California Strawberry Festival
- Dates
- May 15 to 16, 2027
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- Ventura County Fairgrounds
- Price
- Not announced
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Oct 15, 2026
California Strawberry Festival returns to Ventura, CA, May 15 to 16, 2027. Froligo tracks ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
What to eat & drink
The official programme highlights build-your-own shortcake, chocolate-covered strawberries and strawberry beer among dozens of booths.
You must try…
- Build-your-own strawberry shortcake
- Chocolate-covered strawberries
- Strawberry beer
Festival weekend in pictures
The people, producers and atmosphere around the festival.
Watch before you taste
Food tours, crowd favourites and festival highlights.
The experience
What's special
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
What people love
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
Music & entertainment
Lineup not yet announced. Email me the day it lands.
Getting there
How do I get to California Strawberry Festival?
By car
Most people drive to California Strawberry Festival. Check current road and traffic conditions before you set off, and see parking below.
By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
By bus & public transit
No scheduled intercity bus or public transit route to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
Taxi & rideshare
Taxis and rideshare such as Uber and Lyft can be limited near the venue, especially late at night or in rural areas. Agree a pickup point and time in advance and keep a backup plan.
🅿 Parking
Cost On-site venue parking $30 (limited); Strawberry Express shuttle is free (one park-'n-ride lot, San Buenaventura State Beach, charges $10 for its own beach parking, the others are free). Prepay via The festival sells advance Priority Parking for guaranteed close-in on-site spaces via its own site (castrawberryfestival.org/priority-parking/); the Strawberry Express shuttle itself is free and needs no booking. Free Strawberry Express park-'n-ride shuttles run to the fairgrounds every ~15-20 min from 9:00am, operating until 7:30pm Sat and Sun, from: San Buenaventura State Beach ($10 parking), Ventura County Government Center (free), Pacific View Mall (free), Oxnard High School (free), De Anza DATA Middle School (free), and Seaward & Harbor (free). Handicapped-accessible shuttles are available. Given very limited on-site parking, the shuttle or the Amtrak/Metrolink stop across the street is the recommended arrival
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire
Car hire is a reasonable option for fly-in attendees since the practical airports (SBA/BUR/LAX) are 35-65 miles from Ventura, though the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner stopping across from the fairgrounds and the free Strawberry Express shuttle mean a car is not required for the festival itself. A rental suits attendees combining the festival with wider Central Coast / Los Angeles travel
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
The venue has its own page with capacity, accessibility and parking.
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near California Strawberry Festival?
Budget stays 1
Budget hotel at 350 E Thompson Blvd, about 0.3 miles from the Ventura County Fairgrounds, roughly a 5-10 minute walk. The cheapest close-in option
≈ $90-150 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Check rates →Mid-range hotels 2
181 E Santa Clara St, Ventura, CA 93001
≈ $150-240 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Check rates →708 E Thompson Blvd, Ventura, CA 93001
≈ $160-260 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Check rates →Luxe hotels 1
450 E Harbor Blvd, Ventura, CA 93001
≈ $260-400 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Check rates →Airbnb & private camping
Ventura and the surrounding coast (Ventura Harbor, Pierpont, Oxnard) have a solid short-term-rental supply of beach houses, condos and bungalows, many walkable or a short drive from the fairgrounds. Expect coastal California weekend rates with meaningful uplift over the mid-May festival weekend (a popular beach-town time)
Search Airbnb →Ventura County and the nearby Los Padres National Forest / Ojai backcountry have a good spread of Hipcamp farm, ranch and coastal-adjacent listings within roughly a 20-60 minute drive, a genuine alternative for attendees who would rather camp than take a beach-town hotel, though not walkable to the fairgrounds
Search Hipcamp →Pricing
Watch
40th Annual California Strawberry Festival returns to Ventura County, CBS LA on YouTube
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