GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—Hundreds of thousands of people had a packed Memorial Day weekend of carnival activities with the return of Garden Grove’s 62-year-old annual tradition, the Strawberry Festival—after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19.
“I have watched the parade as a child and throughout my career, which makes it so special,” the city’s Police Chief Tom DaRé said in a statement.
As it has always been since 1958, the four-day event kicked off with a cake-cutting ceremony, where a 70-foot-long giant Strawberry Shortcake created by French’s Pastry Bakery in Costa Mesa was cut and distributed to the crowd.
Among the carnival rides were rows of local and regional vendors offering food, games, local products, and most importantly—strawberries.
Lincoln Spring Farms was selling strawberries by the basketful at the event. Irma, a representative for the farm, said the festival brought the community closer, with a lot of familiar faces showing up.
A parade was held Saturday morning with Chief DaRé and Parade Celebrity Grand Marshall Kathy Garver from the TV series “Family Affair.” Attendees had the opportunity to dance alongside live bands on a showmobile.
Patrick Catlin, President of the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival Foundation, told The Epoch Times there has been a lot more police participation at the event this year, which has been “really positive” in building bonds between police and residents.
“I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from community members, they’re out here taking pictures with our Police Department,” he said.
The foundation has also been supporting local charities, scholarships, and nonprofits.
It donates around $100,000 each year to the local community, which has totaled over $7 billion in its 62 years of running the festival, according to Catlin.
In addition, eight students from the Garden Grove Unified School District also receive $1,000 scholarships from them each year, Catlin said.
The Strawberry Festival was actually launched—as a one-time event—in 1958 by the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce to feature local farm fresh strawberries and bring the east and west sides of the city together, according to the event’s official website.
However, the first festival was so popular that a group of residents founded a nonprofit—the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival Foundation—the following year to make it an annual tradition to create fun and tasty memories while giving back to the community.
