“Strawberry Festival”

Ryan Webb is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. He grew up and spent eighteen years of his life in the small farming community of Somis, California. Somis is in geographic proximity to Oxnard, the city wherein the Strawberry Festival takes place.

Ryan’s grandmother first took him to the Strawberry Festival at the young age of seven. He says that his grandmother has been going to the Strawberry Festival in Oxnard County, California for years. He says the Strawberry Festival is an important part of the Oxnard resident’s life. He claims that agricultural production in areas such as strawberry harvesting is important to Oxnard, California and is still largely a part of the economic lives of the citizens though it used to be more attached with the social and career aspects of people’s lives. He says, “It is important to keep the tradition of the Strawberry festival going because it is a way of honoring the agricultural base of the city and showcasing the expertise of the locals in a fun environment that stimulates community collectivity and exchange.”

The Strawberry Festival occurs once every year in the town of Oxnard, California. It is usually celebrated in mid-May. According to Ryan it will be held this year on May 19^th, 2007. As one might suspect, the focus of this festival is honoring the strawberry harvesting that occurs in this town, therefore most of the activities participated in and food consumed at the festival is strawberry themed. For example, there are all sorts of strawberry delicatessens such as barbecued strawberries, strawberry cakes and strawberry flavored ice cream. In addition to fine strawberry cuisine, the festival also features a large variety of strawberry themed carnival rides. According to Ryan, every year the citizens of Oxnard push the limit and find new and innovative ways to celebrate the importance of the strawberry in Oxnard county citizen’s lives.