Looking ahead to the first annual Yuma AGFest

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The City of Yuma is hosting its first ever AGFest, honoring the area's title of "Winter Vegetable Capitol of the World."

The event, formally known as the Yuma Medjool Date Festival, will offer fresh farm-to-table bites.

Marcus Carney, the executive director of Visit Yuma, shares how events, like AGFest, benefit the local economy.

"Yuma is really a community that thrives during the week because we have so much business travel coming here and so to be able to have events on the weekends really helps the rest of that kind of economy work out," said Carney.

Yuma's police Chief Thomas Garrity says there will be increased security on hand to assure everyone's safety.

"You may see a lot of officers there...officer presence. We're not expecting anything, but we want to be there to ensure everybody's safety, and so they feel safe so they can enjoy the experience," said Chief Garrity.

Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls shares the importance of attending and understanding events like the one on Saturday.

"These events kind of help us to find our identity. Sometimes, we might not really understand...'Yeah, you see the fields, but okay, what does that mean?' And the impact our community has in not just within the state, but throughout the country during the winter," said Mayor Nicholls.

The festival is set to take place Saturday from 10 am to 9 pm on Main Street.