Fare Weather for 27,000 Feasting Fans of the Berry

OXNARD — Undeterred by gusty winds, early-morning drizzle and tropical humidity, hordes of strawberry fans descended on the 19th annual California Strawberry Festival on Saturday.

Although organizers speculated that morning sprinkles, which stirred up dust but dropped only a trace of precipitation, might have scared away some visitors, by the day’s end 27,000 people had visited the fairgrounds at College Park.

Festival organizers expected a similar number of visitors today. “If we hold true to past trends, there is usually higher attendance Sunday, because more families stop by,” said publicist Lisa Carey.

Today’s forecast calls for similar weather, with high humidity, mild temperatures and a 30% chance of afternoon rain, according to the U.S. Weather Service.

On Saturday, the crowds grew hour by hour, with visitors browsing through arts and crafts exhibits, listening to an eclectic blend of music and gorging on the dozens of strawberry-laced culinary treats.

There were, of course, the traditional tarts, shortcakes and shakes.

But for the more adventurous palates, there were plenty of innovative strawberry creations to sniff out.

Festival organizers have always made the food items the prime focus of the weekend. Each year they lease up to 24 booths to nonprofit organizations, including churches and schools.

And as the festival grew, professional caterers and restaurants were brought into the mix to increase the food variety, said Don DeArmond, chairman of the Strawberry Festival Committee.

But whether it’s used as a garnish or as part of the recipe, the golden rule is to include a strawberry in each offering, DeArmond said.

“We want everything to have strawberries,” he said.

That includes John McGill’s strawberry barbecue sauce for his hot dogs. His booth raised about $2,900 for Santa Clara High School last year, McGill said.

Before he set up shop some eight festivals ago, McGill had to find a recipe that included strawberries.

He sampled dozens of bottled sauces, mixing each with his berries and other ingredients. Finally, after many hours and a fine mess in his kitchen, he came up with the proper balance.

Not too sweet, not too spicy.

He is coy about the final recipe, saying it’s a secret he will take to the grave.

But mixing strawberries and unlikely ingredients is old hat for some British blokes.

Melbourne Bros. has been brewing strawberry beer since 1825 in Great Britain. On Saturday, the light pink beer struck gold with a host of thirsty festival-goers.

As Sean Antoine of Southern Wine and Spirits, the beer’s distributor, explained, the brew is not too sweet but a little tangy. American brewers haven’t come up with the right balance, he said.

For Karen Ornstein of Thousand Oaks a cold Melbourn Bros. beer hit the spot on a hot, muggy day.

“It’s a little sweet, not bitter,” Ornstein said.

The strawberry blends surprised a visiting delegation from Japan, who sampled everything from chocolate-dipped berries to spinach and strawberry salad to strawberry daiquiris.

Setsuo Hongyo, mayor of the city of Soja, Japan, said he was impressed with the dozens of recipes and enjoyed the daiquiris.

But ironically, at the most popular food booth at the festival there was nary a strawberry in sight.

Stone’s Jamaican Cuisine, which offered chicken-vegetable shish kebabs in a spicy red sauce, drew scores of customers in lines that never seemed to dwindle.

Kevin Brown of San Diego said strawberries would come later, after the shish kebab.

“Jump in line,” he said to a passerby. “This is the best food and it’s worth the wait.”

New Orleans residents Arleen and Hank Killingsworth, waiting in line at another booth, found just about all the festival food to their liking.

“We like to eat a lot,” said Arleen, who visits jazz and food festivals nationwide with her husband. “So many food booths. I think it’s quite a variety and it’s really neat.”

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Strawberry Festival Events

The California Strawberry Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. today at College Park, 3250 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard. Admission is $7 for adults and $4 for children. Parking is available next to College Park.

TODAY

DR. KATO STAGE

10-11:30 a.m.: Crosscut, rock and blues

Noon-1 p.m.: Stevie Davis & The Stealers, blues

1:30-2:30 p.m.: Papa Nata, reggae, pop and R&B;

3:30-6 p.m.: War, R&B;, rock

FESTIVAL STAGE

10-Noon: Southern Cross, alternative rock

Noon-1 p.m.: The Pontiax, blues

1-4 p.m.: King Cotton, New Orleans R&B;

4-5 p.m.: Acadiana, Cajun

PARK STAGE

10-1 p.m.: Buzzwold, Celtic

2-5 p.m.: Domino Effect, pop, hip-hop and R&B;