 Castroville Artichoke Festival 2009 marked the 50th anniversary of this celebration.Artichokes were brought to California by Italian immigrants in the late 19th century, and to Castroville in the 1920s when Andrew Molera planted an acre of artichokes on his ranch.In 1922, Angelo del Chiaro and his cousin leased 150 acres from Molera and expanded the artichoke crop.