If you want to brag about something interesting that you did over Memorial Day weekend, then check out the 49th Annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival. Every year since 1958, the festival—the brainchild of Tom Hoxie and Pinky Sales—has been the breeding ground for local charities to help reach their fund-raising goals. To date, the nonprofit Garden Grove Strawberry Festival Association has raised a whopping $4.5 million to benefit local charities.
If helping out charities isn't a good enough reason to go, then go for the darn good time! At the festival, enjoy the arts and crafts, food, and game booths; live entertainment; and carnival rides. And what festival would be complete without a few contests, including lots of beauty pageants and a karaoke competition—all with names somehow related to the strawberry? Festivities kick off on Friday evening with the devouring of the largest strawberry cake in the world—which is free, by the way. On Saturday, you can enjoy the annual parade, grand marshaled by Jan and Mickey Rooney. So, come on out. You're sure to have a “berry” good time! Sorry, after two whole paragraphs without a pun, I just couldn't help myself.
The 49th Annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival at Village Green, between Main Street and Euclid Avenue, Garden Grove, (714) 638-0981; www.strawberryfestival.org. Fri.-Mon. Call for hours. Free.
