Kick off the summer season at the 40th annual California Strawberry Festival, taking place at the beachside Ventura County Fairgrounds on May 16th and 17th, 2026!
The quintessentially Californian festival has been a Ventura County tradition since 1984, growing from a small harbor celebration into a major nonprofit event that draws tens of thousands of visitors each year. It now spreads across the Ventura County Fairgrounds, spotlighting local growers, supporting community organizations, and celebrating the region’s farming heritage.
From the famous strawberry nachos to a build-your-own strawberry shortcake experience, here’s what we’re looking forward to.
All-strawberry-everything
The California Strawberry Festival is famous for its all-strawberry-everything focus across more than 40 food vendors. While you’ll find classic strawberry treats like strawberry shortcake and chocolate-dipped strawberries, keep your appetite up for all sorts of creative dishes, including strawberry chimichangas, strawberry nachos, strawberry beer, berry kabobs, and strawberry popcorn.
The rest of the Ventura County Fairgrounds’ 50 acres are filled with live entertainment stages, engaging activities, and 150 fantastic craft vendors selling a range of art pieces, accessories, jewelry, and more.
Look out for the popular $7 build-your-own strawberry shortcake experience, where you can pile your strawberries and whipped cream as high as you want, plus dozens of carnival rides and family activities.
Attending the California Strawberry Festival
You can reach the California Strawberry Festival from L.A. in about an hour and 15 minutes by car. You can also look into Metrolink and Amtrak routes to attend via public transport.
The fairgrounds are located right off the 101, next to the beach and downtown Ventura, opening up more great activities to make the most of your trip up the coast.
📍 Location: Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 E Harbor Blvd, Ventura, CA 93001
🗓️ Dates: 10 am to 6:30 pm, May 16-17, 2026
🎟️ Tickets: General admission for adults starts at $17.48
🌐 Website: CAStrawberryFestival.org
