LIFE'S JUST A BOWL OF STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE.Byline: Sabrina Decker Staff Writer OXNARD - The build-your-own shortcake tent is a landmark at the California 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 each year, and on opening day Saturday it was the center of the action. As the festival gates opened and the afternoon wore on, thousands lined up, happily waiting for their chance to fill an empty bowl as high as possible with pound cake, ripe strawberries, whipped cream - and more strawberries. ``This was so good!'' Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. resident Cheryl Migdol said over an empty bowl of shortcake. Her children, Irish, 6, and Jaqueline, 8, offer up whipped-cream- and strawberry-stained smiles. ``They liked it. They want to come here every day.'' This year's California Strawberry Festival, which continues today, includes more than 300 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. vendors from 11 states, and 40 food booths, about half of which are run by such local service groups as the Rotary Club and the Boys & Girls Club Girls Club is a 2002 American television series created by David E. Kelley, who was also it's producer and executive producer. Only two out of a total of thirteen episodes created were broadcast on Fox Television in the United States and Global Television in Canada. of Camarillo. Long lines In communications, circuits that are capable of handling transmissions over long distances. filled with those waiting eagerly for treats - strawberry-laden pizza, nachos, funnel cake Funnel cake or funnelcake is a regional specialty food originally associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch region of the United States. Funnel cakes are quite popular around the United States at ballparks, fairs and festivals. , kebabs, crepes, smoothies and even flavored beer. An estimated 28,000 people attended on Saturday, up from 23,000 the year before, organizers said. Today's visitors are expected to bring the total beyond last year's 57,000 attendees. ``I love it. I like seeing everybody enjoying themselves,'' said festival manager Charlotte O'Brien. ``I've visited other festivals, and at none of them do I see the kind of community that I see at this festival.'' Since the festival began in 1984, the nonprofit event has raised close to $2 million for various charities and nonprofit groups, organizers said. With the popularity of the festival's famous berry-made foods, the organizations staffing the booths are able to turn a profit, O'Brien said. Last fall, the nonprofit festival agency implemented an endowment at California State University, Channel Islands California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI) is a university located in Camarillo, California, in California's Ventura County. CSUCI opened in 2002 as the twenty-third campus in the California State University system, succeeding the Ventura County branch campus of , that will award $5,000 annual scholarships to students who have been strawberry workers or are the children of strawberry workers. ``It's always a fun time for the community,'' said Ron Kato, a festival board member and general manager of Nakamura Berry Farms. ``We see it as a great fund-raiser, and the growers like to participate because it showcases their crop.'' Kato was one of several local growers selling flats of picture-perfect berries to eager customers on the fairgrounds n. pl. 1. same as fairground. Saturday. He praised Oxnard's mild climate and ideal growing conditions for the beloved berry, which has vied over the past few years with lemons as the county's top crop. Festival fun showcasing the berries included a shortcake-eating contest, a strawberry tart toss and a shortcake-making relay race relay race Race between teams in which each team member successively covers a specified portion of the course. In track events, such as the 4 × 100-m and 4 × 400-m relays, the runner finishing one leg passes a baton to the next runner while both are running within . ``We finished fourth; he was great!'' said Paul Holcomb of West Hills, who competed in the relay race with his 6-year-old son, Daniel. Other kids flocked to the kids area, where there was a family tent showing clown acts, a train, petting zoo and ``berry-go-round.'' ``We love the kids area. The kids have a really nice time,'' said Shannon Montoya of Oxnard. The Dr. Kato Ampitheatre showcased the musical talents of Richard Street Richard Street (born Richard Dale Strick, October 5 1942 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American soul and R&B singer, most notable as a member of The Temptations from 1971 to 1993. of the Temptations, La Groove Mission, and Berlin with Terri Nunn Terri Nunn (born June 26, 1961 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.) is an American singer and actress. She appeared in numerous television shows of the 1970s and 1980s, including T.J. Hooker and Lou Grant. . Today, musicians will include Swing Shift, Colin Hay of Men at Work and five-time Grammy award winner Christopher Cross. On the smaller Festival Stage, an assortment of bands play a range of music, from `50s tunes to country to zydeco zydeco (zī`dĭkō'), American musical form originating among the African-American Creoles of Louisiana. Drawing on elements of traditional Cajun music as well as jazz, country and western, and blues, it is characterized by French lyrics, . Bales of hay served as makeshift seats as visitors enjoyed their treats and the show. Finishing off her shortcake, Christina Watson of Ventura joked, ``It's a great place to ruin a diet!'' CALIFORNIA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. today Strawberry Meadows at College Park 250 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard Cost: $9 adults, $5 for children (5-12), seniors and active military with ID. Children under 4 are free. Parking is free, shuttle buses available. For information, call (800) 288-9242 or visit www.strawberry-fest.org. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box, map Photo: (1 -- 2) Ian Haggard, 2, of Thousand Oaks, above, eyes the strawberries for sale at a stand Saturday at the California Strawberry Festival in Oxnard. At left, festival volunteer Lee Schroder claims to be wearing his ``berry best hat'' as he greets festival-goers at the north gate. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News Box: CALIFORNIA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL (see text) Map: California Strawberry Festival at College Park |
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