You're in for a gourd time: Wuertz Farm Gourd Festival makes its 20th return to fairgrounds

His great-uncle Howard Wuertz, a fellow UA alum and innovator in the drip irrigation method for farmers on a scant water budget in a dry climate, has set a high bar for a young Wuertz to meet, but he suddenly gets a "really gourd" idea for how to make it big.

Yes — gourds — those unusually shaped, hard-shelled fruits that tend to gain popularity in American homes during the fall months have actually been one of the most useful and diverse crops of varied civilizations for millennia.

That is true even today, as more in Pinal County and the country become familiar with the renaissance fruit thanks to Wuertz. From a canteen to a wine dispenser to a drum, there are so many things the gourd can become on its journey from the ground to the customer.

So, Wuertz is soon set to graduate and be back on the family farm, “and I knew I wanted to come back and farm, but didn’t know what I wanted to farm, or you know, the traditional crops, cotton and alfalfa — there wasn’t enough acreage left on the family farm to make enough living for two families.

“So, on a whim — this is back in 2000 — I planted two rows of gourds next to one of my dad’s cotton fields, just to see if it would grow, see if there was a market in it, and sure enough, there was,” said Wuertz.

The next year, he ramped it up to a half-acre, which sold out in just two weeks. By 2002, the Wuertz farm was up to 7 acres. Then in 2003, they tried 14 acres and had little trouble selling out that year’s harvest either. From then on, Wuertz Farm would plant no less than 40 acres every year, yielding about 500,000 to 700,000 gourds by the end of the season in February or March.

The varieties he grows on the farm are inedible but their pre-hollowed-out centers make for the perfect blank canvas, making gourd craftsmen Wuertz’s largest clientele base.

His connection to the gourd arts world would be deepened when, within just under a year of entering the gourd-selling business, Wuertz met his future wife, Leah, and crafty in-laws — Leroy and Cheri Williams of Leroy's Fabulous Fracks — at a gourd artist meet-up. That same year, they would start their annual and ever-growing Wuertz Farm Gourd Festival.

Held every year at the Pinal Fairgrounds and Event Center, the festival gives gourd artists and hobbyists from around the globe a chance to visit and stock up on world-famous Wuertz gourds, participate in numerous gourd fine arts and craft classes, buy or sell art in one of 120 vendor spots or be judged by the Arizona Gourd Society for their latest and greatest creation.

Of course, there is something for even the most casual gourd-enthusiasts to enjoy at the festival. From live music to the gourd races or the expansive outdoor museum of gourd art vendors, many first-timers will leave inspired by the many species and uses of the gourd.

This year marks the festival’s 20th anniversary, so let’s take a look at all the event will have to offer from Feb. 3 to 5.

Art classes

Every year, Leah Wuertz coordinates and selects up to 50 special classes led by professional gourd artists from around the country, but even more will submit than that for a chance to teach. The classes will begin a day early on Thursday, Feb. 2, as vendors continue to set up for the long weekend.

The number of slots will vary for each class and they can go quickly once they are posted online to the website sometime in December, said Waylon.

“When we hit upload, I kid you not, we literally fill up about 500 spaces in the first three to five minutes,” he said. “So, we’ve created kind of a madhouse on that.”

AZGS Competition

The Arizona Gourd Society has been a consistent figure at the festival since it started in 2003. The annual gourd art competition and display will be pre-assessed on Feb. 2 and displayed at the event from Feb. 3 to 5 at 3 p.m. for interested visitors.

Preregistration for the competition will end Jan. 25 and late registration is Jan. 26 to Feb. 5. There are entry fees for individual submissions, but youth, collaborative and grand master divisions will not have a fee.

The competition is judged by certified American Gourd Society judges.

Food and entertainment

The gourd is also an incredibly lauded and respected crop in Polynesian culture, according to Wuertz.

“So, hula dancers, when you go to Hawaii, you see all of those performances — they’re using gourds,” he said. “In fact, a lot of people view the gourd as the most important crop, because it allowed people to travel around the globe; it allowed them to carry water; it allowed them to carry food.”

As a way to honor this longstanding cultural connection to the gourd, the festival brings in a Polynesian dance company every year to delight guests with swaying music and cheer.

A number of bands will also perform, but those have not been determined at this time.

“Flash Gourdon” has become a well-known name associated with the festival. He is a large gourd with mechanized stick-legs on the end of a tricycle that looks as if he is running when pedaled by a driver behind.

“Nothing gets more laughs than that,” said Wuertz.

Visitors of all ages will enjoy a bit of entry-level gourd knowledge while attending “kindergourden,” a section of the grounds dedicated to teaching the “ABCs” of gourds. There are nearly enough gourd varieties to make the entire alphabet; so, think “A” for apple gourd, “B” for the banana and bottle gourd, “C” for the canteen gourd and so on. However, things get a bit tricky when they come to “X.”

Lastly, visitors can’t miss the “mini gourdster” race on Saturday. Anyone can participate, with the purchase of a gourdster kit at around $5 that will be transformed into a racing car. Their gourdster will then zip down a 30-foot ramp in hopes of defeating their opponents. There is a small cash prize for the winner.

Wuertz projects 80 food and 120 gourd art vendors will attend the event this year as well.

Souvenirs and more

Of course, many will not leave the festival empty handed. Rows upon rows of large pallets filled with various-sized, predried gourds make it hard for visitors not to try their hand in some gourd carving or painting by the end of the weekend. And the Wuertzes' own store at the festival will have all the tools, paint and expertise that novice gourd artists need to get started.

Ron Swank of Idaho is credited with the invention of the “thundergourd” — a trending collector's item from the festival year after year.

The unique instrument is created by taking a gourd with an already hollow center and attaching a drum head and spring to the bottom so that a sound eerily reminiscent of thunder will emanate from the humble fruit.

Another good way to commemorate the visit could be to purchase some fresh gourd honey from the Wuertz Farm. Though their gourds are not edible, the introduction of bees to the gourd field has produced a distinct honey that the farm has recently started selling year round.

“The gourd honey seems to be more of a thicker, richer honey and it’s one of those other little unique things — you’re not going to find gourd honey anywhere else,” said Wuertz. “There’s no additives and it's all raw and it's got all the good health benefits. It’s hard to describe but we sell a ton of it each year.

Tickets for the festival will be $12 a person, with free admission for kids 12 and under. More information will be available at www.wuertzfarm.com as the event nears.