Tis the season for strawberries! Get your strawberry (and fun) fix at these So Cal locations:
Strawberries galore and more are in store when the sweet Southland tradition of the 28th Annual California Strawberry Festival gets underway the weekend of May 21 and 22, 2011 at Strawberry Meadows of College Park in Oxnard. Ranking among the top Festivals in the nation, the fruitful celebration boasts strawberries every way imaginable, along with all day fun for the entire family with concert performances, the Strawberry Promenade with celebrity cooking demonstrations, more than 200 Fine Arts & Crafts booths, Strawberryland For Kids with rides and attractions, gooey contests, special appearances and more.
Strawberries, strawberries, strawberries -- from chocolate dipped, powdered, shortcaked and even atop pizza, berries abound as desserts, main courses and even thirst quenching delights. There are over 40 food booths to choose from. Proceeds from food sales of select vendors benefit numerous local charities whose Festival fundraising efforts garner approximately $200,000 from the weekend.
Live Concerts fill the air with non-stop entertainment on two stages within the park, all included in the
admission price. From reggae and ska, to Latin pop and big band swing, with Neil Diamond, Steve Nicks and Michael Jackson tributes, the medley of music offers something special for everyone. Strawberryland For Kids also boasts a “Jest In Time” tented stage where puppet shows, clowns, mimes, and magicians captivate the young at heart. Dr. Kato stage entertainment is presented by Budweiser and Festival stage entertainment is presented by Southern California Ford Dealers.
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Fine Arts & Crafts showcase with unique collectible creations from 200+ artists dot the landscape with booths specializing in paintings, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, furniture, children's toys, and more. Patrons can meet the artists while viewing their works available for purchase.
Strawberryland For Kids, presented by The Ventura County Star, makes childhood wishes come true with a free rides and attractions like the Berry-Go-Round, Carousel, Bounce Slide, Mini Train, Bungee, planes, cars and others. Face painting, wax candle creations and other interactive displays are available for an additional fee.
The Strawberry Promenade, presented by Wells Fargo in partnership with FOOD Share, offers a berry oasis
where patrons can enjoy cooking demonstrations and healthy lifestyle presentations, including a “Life of the
Strawberry” exhibit. The popular location is also the start of the Star Berry Hunt where participants are invited to embark on a quest throughout the park seeking clues to strawberry fun facts that lead to prizes.
Contests get everyone into the act. Appetites are recommended for all ages to participate in the famed Strawberry Pie Eating Contest and the gooey Tart Toss happening daily.
The Green Scene presented by Coca Cola, offers interactive exhibits that showcase simple ways to integrate eco-friendly lifestyle choices that can positively impact our environment. The mobile Truck Farm boasts a fully planted produce garden in the bed of a pickup truck to help demonstrate the ease of growing your own
sustainable garden just about anywhere.
The event has helped raise over $3 million for various Southland charities while paying tribute to the region’s agricultural heritage and winning award recognition for its recycling and “green” policies that began in 2001.
See the California Strawberry Festival website for full details.
California Strawberry Festival
3250 S. Rose Avenue, Oxnard 93033 [
MAP]
http://strawberry-fest.org/
(888) 288-9242
Hours: 10am - 6:30pm Sat & Sun
|
| General | $12 |
| Seniors (62+) | $8 |
| Children (5-12): | $5 |
| Children (4- & under) | FREE |
| Active military & dependents | $8 |
Parking: $10
Mass Transit:
Amtrak has a
special discount for the festival. Travel from Union Station to Oxnard and board a free shuttle to the festival.
Satellite park & ride lots off U.S. 101 are served by a
free festival shuttle.
The Garden Grove Strawberry Festival is not only one of the largest community festivals in the western US, but also one of the oldest. Held annually since 1958, the Festival is now in its 53rd year and features a parade, contests, carnival rides and more. This years festival takes place Friday 27 through Monday 30 May.
Throughout the years, the
world’s largest strawberry shortcake (which local paper reported to have weighed as much as 500 pounds), has been the centerpiece of the festival’s opening ceremonies. For the past 22 years the task has gone to Herb’s Black Forest Bakery in Fountain Valley. The mayor of Garden Grove cuts the first piece and presents the top to Miss Garden Grove, then, as many as 4,000 more slices are cut and served free to festival-goers attending the ceremonies.
