I hope you were able to make the Strawberry Festival part of your weekend. If not mark your calendars now for next April 2018 to check out http://www.castrawberryfestival.org to make sure you don’t miss next year! In addition, you can enjoy discounts when you buy your tickets a month early. It was a great festival.
I enjoyed the food and the arts & crafts booths. There were about 200 Arts & Crafts Booths with Artisans from all over the Nation. I know you’re thinking, “I don’t need another dust collector!” What I find is I might discover something that is perfect for that available spot in my home. I’m pretty picky. So, I have a number of walls that are covered only with paint. I don’t buy something just to fill up wall space. It has to call my name! If you get my meaning. What I enjoy most is that I’m often inspired by what I see. The first booth I stopped had succulents growing out of driftwood. I have a number of trees on my property that require trimming and sometimes removal. I benefit from firewood, chips for the garden and frequently large branches become landscape accents. Planting succulents in some of these branches will look great.
There were a number of metal artists. One had a wind decoration with a brontosaur in the center. Yes, I purchased it and there is a special place in the garden for it to be enjoyed. You can check out their site http://www.allinthewindart.com It’s just fun seeing so many creative ideas in one place. There were a number of artists, who’s photography was placed on wall size canvas. A number of my favorite pictures were stone pathways in European Villages. They gave the illusion you could step right in and walk up or down the stairs! A number of Vendors provided services I was interested requiring further investigation – Solar Energy for one.
You will find a number of rides and activities to keep the kids happy. But the food is best part! Many of the strawberry items are really dessert, so I had to eat lunch first. OK, I had a Strawberry Smoothie before lunch. Then after my BBQ Tri-tip sandwich and garlic fries, I had a Strawberry Chimichanga! OH MY! A Cinnamon & Sugar coated Flour Tortilla stuffed with Crème Cheese & Strawberries surrounded by Strawberry Puree’.
I had to try the deep-fried strawberries too. With a number on a stick you can easily share, if you are so inclined. First, they coat the strawberry in pancake batter deep-fry then roll in cinnamon & sugar. After that I didn’t have room for the “Build Your Own” Strawberry Shortcake. However, I was able to take a picture of one made by a man, who I’m sure was going to share it with his wife and child. Right!??? I’m sorry I didn’t take a picture of the Chimichanga, which was my favorite, it looked and tasted so good the camera was the last thing on my mind.
I couldn’t leave without purchasing a half flat of Strawberries – $15.00 certified organic $10.00 not.
It was a great time enjoyed by all. Even better if you parked in one of the free designated locations and enjoy the free shuttle to and from the Festival!
Wishing you a Tasty Week!
Paul & Prehistoric Pals
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