The 35th Annual Steinbeck Festival: From Salinas to

Sea of Cortez: Steinbeck on Land and Sea, May 6-8

at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas
The Steinbeck Festival is back! The National Steinbeck Center, at One Main Street, Salinas, offers
a weekend of engaging JON talks, new films, and a variety of tours (the Red Pony Ranch,
Salinas walking tours, an Ag tour, Rickettss lab tour, and whale watching).
Salinas, CA, April 12, 2016 - The Steinbeck Festival is back! The National Steinbeck Center, at One

Main Street, Salinas, offers a weekend of engaging JON talks, new films, and a variety of tours (the Red
Pony Ranch, Salinas walking tours, an Ag tour, Rickettss lab tour, and whale watching). Friday nights
banquet at the NSC features a talk by the Aquariums new Director of Science, Kyle Van Houtan. On
Saturday, May 7, the NSC is partnering with Steinbeck Rotarys Home Beer Fest on Mainadding more
fest to the annual festival. Sunday features a slate of teacher workshops at the NSC.
The three-day Festival celebrates Steinbecks land/sea ethic and his enduring legacy as writer, activist,
and ecologist.
At Friday nights banquet and wine tasting, Dr. Van Houtan will discuss The sea turtle populations of
Hawaiilinking ocean, land and culture. (John Steinbeck and each crew member on the Western Flyer
brought stuffed sea turtles back from Baja!)
This years Festival features films and crowd-pleasing JON talks, lively half hour discussions of
Steinbecks enduring legacy as well as local history. Director Susan Shillinglaw kicks off at 9:00 AM Friday
with remarks about Steinbecks sense of place: How is the local, global? Friday morning speakers also
include biographer William Souder (author of Rachel Carson and John James Audobon biographies), who
will introduce his Steinbeck-biography-in-progress. Stanford English Department Chair Gavin Jones
considers Steinbeck, land, drought and race. A round table discussion follows. Afternoon speakers
consider the cultural impact of braceros in the Salinas Valleywith author Sergio Chavez; documentary
filmmaker Ignacio Rodriguez; and photographer Daniel Ruanova. Jean Vengua discusses Filipinos
newspapers and Eric Palmer will show a teaser of his documentary film about Japanese Flower
growers.
Tours on Friday include the Red Pony Ranch and Salinass Main Street.
Saturday features presentations on Steinbeck and the sea, with Steinbeck scholar Robert DeMott kicking
off the days events with a talk on Steinbeck and fishing. Rickettss scholar Katie Rodgers will discuss a
newly-published essay by Edward F. Ricketts. John Gregg, owner of the boat Steinbeck and Ricketts
sailed to Baja in 1940, explains recent restoration work on The Western Flyer. Mary Ellen Hannibal talks
about her new book on citizen science. After morning sessions, participants can stroll Main Streets

Home Beer Festival, sponsored by the Steinbeck Rotary (one beer garden is at the NSC!). That afternoon
offers a cioppino of different JON talks, including Craft Beer 101 (Steinbeck once appeared in an
ad for Balantine Ale.) Former National Book Award director Harold Augenbraum discusses The Pearl in
English and Spanish; Stanford professor William Gilly recounts his 2004 trip retracing Ricketts and
Steinbecks 1940 Sea of Cortez trip; and David Dennis discusses how he creates surfboards from
Steinbeck themed wood.
On Saturday night at the Steinbeck House, there will be a craft beer tasting benefit dinner at the
Steinbeck House, with all proceeds going to the Steinbeck Center.
Sundays teacher workshop theme is crossing boundaries and panelists will discuss integrated lessons:
jazz, teaching the common good, and Japanese internment.
A three-day Festival pass is $75 (excluding dinners and tours). Tickets are available online at
Steinbeck.org or call 831-775-4721.
Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.Steinbeck.org