Ample parking will be provided free of charge and golf carts will be available to shuttle attendees to the tented area. Sunhats and sunscreen are recommended. For more information visit sandyoaks.com or olivesole.org or call 210-621-0044.

Olives Olé is sponsored by H-E-B.

Other sponsors are companies who see the potential of an International Olive Festival of Texas, and the festival organizers are thrilled with their participation: Melissa’s World Produce and their chef Ina Rodriguez; Mahatma Rice and their chef Debbie Jaramillo; Delallo Olive Company; Octavio Olive Oils; Texas Wines (various); Silver Eagle Beer; Culligan Water

Olives Olé is a GO TEXAN member and is working with the Texas Department of Agriculture and the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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