THE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL is at the Village Green at Main and Euclid streets in Garden Grove.

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

The annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival is now old enough for Medicare and like a lot of “mature” people today, is showing no signs of slowing down.

In its 64th version, the festival will once again cover the Memorial Day weekend – Friday though Monday – and this year will carry a theme of  “Celebrating Our Hometown.”

MARK MAHONEY, president of the Strawberry Festival Association (OC Tribune photo).

For the second time, Mark Mahoney is the president of the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival Association, an all-volunteer organization which stages one of the largest community events in the western United States.

“For the 64th time now, the festival is such a huge part of the Garden Grove community,” said Mahoney. “It’s a place you can come on Memorial Day weekend and enjoy the rides, the booths, the  parade, the music, the cake-cutting on Friday. Free strawberry shortcake!”

Highlights of the weekend are a special day on Thursday just for “special needs” children who will get free food and rides. Highlights of the festival include the opening ceremony and distribution of the strawberry shortcake at 6 p.m. on Friday at the Showmobile on Main Street at Acacia Parkway.

The parade will step off on Saturday at 10 a.m. The route begins at 9th Street, heads west along Chapman Avenue and then turns south on Euclid Street all the way to the site of the festival at the Village Green Park at Main and Euclid streets.

Celebrity Grand Marshals are Ming Lee, Wing Lam and Ed Lee of Wahoo’s Fish Taco. The Theme Grande Marshal will be Scott Klopfenstein of the Reel Big Fish band, stepping in for Ed Arnold.

For more details, go to https://strawberryfestival.org/ .