Strawberries are widely adored and considered the most popular fruit among berries. They are loved globally, especially during the months of April to July. In addition to adding flavor to various dishes, strawberries offer a range of health benefits and an enjoyable taste. With more than 600 varieties available, strawberries come in diverse shapes, sizes, textures, flavors, and colors. These elegant fruits are commonly enjoyed by dipping them in chocolate, blending them into smoothies, making strawberry shortcakes, and much more.
The strawberry festival is a yearly gathering that takes place at the local fairgrounds in Troy, Ohio. It serves as a unifying event for people to come together and celebrate their affection for strawberries while also honoring the annual berry harvest. The festival highlights Fulton Farms, renowned for its extensive strawberry fields located in the eastern region of the United States. Each year, during the initial weekend of June, participants convene to partake in the festivities and savor the delightful taste of strawberries.
Inaugurated in 1977, the strawberry festival in Southern Ohio has continued to be a cherished event for both families and friends. Attendees can engage in an assortment of activities including perusing arts and crafts stalls, participating in sports competitions, relishing amusement park rides and games, exploring interactive displays, entering contests, and delighting in complimentary entertainment. Nevertheless, the ultimate highlight of this occasion resides within the mouthwatering selection of delicacies centered around strawberries that visitors can enjoy.
The strawberry festival in Troy brings together the local residents and attracts visitors from nearby cities. It is a chance for people to socialize, have fun, and discover the delicious flavors and significance of strawberries in various culinary dishes. Whether you live here or are visiting, everyone is welcome to join in this vibrant celebration. The festival offers a wide range of activities and opportunities that appeal to many individuals who want to enjoy the summer sunshine and make the most of what the festival has to offer.
The festival offers a chance for families and friends to unite and engage in different activities. Attendees can relish the delectable strawberry-flavored treats available at the event. Parents are delighted to observe their kids having a blast playing games and going on rides. Moreover, participants can join organized contests and also witness an animated parade that enhances the overall experience of other activities provided. People of all ages from diverse non-profit organizations collaborate to establish booths, serve customers, and reap the rewards of their efforts.
At the fairgrounds in Troy, Ohio, various vendors from different cities in Ohio have established their own businesses for people to enjoy. These vendors specialize in creating a variety of foods that highlight strawberries as the primary component. Among these delicacies, the strawberry doughnut stands out as a crowd favorite and can be found at multiple vendor booths, all of which consistently attract long queues. Nevertheless, despite the high demand for doughnuts, visitors still delight in sampling the diverse food options offered by other vendors.
Over 55 booths at this event offer a wide range of strawberry foods, such as strawberry pizza, strawberry salsa, and strawberry kabobs. Visitors can also enjoy unique treats like strawberry funnel cakes, strawberry BBQ sauce, and strawberry cotton candy. For those looking for something different, there are even strawberry burritos and strawberry sushi available. The vendors are passionate about highlighting the versatility of strawberries and offer a variety of beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, with a strawberry flavor. They pride themselves on creating delectable treats using strawberries in various forms: fried, baked, in shortcakes, ice blended, chocolate-dipped, sliced, or in funnel cakes.
Over 150,000 people come to enjoy these foods and they consume various strawberry treats such as 45,000 strawberry shortcakes, 165,000 strawberry doughnuts, and 8,000 chocolate covered strawberries. In addition, the festival serves approximately 3,500 chicken dinners. The festival also offers various athletic completion events for visitors to participate in during the weekend festivities. This includes a big wheel race and a bed race held on Friday. On Saturday morning, the festival hosts a softball tournament, volleyball and tennis shootout, pie eating contest, children’s treasure hunt, and strawberry kid’s crawl.
The Sunday of the Strawberry Festival is a busy day with multiple events. There is a 10k run, a shortcake run to troy high school, and another softball tournament. Additionally, there are fun activities like the diaper derby, Kid’Atholon, kiddie tractor pull, talent show, back seat driving contest, and duck race. As visitors explore the fairgrounds, they can also enjoy a variety of carnival rides including the merry go round, swings, and the strawberry patch ride, which is similar to the spider ride at Kings Island.
The strawberry fest was a big event with a popular ride that many children eagerly waited in line for. It was a main attraction because it perfectly matched the festival’s strawberry theme. In addition to the ride, the festival also offered swimming as another activity. For this, they collaborated with a nearby water park, which allowed them to use their facility to raise money. Besides swimming, the water park also organized canoe races and boat rides for people to enjoy.
The Strawberry Festival is renowned for its diverse range of arts and crafts catering to all individuals. More than 250 artisans exhibit and offer their meticulously crafted products. Within the event, various booths feature woodworking, metal crafts, jewelry, pottery, as well as children’s and pet items, glassware, and countless other handcrafted treasures. The festival attracts artists from 12 different states who participate in the annual Troy Strawberry Festival. Additionally, the festival arranges a Strawberry Queen Pageant that welcomes girls eager to take part.
The strawberry festival is not only a weekend of enjoying strawberry flavored foods and having fun, but it also plays a vital role as a fundraising event for numerous community and charitable groups in the area. The generated revenues are utilized for various purposes such as improving computers, purchasing new sports uniforms and band instruments, as well as providing buses for field trips and team competitions. Additionally, the funds contribute to supporting the Boy Scouts, Senior Citizens Center, Habitat for Humanity construction and repairs, after school music programs, and other initiatives aimed at giving back to the community. Over time, the festival has expanded while remaining dedicated to its mission of supporting the local community.
