This year’s Vista Strawberry Festival on Sunday is expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors to downtown Vista. The strawberry-themed street fair will feature live music and entertainment on four stages, contests, a beer garden, and a children’s play zone along with more than 450 vendors, hosted by the Vista Chamber of Commerce. Local nonprofits will serve strawberry treats as fundraisers and talk about their missions in what has become known as “Strawberry Alley” at the corner of South Santa Fe and Main Street.
The annual Vista Strawberry Festival hearkens back to Vista’s claim to fame as the “Unofficial Strawberry Capital of the World” during the 1960s and 1970s, when strawberries were shipped daily during peak season from Vista across the country and around the world.
New this year is a strawberry ice cream eating contest sponsored by Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream slated for 1:30 p.m., and San Diego’s major league soccer team, San Diego FC, will be at the Contest Stage offering soccer activities, contests, and merchandise.
Competitions range from a strawberry costume contest to pie eating and beer stein-holding. There will also be a Strawberry Film Festival with showings at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.
The festival runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the entertainment lineup includes:
Strawberry Run 5K: Takes off at 7:30 a.m. from the Vista Magnet Middle School track, 110 S. Citrus Ave., the quarter-mile Kids Run is at 8:45 a.m. and 1-mile Kids Run is at 8:55 a.m. The Runners Costume Contest is at 9:30 a.m. at Tri-City Medical Center Main Stage.
Vista Strawberry Costume Contest: Participants show up at 3 p.m. at the Contest Stage. Three age groups will compete: age 2 and under; 3-5 years old and over 6 years old. Winners get prize-filled baskets. Free entry.
Strawberry Pie Eating Contest: The competition starts at noon at the Contest Stage and is divided into age groups, and the object is to eat one slice as fast as possible. Free entry; sponsored by Cosmic Solar. No pre-registration required, sign up on-site. At 3:30 p.m. there will be the annual Whole Pie Eating Contest. Free. Contestants’ names will be picked from a drawing for the contest.
Beer Stein-Holding Contest: Ten contestants compete to hold a 32-once mug with a straight arm as long as they can. Winners get souvenir pilsners. No cost to enter. Contests are at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Frozen T-Shirt Contest: Competitors try to unravel a wadded up frozen T-shirt. The first person to put on the shirt wins. All participants get to keep their (previously) frozen shirt. Winner gets an “I Strawberry Vista” T-shirt. The competition is at 11:30 a.m. at the Beer Garden Stage. No preregistration required; just show up and sign up.
Little Miss Shortcake Contest: The contest has three age categories — 0 to 2-year-old girls; 3- to 5-year-old girls and 6- to 10-year-old girls — and is at 10:30 a.m. at the SDFC Contest Stage. Cost to participate is $10. Register on-site. There are prizes for all participants and prize baskets for the top three winners.
Admission to the festival is free. Free shuttle service starts at 6:30 a.m. and runs every 15 minutes until 7 p.m. at the Vista Courthouse, 325 S. Melrose Drive. Return shuttles will pick up from in front of Starbucks, 30 Main St., in Vista Village. Free shuttles also from Vista High School from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; return shuttles will pick up from the corner of Citrus and Eucalyptus avenues near the Vista Magnet Middle School field. Shuttles are sponsored by J&R Auto Body and Paint. Also, there is free parking at the Vista Civic Center, Vista Library and Vista Transit Center.
The chamber hosts a food drive at the festival with the North County Food Bank. Attendees are encouraged to donate nonperishable items and drop them off at the North County Food Bank Community Stage or at the shuttle pick-up locations.
For the latest schedule, visit www.vistastrawberryfest.com.
