35th Annual Strawberry Festival, Ventura May 19, 20

(Gerry Furth-Sides, photos courtesy of the Strawberry Festival) Strawberry tacos, strawberry pizza, berry kabobs are only a few of the more unique strawberry offerings at the California Strawberry Festival 35^th Anniversary Celebration, May 19 and 20, at Strawberry Meadows of College Park in Oxnard.

This strawberry celebration brings all of the fun and nostalgia of an old-fashioned American fair along with an awareness of a fruit crop that has made Ventura County famous all over the world.  California Strawberries are Ventura County’s number one crop—farmers grow over 250,000 tons annually (Source: Ventura County Farm Bureau). More than 1.5 million of the red berries will be eaten during the two-day festival.

Consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top festivals, it strives to please guests of all ages.  Strawberry samplings are joined by the Strawberry Promenade with cooking demonstrations and  Strawberryland For Kids, featuring rides, attractions, and free strawberry-themed contests.  In addition,  live concerts and entertainment take place on multiple stages plus more than 200 fine arts and crafts booths.

All 50 of the festival’s food booths are required to serve at least one strawberry selection. Attendees can stop by the “build your own” strawberry shortcake tent to try their hand at creating their own delicious dish. One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the non-profit food booths go to support their worthy causes. Over the past 10 years, $4.65 million generated from the festival has gone back into the community.

“Last year, we expanded the entire festival by 50 percent and it was a big hit,” says California Strawberry Festival Chairperson Mike Thompson.

Strawberry Promenade A huge tent known as the Strawberry Promenade features non-stop cooking presentations and demonstrations (mandatory ingredient: strawberries!).

Berry Blast Off Recipe Contest: On Saturday, May 19 (3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.), two finalists will battle it out to be named the Berry Blast Off Recipe Contest champion. Details are on the website.

Contests: Festivalgoers can sign up for the Strawberry Pie Eating Contest, gooey Tart Toss, and the timed Strawberry Relay Race. The Berry Best Hat Contest is in the Strawberry Promenade while the Berry Best Dressed Baby Contest is in Strawberryland at the Strawberryland Kids Theatre. Contest signups take place onsite. Winners all receive prizes.

Getting There: Free Strawberry Express shuttle service offers multiple convenient Park ‘N Ride locations off the 101 Freeway. Amtrak offers rider discounts and free festival shuttles meet the trains. Festival Parking is available ($10).

Where to Stay: The Holiday Inn Express Port Hueneme is the festival’s official hotel. For more information and choices, visit //visitoxnard.com/.

Admission and Hours:  Adults: $12; seniors 62 and older, active military and dependents with ID card: $8; Youths (5-12): $5, Free for kids 4 and under. Hours are 10:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., both days.

History: In the 1980s, then Oxnard Mayor, Dr. Tsujio Kato, gathered with City of Oxnard officials and a handful of local strawberry growers to celebrate the local strawberry industry. The festival premiered in 1984 at Channel Islands Harbor.  The event “bloomed” year after year until it outgrew its original site and in 1992 moved to its current location at Strawberry Meadows of College Park,  currently attracting over 60,000 over two days.

In the early  Strawberry Festival days, we media were served a strawberry themed dinner in a building penthouse overlooking the fields, and given a gorgeous original festival poster.  We are thrilled that we can still see a lot of those strawberry fields amidst the encroaching building expansion in the area.

Impact: The International Festival & Events Association and the Library of Congress have recognized the California Strawberry Festival for its extensive community programs benefiting education, arts, and youths. The Association’s research estimates the festival’s economic impact to the community hovers at approximately $7.5 million for the two-day event.

For more information, call 888-288-9242 or go to www.castrawberryfestival.org.

Official sponsors for this year’s festival are Smart & Final, Budweiser, and Coca-Cola. Media sponsors include the Ventura County Star, KTLA-TV, The Wave, KEARTH, KOST, Myfm, Gold Coast Broadcasting, Cumulus Media, Radio Lazer, Jack FM and Oxnard Convention & Visitors Bureau.