Follow the Sweet Scents to the Santa Maria Valley’s 30th Annual Strawberry Festival
July 9, 2019 By Chris B.
The 30th Annual Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival kicks of the valley’s strawberry season on August 23-25, 2019 at the Santa Maria Fairpark.
Photo by: congerdesign
The 30th Annual Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival kicks of the valley’s strawberry season on August 23-25, 2019 at the Santa Maria Fairpark. The festival supports local agriculture and encourages the healthy indulgence of strawberries, all in a fun-filled, three-day weekend community event.
The festival will showcase local talent, and offer a wide variety of activities. With paid admission, visitors will enjoy a multitude of free attractions ranging from cooking demonstrations to educational and wildlife exhibits to strawberry tasting and dessert eating contests.
The Strawberry Festival also features pony rides, a traditional carnival, including a kiddie area, commercial displays and a free petting zoo.
Be awed by local farmers and growers who will offer farm fresh, sweet and beautiful berries displayed for sale. Visitors will see some of the many variations of the strawberry, as well as other traditional fun carnival foods, all in a wholesome and entertaining venue.
There will be a Strawberry Art Contest open to children in grades 1 – 8 attending school in Northern Santa Barbara County All entries must be submitted to the Santa Maria Fairpark at 937 S. Thornburg St., Santa Maria, Calif., 93458 no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, August 15th. Entries will be judged on the following three criteria: Originality, artistic composition and relevant content.
Festival gates open at 11 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. The carnival may stay open until midnight. Tickets are $10 general admission, $7 for youth 6-11 years old, $7 for seniors 62 years old and above, and children under 5 years old are free. Carnival unlimited daily ride wristbands are $30 each.
The Santa Maria Valley enjoys a year-round berry growing season and a cool, coastal climate. The Santa Maria Valley happens to be home to some of the ripest, juiciest, largest strawberries in the country. Strawberry fields are replanted annually, producing higher quality fruit with larger yields year after delicious year.
With more than 10 strawberry varieties grown in the valley, Santa Maria Valley strawberries are distributed worldwide allowing taste buds from all over the globe a bite of homegrown goodness. For locals and visitors to the valley alike, the best places to find Santa Maria-grown strawberries are right here in the beautiful Valley, at roadside stops, at the Strawberry Festival or at weekly Farmers Markets.
The Santa Maria Valley is also an ideal homebase for Central California Coast visitors. Tour the welcoming vineyards and swirl your glass ‘til you spill. Indulge in the 150-year old Santa Maria-style barbecue tradition that is the area’s best hidden gem. Watch the sunset over the dunes, and let your hair fly around in the ocean breeze. The Travel Channel recently named the Santa Maria Valley The New Top 10 Cities for Wine Snobs.’
