An estimated 1.5 million strawberries will be consumed over the weekend. With 50 food booths where berries abound, the fruit that wears its seeds on the outside is served in a bevy of berry delicious forms. If you haven’t had strawberry pizza alongside a strawberry beer, you haven’t been to the Festival. Or perhaps the strawberry nachos are more you style. Oh, did we mention strawberry funnel cake, strawberry crepes, chocolate dipped strawberries, fried strawberries, the “build your own” strawberry shortcake tent, or even strawberry popcorn?
Indulge guilt free, because with each bite the non-profit food booths reap 100% of sales for their causes. The formula has proven to be a fruitful enterprise. Over the past three decades more than $4 million dollars has benefitted more than 40 southland charities. Serving up wholesome family fun, where else can you throw berries at your best friend in the Tart Toss Contest, or eat a strawberry pie by literally putting your face in it at the Pie Eating Contest, or pile on the fixings in the Strawberry Shortcake Build-Off Contest?
General admission is $12, seniors 62+ are $8 and children ages 5-12 are $5. Kids 4 and under are free. Active military and dependents with ID are $8. Hours are 10:00a.m. to 6:30p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.strawberry-fest.org. The California Strawberry Festival information line is 1 888 288-9242.
The U.S. Census reports that nearly four million babies will be born this year. By eating strawberries, expectant mothers consume folic acid, an important B vitamin that helps prevent neutral tube birth defects such as spina bifida. Eight strawberries have more vitamin C than a cup of orange juice.
WWW.STRAWBERRY-FEST.ORG
EXECUTIVE CHEF CHANG SIVILAY FROM THE STANDARD HOTEL – CALIFORNIA WINEMASTERS MAY 17
Has served as the executive chef at the Mondrian Hotel, Pelican Grille, the Ritz-Carlton ETC…
THE CALIFORNIA WINEMASTERS is a perennial Wine Spectator Top 10 Charity Wine Auction set for May 17, 2014 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. This extraordinary event showcases 50 international chefs and 75 of California’s Finest Wineries. “Winemasters” has raised almost $26 million in support of the mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
The CF Foundation is a nonprofit donor-supported organization dedicated to attacking cystic fibrosis from every angle. It’s focus is to support the development of new drugs to fight the disease, improve the quality of life for those with CF and ultimately, to find a cure.
The Foundation’s drug development success has been recognized by Harvard Business School and by publications such as Forbes, Discover Magazine and The Wall Street Journal.
CALIFORNIAWINEMASTERS.ORG
STANDARDHOTELS.COM