California Strawberry Festival

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.

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 on site at Strawberry Meadows of College Park (3250 S. Rose Avenue in Oxnard).

Kids 4 and under are free. Active military and dependents with ID get a discount. 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 millions of dollars of revenue. California exports 20 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.

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.