We try to go to this every year. For some, it’s a tradition.
The 55th Annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for the community. This annual event has brought in over $6 million for local charities since its inception in 1958. In 2012, thirteen non-profits received a combined total of over $122,581.00. This year’s theme is:
Celebrating 55 Years of Helping Local Kids.
The event will contribute funds to youth-oriented charities, and the festival board also permits many of them to sell food and hold games at the event where they raise thousands of dollars for their organizations. The board also awards scholarships to local school students and underwrites parade participation for high school bands. And annually, the festival treats over 2,000 special needs kids to a day of free rides and food.
| Garden Grove Strawberry Festival. Photo courtesy of Let’s Play OC! |
The four-day event, which is the second largest city festival in the Western United States. Last year’s attendance was more than 300,000.
Located at the Village Green
Sat & Sun (10am to 10pm)
Monday (10am to 9pm)
Free Admission!
Highlights:
- Friday evening official giant strawberry cake-cutting ceremony at 6:00 p.m. at the Showmobile (Acacia & Main streets) when free cake is served to over 2,000 people.
- Saturday morning, the VIP celebrity breakfast will take place at the Garden Grove Community Center, with proceeds going to We Give Thanks, followed by a
- Celebrity Parade which starts at 10 a.m. with floats, bands, equestrians and characters such as Knott’s Berry Farm’s Snoopy.
- Many film and TV celebrities will be honored in the parade.
All four festival days will include:
- 35 carnival rides,
- 5 contests,
- over 200 food and shopping booths,
- games,
- music and
- live entertainment in the amphitheater and Showmobile.
Contests (held in the festival’s 550-seat amphitheater) include:
- the Berry, Berry Beautiful Baby Contest;
- Redhead Roundup;
- Strawberry Idol Karaoke; and
- Tiny Tots King and Queen.
“The
GG Strawberry Festival is dedicated to raising funds for the community,
more than $5.5 mill for local charities since its start in 1958.”
# # #
Sponsorship support this year is from Garden Grove Tourism Promotion Corporation, Time Warner,
Clear Channel Outdoors, McDonalds, Care Ambulance Service, Jay’s Catering, OCTA, Sam’s Club, Crowne Plaza Resort Anaheim, Costco, Garden Grove Hospital, Brandywine Homes and Casa Garcia. Media sponsors include Parenting OC, Garden Grove Journal, OC News, Korea Times, El Panamericano, Farandula USA, Miniondas, Nguoi Viet Daily News, and radio stations KOST, KWVE, KEARTH, KSWB, KSSE, KLYY, Exitos 93.9, KDAY, KWIZ and JACKfm.
For additional information, call (714) 638-0981 or visit www.strawberryfestival.org.
Disclosure: Information provided from a press release. All opinions are my own.