By DENNIS WYATT 209 Living reporter It’s not too hard to figure out why the Ripon Almond Blossom Festival on Feb. 26-28 is a perennial favorite for many in the 209. The 54th annual event kicks off the festival season in the Northern San Joaquin Valley. It’s a chance to meander outside among vendor booths under welcoming skies whether it is sunny with fluffy clouds floating above an endless sea of almond blossoms or subdued shades of gray.