Summer is just around the corner and we’ve found the perfect way to kickoff the season – The California Strawberry Festival! It’s a family friendly event hosted in Oxnard, CA that uses its proceeds to benefit local communities. It’s a great way to get your summer off to a sweet start. Here’s what’s in store:
California Strawberry Festival Food
First things first, the food. There’s no shortage of food booths, with over 50 strawberry themed spots to satisfy your craving for berries. You can grab some strawberry nachos with a strawberry beer or strawberry popcorn with a strawberry smoothie. From classics like strawberry shortcake to more creative options like deep-fried strawberries, there’s an option for everyone. Best of all, many of the food booths are presented by non-profit charities who receive 100% of the proceeds. A word of advice though, take plenty of cash. Believe it or not, this system has made over $4.5 million over the years, benefiting more than 20 SoCal organizations.
Tip: Take plenty of cash! Only cash is accepted at the festival’s food booths. But don’t worry too much – if you forget, there are ATMs on the premises.
The Music
The festival also features two stages where you can listen to a variety of music pretty much non-stop the whole weekend. Musician styles range from R&B, rock, country, 80s and 90s pop, a Selena tribute and even reggae. No matter your musical preferences, there will be something for everyone all festival long. Be sure to check the lineup to know when your favorite tunes will be playing.
Arts, Crafts and Contests
Just under 200 artists from all over the country will be offering up their unique creations for purchase. You can browse through a wide array of textiles, jewelry, paintings, ceramics, toys, sculptures and specialty foods.
Not only can you shop at the strawberry festival, you can also win some seriously sweet prizes. For example, the Berry Blast Off Recipe Contest features an iron chef style competition where five semi-finalists (who entered their recipes ahead of time) go head-to-head to create their unique strawberry dish in just an hour. Judges select two finalists who then battle it out to win the grand prize – a four-day VIP getaway and a valuable knife set. The Official Poster Contest offers the grand prize winner a $2000 prize for creating an original California Strawberry Festival poster. Other adorable contests include the Strawberry Tart Toss (where you might get messy) a Berry Best Dressed Baby contest, a Strawberry Relay and more.
Kids’ Strawberryland
Rides, attractions, face-painting, Strawberryland has everything a kid could dream of. The Strawberryland Theatre features shows by clowns, jugglers and magicians. The area also has a variety of carnival rides and bouncy slides for kiddies.
There is also a kid’s care zone, which was created with parents in mind. In this area, you can change diapers or nurse your baby. You can also get free fingerprinting IDs for your children from the Kids Are 1st organization.
Whether you are a strawberry-loving foodie, a shopper, a vendor, a parent or even a kid, this festival has something for everyone. So start making plans to attend now! The California Strawberry Festival will be going on May 20-21, 2017 from 10am to 6:30pm both days. And if you need any further information about the event, feel free to give me a call.