Vendors and ride operators are adding final preparations for the 35th annual Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival that begins this Friday.
“We really couldn’t do it without the vendors you see behind us,” said Caitlin Miller, Santa Maria Fairpark CEO. “They’re part of our team. The carnival that comes into town. Our sponsors. Our local sponsors that help both with monetary and trade to create this and our volunteers as well. It really is a community and family event. We all lean in to make it happen.”
Miller says the annual Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival is the second largest attended event in Santa Barbara County.
She says many people are heavily involved in setting up the festival from the ground up.
Some vendors KSBY spoke with say they set up their booth at least a week before opening day.
“We’re usually here about a week prior to start getting things going,” said Rebecca Rhodes, Cool Hand Luke’s general manager and event coordinator. “As each day gets closer, it’s more and more work each day.”
“Me and my team take about 5 to 6 hours setting up the booth making sure everything is clean and ready to go,” said German Arteaga, Funnel Cakes and Corn owner.
Casey Douglass, the Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival sponsorship coordinator, tells me fairgoers will get to see live entertainment and explore more than 100 vendor booths.
“You’ll find all of the good strawberry treats,” said Douglass. “You’ll have a great time on the rides. We also will have live entertainment.”
There is always something new for the community to enjoy, with the latest addition to the festival being the Plaza de Fresas.
“The Plaza De Fresas for us is… it’s a nod to that Hispanic community,” said Douglass. “We have a large Hispanic community here in Santa Maria and honestly they all work so hard. Everyone in this community — whether they’re working in the fields and picking those berries or if they’re working with the growers and the shippers putting them together.”
There will be no shortage of strawberries, either. Douglass says 25 food vendors are adding a special strawberry dessert to their menu this weekend.
“Every food vendor will have something different for strawberry,” said Douglass. “We have some strawberry churros coming in. I’ve got a strawberry dessert coming in. We have even a breakfast corndog that will be battered in pancake batter and served with strawberry jam."
Vendors tell KSBY they continue to come back to represent and show up for the Santa Maria community they love.
“We’ve been in business here in Santa Maria for 18 years,” said Rhodes. “I’d like to think of us as a real staple and we’re here for the community to do what we can for them.”
“We’re looking forward to everyone trying our strawberry funnel cake,” said Arteaga. “The batter will have strawberry mix in it and we just want to serve the community and have a great time”
The Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival gates will be open Friday through Sunday from noon to 10 p.m.
You can find more information on the festival's webpage.