Rides. The Festival features carnival rides for kids, like the Berry-Go-Round, Wet Water Ride, and Tilt-a-Whirl. There are also rides for teens/adults such as Footloose, Fireball and the Zipper. (The ride vendor also provides the rides for the Orange County Fair).
Parade. Floats, marching bands, local dignitaries, clowns and equestrians are all part of the exciting Saturday morning parade. Come see Miss Garden Grove Leah Cecil and her court, and Miss Outstanding Teen Jessica Tonti. Also in the parade will be the Senior King and Queen and the Tiny Tots King and Queen. Kids of all ages will enjoy meeting, Knott's Berry Farms' Snoopy, and
Ronald McDonald!
Celebs. Some of the celebs on hand will be
Rico Rodriguez (Modern Family), Raini Rodriguez (Disney’s Prom) as Grand Marshals plus
Anneliese Van der Pol (That’s So Raven), Ed Arnold (The Real Orange),
Kate Linder (Days of Our Lives),
Valery Ortiz (Diary of a Single Mom). After the parade you'll have the opportunity to meet celebrities and get autographs.
Contests. Many contests are held over the four days of the Festival. The Ooey-Gooey Pie-In-the-Face is the tastiest of the contests. A karaoke contest will determine the next Strawberry Idol. Several beauty and talent contests will be held including the Redhead Round-Up.
The festival is a non-profit (501c3) organization. Local charities receive up to $100,000 in funding and scholarships to local schools are given out as well. In addition, the only food vendors allowed are charities there to raise money.
See Garden Grove Strawberry Festival website for full details.
Garden Grove Strawberry Festival
The Village Green btwn Euclid St & Main St, Garden Grove 92840 [
MAP]
http://strawberryfestival.org/
Hours: Fri, 11am - 10pm. Sat & Sun, 10am - 10pm. Mon, 10am - 8:30pm.
Admission: FREE admission to grounds. Individual ride tickets are $1 each with rides typically costing 3-5 tickets. All-day wristbands for unlimited rides are $25 (Fri) and $30 (Sat-Mon).
Parking: Street parking or various lots in the surrounding block. Some charge, some won't. Look for signs/attendants or see the
map here.
Mass Transit: OCTA routes serve the Festival.
Tanaka Farms
Tanaka Farm is a family run organic farm
situated in a valley in the heart of Irvine at Irvine Center Drive and Bake Parkway. It is hard to believe that this beautiful farm can exist among all of the development in Orange County. Their Market Stand opens when they begin to harvest their sweet strawberries along with over 60 other different fruits and vegetables.
The real treat at Tanaka Farms is the different Tours that are offered throughout the seasons. Kids and adults alike may get a glimpse into the workings of a real farm. Tanaka Farms offers different types of tours like the famous Strawberry Tours (Mid-March to end of June), Cookout Tours (Mid-March to end of August), Watermelon Tours (July to August), and the Pumpkin Patch Tour (end of Sept. to end of October). NO where in ORANGE COUNTY can you do all this!!!
Strawberry Tour. This is a guided tour around the farm that takes approximately 1 1/4 hour on a tractor pulled wagon. You will see how the fruits & vegetables grow and sample various fruits & vegetables that are in season. The last stop on this tour is to pick & eat strawberries as well as pick yourself a one (1) pound basket to take home.
Monday thru Friday, tours and group tours are available by reservation only. No reservations are needed for our weekend tours unless the group is a large group. Weekend tours run every half hour from 9:30am to 2:30pm. Please arrive 20-25 minutes before to check-in and receive instructions. Strawberry Tours will continue through 26 June this year.
Tanaka Farms on Yelp.
See Tanaka Farms website for full details.
Tanaka Farms
5380 3/4 University Dr, Irvine 92612-2944 [
MAP]
http://tanakafarms.com/
(949) 653-2100
Hours: Produce Stand– Weekdays, 9am - 6pm; Weekends, 9am - 5pm.
Tours– Weekdays, by reservation only (call 949-653-2100 ext. 204), beginning at 9:30am; Weekends, 9:30am - 2:30pm, no reservations required.
Admission: Tours are $15/person (children 2 and under are free). Group rates available.
Restrictions: No dogs or wagons allowed. Dress appropriately. Bring water or buy bottled water from the produce stand.
- R. Nelson. updated: 21:08 22 May 2011
