BERRY TRADITION TO BE FETED.Byline: Gloria Gonzales Daily News Staff Writer Lovers of the heart-shaped fruit will pay homage to this coastal city's best-loved crop at the 17th Annual Strawberry Festival A Strawberry Festival is an event and celebration in many towns in North America. In most instances, areas around these towns are, or have been, deeply involved in the production and marketing of strawberries, and the festivals are usually held in late spring around the time of the this weekend. And residents do owe a lot to the strawberry, which brings about $90 million in revenues into the local economy each year, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the festival's executive director, Shelley Merrick. ``Strawberries are one of the area's biggest crops,'' Merrick said. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what we would do without strawberries. The festival is a celebration and a tribute to the strawberry - and that doesn't just mean shortcake. We've also got wines, chutneys, vinaigrettes and more.'' Oxnard takes great pride in the fact that the area produces a ton of strawberries for each resident - that's 148,000 tons per year. The area produces more than 20 percent of the state's strawberries, and is second only to Watsonville in strawberry production. Oxnard strawberries venture to points as far distant as Paris and Berlin, where they likely end up in exotic French and German dishes. Festival visitors can indulge in strawberry exotica ex·ot·i·ca pl.n. Things that are curiously unusual or excitingly strange: such gustatory exotica as killer bee honey and fresh catnip sauce. or they can opt for fresh Oxnard strawberries, picked mere miles from the festival grounds at College Park. The more discriminating and adventurous gastronomes can try culinary creations ranging from the time-honored strawberry shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake is a licensed character owned by American Greetings, originally used in greeting cards and expanded to include dolls, posters, and other products. to the avante garde strawberry pizza. All told, 40 booths will feature strawberry delicacies, with many booths operated by local, non-profit organizations. ``There are strawberries everywhere you look,'' said Don DeArmond, the festival's chairman. ``Even dishes without strawberries have to have at least a strawberry garnish.'' And though strawberries are the weekend's main attraction, festivalgoers can also enjoy music, contests, arts and crafts arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. and children's entertainment. Musicians will perform on three stages throughout the festival, and groups include reggae, jazz, rock, blues and swing bands. The '70s band War will perform its popular vintage hits, ``Low Rider,'' ``The Cisco Kid,'' and ``Why Can't We Be Friends'' on Sunday afternoon. Children can visit Strawberryland, a play area featuring music, arts and crafts, clowns, a petting zoo, puppet shows and jugglers. And for those who tire of nibbling nibbling Nutrition The consumption of multiple–up to 17–'mini-meals' per day, as opposed to the usual 3 meals/day. Cf Bingeing, Gorging. at the delectable fruit in all its forms, there are prizes for the most accurate tart toss or the fastest strawberry relay team. Festival proceeds benefit more than 30 local charities, including high school booster clubs, Food Share Inc., and Music Ministries for Youth. 1997 STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18 TIME: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Strawberry Meadows of College Park, 3250 South Rose Ave., Oxnard. (Festival grounds are just east of Oxnard College Oxnard College is a California-state funded community college located in Oxnard, California. It was established in 1975. It serves the Oxnard Plain cities of Oxnard, Camarillo, and Port Hueneme. campus.) ADMISSION: Adults, $7, children and seniors, $4, for children under 2 admission is free. For more information, call the City of Oxnard Special Events office at (805) 385-7578. CAPTION(S): Photo, Box Photo: (Color in Verb 1. color in - add color to; "The child colored the drawings"; "Fall colored the trees"; "colorize black and white film" color, colorise, colorize, colour in, colourise, colourize, colour SIMI SIMI Sea Ice Mechanics Initiative SIMI Search for Intelligent Monkeys on the Internet SIMI Students Islamic Movement in India SIMI Society of Irish Motor Industry SIMI Smallholder Irrigation Markets Initiative and CONEJO only) Workers on Wednesday set up for the 17th Annual Strawberry Festival, an event celebrating the area's biggest agricultural product. Phil McCarten/Daily News Box: (Color) 1997 STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL (See Text) |
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