SeeCalifornia.com

Of course you know that California is the nation’s leading producer of strawberries. Of any vegetable or fruit, strawberry takes the (short) cake when it comes to celebrating, too.  This month Santa Maria, the heart of strawberry country, is holding the annual Strawberry Festival April 24-26, 2015  at Fairpark. On Friday adults age 62 and older get in free. Others must pay $7 pre or $9 at the gate. Saturday is Kids Day with petting zoo, carnival rides and $1 admission for children. When May arrives we’ve counted 7 strawberry festivals ranging from single day events to three or four day weekend festivals around Memorial Day. Garden Grove is one of our favorite Memorial Weekend Festivals for 2 reasons — free admission and on Friday when the festival begins every single person gets a free serving of strawberry cake–we’re talking thousands of people! And better yet, Miss Garden Grove helps serve it with her award-winning smile.  So if you can make it to: Santa Maria in April; or Arroyo Grande, Galt, Garden Grove, Guerneville, Oxnard, Roseville and Vista in May, there are strawberry festivals to sweeten your day.  Watsonville holds their strawberry festival in August.