Port of Hueneme celebrates bananas

PORT HUENEME, Calif.Going bananas is big business in the deep sea Port of Hueneme.

“This port is wide open for business right now we are not challenged by the supply chain disruptions you are seeing on the east coast and in the gulf, said Port of Hueneme Director Kristen Decas. “

Banana festival visitors had a chance to see the port that is linked to 25,000 local jobs.

Decas said 5 billion bananas are imported each year, enough to circle the globe 13 times if they are lined up end to end.

Longshoremen, with ILWU, help move 400 thousand cars imported each year.

A quarter of them are electric.

The theme of this year's festival is "Charging forward to a zero emissions future."

The goal is to be an emissions free port by 2030 in terms of handling equipment and plugging ships in at birth.

Some of the ships are called RoRo vessels because imports and exports are rolled on and rolled off.

A man dressed as a banana helped people using wheelchairs get around the festival.

He asked, "Am I appealing?," while having his photo taken.

A Carmen Miranda model also posed for pictures at the Chiquita book where people lined up to spin a wheel and win freebies.

Festivalgoers dined on banana flavored treats and some drank banana beer.

Ventura Coast Brewing Company's assistant brewer Chad Perdue had it on tap.

“We worked really hard producing a really good Oktoberfest beer this year ," said Perdue, "It is margin style and we decided to add some banana to it for this wonderful banana festival."

Kids had plenty of things to see and do.

They checked out the train.

The port owns a railway line.

It is served by the Port Intermodal Rail Corridor that connects to Union Pacific Railway at the downtown rail yard.

Genesee * Wyoming services the port and Naval Base Ventura County.

The port is shared with the military and portions of the docks are off limits.

The Oxnard High School Marching Band led to Mr.Andre Spence opened the festival near the main stage.

Banana Festival Committee Director Randy Latimer's sister LaNesha Latimer Cuevas sang the National Anthem.

Latimer appeared thrilled with the early turnout.

"I am loving the fact that we get to come in our community open the port up and have community enjoy a free event and see all the cool things the bananas and everyone else the port brings into our local economy." said Latimer.

Banana lovers did not leave empty-handed.

Dole and Chiquita gave bunches away.

"What better combination than a yellow banana that is flavorful full of potassium and great," said Dole's Rich SIlva.

Banana companies workers consider it a friendly competition.

For more information visit https://bananaportfest.com