This year (2015) marks the 106th Lebanon Strawberry Festival in Lebanon, Oregon, which was started in 1909 to celebrate the Mid-Willamette Valley strawberry. The festivities begin today, Thursday, June 4th and continue through the weekend, at Cheadle Lake Regional Park.
One of the claims to fame for this festival is the annual construction of the world’s largest strawberry shortcake. How large a cake is it? Well, it will feed 15,000 people. It weighs almost three tons. The recipe calls for 18 cups of vanilla. That’s right, cups! The organizers thoughtfully set aside about a thousand pieces of shortcake to be delivered to folks unable to make it to the festival: hospital patients, senior home residents, and on-duty police and fire personnel.
The Grand Parade will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. There will also be a Junior Parade at 2:30 p.m. Friday. Also planned: a flower and quilt show, the Queen’s Coronation, and a pancake breakfast. There will be an Open Air Country Fair with vendors, crafts, and food, and plenty of live musical performances. Fireworks take place Saturday night. Karaoke finals will be held at the fair on Sunday. Davis Amusements will put on the midway entertainment. And there’s a one mile fitness walk/run and a 5K race on Saturday. For all the details, see the festival website.
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