The California
Strawberry Festival
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The California
Strawberry Festival is held each year in Oxnard, California.
Oxnard is located 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 30 miles
south
of
Santa Barbara. At the festival delicious berry delicacies
abound, from kabobs to pizza and even strawberry beer -- strawberries
shortcake, chocolate dipped, glazed and powdered, are all
for the feasting from the numerous food and beverage booths.
Field-fresh berries are among the take-home favorites. Those
with an appetite for “in your face” entertainment
get a healthy serving in the tart toss, strawberry pie eating
contest and strawberry stomp. California
Strawberry Festival include Live Concerts, Fine Arts & Crafts
showcase, Strawberryland For Kids and The Strawberry Promenade.
California is the the largest strawberry producing state and
harvests 83% of the strawberries grown in the U.S. Join thousands
of Californians celebrating the sweet berries we know as
strawberry's.
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The free Park & Ride “Strawberry
Express” shuttles from convenient locations off the 101 Fwy
make getting to the Festival a breeze. Amtrak also helps keep it
green with a special Festival weekend “kids ride free” discount
promotion (shuttles meet the trains). Parking is also available
for $5 on site at Strawberry Meadows of College Park (3250 S. Rose
Avenue in Oxnard). General admission is $12, seniors
62+ at $8 and children ages 5-12 at $5. Kids 4 and under are free.
Active military and dependents with ID are $8. Special VIP tickets
can be purchased in advance. Hours are 10:00a.m. to 6:30p.m. both
days. Strawberries
are the number one crop of Oxnard, generating $366.3 million in
2006 (most
recent figures available). California exports 17 million trays
of fresh strawberries and 21.9 million pounds of
frozen strawberries annually. In the early 80s with a quest to
create a celebratory event that would pay tribute to
the strawberry industry, then Oxnard Mayor, Dr. Tsujio Kato, City
of Oxnard officials, and a handful of local
strawberry growers gathered to explore possibilities. The California
Strawberry Festival premiered in 1984 at Channel Islands Harbor.
After eight years, the increasingly popular event outgrew its
original site, moving in 1992 to picturesque Strawberry Meadows
of College Park where it is today.
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The California Strawberry Festival
is held in the May at Strawberry Meadows of College Park 3250
S. Rose Avenue,
Oxnard The California
Strawberry Festival L Information Line is 1
888 288-9242 or visit the official website at www.strawberry-fest.org
where admission tickets may also be purchased in advance. |
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