California Strawberry Festival

The California Strawberry Festival is a large two-day celebration at the Ventura County Fairgrounds built around inventive strawberry cooking, with more than 40 food booths turning the berry into everything from strawberry nachos, pizza and funnel cake to chocolate-dipped and deep-fried strawberries, kabobs, tamales, beer and margaritas. A highlight is the build-your-own Strawberry Shortcake Experience, where guests pile on toppings to their own taste, and a covered Festival Dining Hall provides ample seating and restrooms. Beyond the food there are roughly 150 arts-and-crafts vendors, carnival rides, live music, a playful Strawberry Fashion on Parade, a Strawberry Fields photo setup and a Strawberryland area for kids. Admission is modestly priced with reduced rates for seniors, military and youth and free entry for children four and under, and the grounds are cashless.

Visitors love the sheer inventiveness of the strawberry food, singling out the build-your-own shortcake and novelties like deep-fried strawberries and strawberry tacos, which one reviewer scored a perfect ten. Many also enjoy browsing the local craft vendors for regional goods, though a few note the best bites can turn up all around the grounds.