Ventura County Strawberry Festival proves to be berry successful
Music, lively chatter and the sweet smell of strawberries wafted through the air at the Ventura County Fairgrounds on May 17 and 18, as organizers, entertainers, vendors and community members gathered for the thirty-ninth annual California Strawberry Festival. Over 40 vendors and 24 live music acts were featured at the event, which is run by a volunteer board. The festival is also a non profit organization which has raised over 4,900,000 dollars for local charities such as Pacific Camps, Oxnard Police Department Explorers and Tri-County GLAD.
A large attraction of the Strawberry Festival is the entertainment opportunities it provides for locals. From rides to magic shows, the festival has it all. Greg Berini, vice chair of the Strawberry Festival board and entertainment organizer, finds that the festival brings the community together to support local business. “It is a chance to come out and listen to great music and be outside… All of our strawberries are fresh off the vine from Oxnard, so all locally, grown and locally brought here. The joy of the festival is seeing the community support local communities and local businesses because that’s how we build Ventura County, by supporting each other,” Berini said.
One of the first vendors spotted when entering the festival was Faria Farms, selling ripe strawberries to customers entering and leaving the grounds. Glen Hasegawa, owner of Faria Farms, has been involved with the festival for 25 years, after first being invited to participate as a vendor. As a farmer, Hasegawa appreciates being able to see and interact with customers face-to-face. “We just sell over the phone most of the time and in huge quantities. So, it’s kind of nice to go up here to the festival and talk to people,” Hasegawa said.
Sporting a festive hat and dancing along to one of the many bands was Eleni Borjon, attending her second year at the festival. Having grown up in Oxnard, Borjon appreciates the local aspect of the event, and enjoys being a part of community happenings in Ventura County. “Having the strawberries locally grown here in Oxnard, I’m very proud as an Oxnard native,” Borjon said.
Borjon believes that between the vendors, music, arts and crafts, food and games, the festival brings something different for every person in the community. “It’s just such a lively, great crowd. Good people, good food, good drinks. It’s for everybody,” Borjon said. Borjon is already looking forward to coming back next year, and believes there is little the festival could do to top her experience. “I don’t think they can do any better than this but I just say hit the socials, hit the younger generation,” Borjon said.
The festival is composed of family and friends in the Ventura County community, which Berini highlights as a unique and special aspect of the event, as a volunteer of 39 years. “My favorite part is, it’s one of the few places you can go where you see three generations of families. Kids, parents and grandparents,” Berini said. “If you walk through you just see people smiling and it’s funny how a strawberry can do that, but that’s my favorite part. That’s what makes it worth it.”
Berry fun!- When planning the festival, Berini makes sure to get input from festival go-ers to improve the event for next year. “The real goal is to make sure that people that do come get the best experience possible. We love getting feedback from our friends and our family,” Berini said.
