THIS FESTIVAL IS THE BERRIES 70,000 PEOPLE LIKELY TO ATTEND TWO-DAY EVENT.Byline: Angie Valencia-Martinez Staff Writer OXNARD - Jose Gutierrez spent Saturday feeding his pregnant wife chocolate-dipped strawberries. But the cravings didn't stop there. Strawberry nachos. Strawberry pizza. Strawberry cotton candy. Everything strawberry. ``Lately, it seems all I ever want to eat are strawberries,'' Jessica Gutierrez said as she cooled off with a strawberry smoothie smooth·ie also smooth·y n. pl. smooth·ies Slang 1. A person regarded as being assured and artfully ingratiating in manner. 2. A smooth-tongued person. . ``I can't help myself.'' The pair were among thousands who flocked to the first day of the 22nd annual 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 , offering live entertainment, free rides and attractions, more than 40 food vendors and hundreds of 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. booths. The two-day festival - which continues today from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Strawberry Meadows in College Park in Oxnard - is expected to draw 70,000 people from throughout the state. The event, which started in 1984, pays tribute to Ventura County's top crop - a $230 million-a-year industry. ``It's a salute to growers,'' said Charlotte O'Brien, festival manager. ``We're celebrating strawberries and they are here in abundance. ``People come back to the Strawberry Festival because it's familiar to them. It's old-fashioned fun.'' The festival, which serves as a fundraiser for several nonprofit organizations, draws so many people that it runs 39 shuttle buses from roadside parking locations in Camarillo and Oxnard. The festival also features strawberry beer, 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. , and other nonstrawberry treats such as Salvadoran pupusas and roasted corn on the cob. For families, the festival offers a Strawberryland For Kids fun zone, pie-eating contests and other gooey See GUI. features. Alex Wells, 4, could hardly contain himself when a clown lifted him into the air - and Wesley Wells quickly snapped a shot of the happy duo. Wells said he drove from Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. to attend the festival with Alex and Laura Wilburn, 23. ``Mom and I came last year,'' said Wilburn. ``We loved the 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. . We haven't found it anywhere more delicious.'' Angie Valencia-Martinez, (805) 583-7604 angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos, map Photo: (1 -- 2) Saray Zuniga, left, and Candy Valencia enjoy chocolate-dipped strawberries at the Strawberry Festival on Saturday, above. Below, Hope Lee, 2, contemplates taking a bite of corn dog corn dog n. A frankfurter that is encased in corn bread batter before being baked or fried, usually served on a stick. next to the Berry-Go-Round ride at the festival, which continues today. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News Map: California Strawberry Festival at College Park |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion