The poet Joseph Hutchison describes the magic of artichokes perfectly in his one-line poem: “O heart weighed down by so many ...

Where does my artichoke expertise come from? I've been making and eating this fresh delicacy since I was a kid, having been introduced to it by my California-born artichoke queen mother.

You can do so now at the Artichoke Festival site. Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.. THE ARTICHOKE FESTIVAL WILL BE COMING TO SALINAS THIS YEAR. THE EVENT STARTED IN CASTROVILLE DECADES AGO -- BUT RECENTLY IT'S BEEN HELD AT THE MONTEREY COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS.