KIDS KALEIDOSCOPE . . . 
39th Annual California Strawberry Festival—Strawberry Everything for a delicious Family Fun Filled Day by Bonnie Carroll 
The 39th Annual California Strawberry Festival on Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18, at the Ventura County Fairgrounds (10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura, CA 93001) was yet another amazing berry experience for 2025 attendees. Every year, strawberry lovers including this dessert lover look forward to the festival’s tasty strawberry-themed food and beverages while enjoying a fun, family-friendly atmosphere filled with live entertainment, carnival rides, arts and crafts and other activities each day. Over 50 food and beverage vendors were serving a variety of treats, including strawberry-themed nachos, chocolate-dipped strawberries, strawberry funnel cakes, strawberry kabobs, strawberry popcorn, and strawberry margaritas and beer. Festivalgoers love visiting the Strawberry Shortcake Experience where they can build their own berry dessert for $7. The Strawberry Shorcake booth is always my favorite. You can make it as small or large as you wish and the volunteers are always so much fun.
Two stages showcased bands performing reggae, Latin, rock, country and R&B music. Strawberryland for Kids included its own Family Fun Stage with music, magic and puppet shows, plus the Berry Best Baby Parade is always adorable and included children from infants to age 4 wearing strawberry-themed costumes. The area also offered carnival rides and interactive activities including Wild Science. Nearly 150 artisans from throughout California displayed original works including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, toys, accessories, clothing, photography, textiles, jewelry and specialty foods. Many items were strawberry themed. A new festival layout was introduced this year with a music stage moved near the main entrance and a single food court with added seating. An estimated 1.5 million strawberries were expected to be consumed over the two-day festival. Strawberries are the number one crop in Ventura County ($733 million in value in 2023) and those grown in Ventura and Oxnard are considered by many to be the best-tasting and juiciest in the world. Ventura County strawberry growers will be selling fresh-picked, vine-ripened strawberries at the festival in 3-packs, half trays and full trays so visitors can take home wonderful strawberries to enjoy later. The California Strawberry Festival is a nonprofit organization run by an all-volunteer board. Through the years, participating nonprofit organizations have raised over $4.5 million through the festival. General admission was $15, active military with ID and family and seniors 62 and over, $10, youth ages 5 to 12, $8, and children 4 and under were free. Tickets could be purchased in advance at www.CAStrawberryFestival.org or upon entry to the festival. There was a limited amount of parking available onsite for $30 per vehicle. Festival-goers used the free shuttles, which run every 15 minutes to the festival from nearby locations in Oxnard and Ventura. Metrolink and Amtrak’s Surfliner made regular stops throughout the festival weekend with discounted fares. The train station is located steps from the fairgrounds. For more about the festival visit www.CAStrawberryFestival.org or follow the festival on Facebook and Instagram. BACKGROUND: The festival pays tribute to California’s billion-dollar strawberry industry. Ventura County, with its unique coastal environment of ocean exposure and year-round moderate temperatures, is ideal for the luscious fruit. The festival premiered in 1984 at Channel Islands Harbor. After eight years, the increasingly popular event outgrew its original site, moving in 1992 to Strawberry Meadows at College Park. In 2023, the festival moved to the Ventura County Fairgrounds. ♦ ♦ ♦ ____________________________________________________ 🌟 Exciting News From GFF! | | Hello to all our wonderful, generous partners, supporters, and program attendees, I am thrilled to share two important announcements! First, the Grace Fisher Foundation is now an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization! This is a dream realized—a huge milestone that will help us grow and sustain inclusive arts programming in even more meaningful ways. Second, we’ve been offered a $50,000 matching grant from a generous local Santa Barbara family foundation to celebrate our new nonprofit status! This incredible challenge is only offered for a limited time until September 30. | | How the Matching Challenge Works: - New Donors: Every dollar you give will be matched, dollar for dollar.
- Returning Donors: The increased amount of your donation from last year will be matched! For instance, if you donated $500 last year and choose to give $1000 this year, the $500 increase will be matched!
- Goal: fully matched, this will raise $100,000 to support our free programs!
Should you feel moved to contribute, you can use our new mailing address: 120 S Hope Ave Ste# f118 Santa Barbara, CA 93105 or visit our online donation portal here: | | Looking Ahead to 2025 In 2025, we’re expanding our reach with 14 nonprofit partners and 3 school districts, serving individuals of all abilities—from preschoolers to seniors. One exciting highlight: the launch of Santa Barbara’s first and only Sensory Room for individuals with autism and sensory processing differences. | | From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of this incredible journey. Your support makes all of this possible. Much love, | Grace Founder & Creative Director The Grace Fisher Foundation | | 📬 120 S. Hope Ave Ste F118, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 🌐 Give online
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© 2008 Bonnie Carroll, All Rights Reserved |
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