Strawberry festival grows on Grove City
GROVE CITY — Strawberry Days kicked off the summer this weekend with the funnel cakes, family fun and plenty of sunshine.
The three-day festival started Friday afternoon at Grove City Memorial Park with crowds of students as they celebrated their last day of school, said Mary Grossman, co-chair of the Strawberry Days Committee.
"The festival has just been getting bigger and better every year so it gets busier every year," Grossman said. "We blocked off the park from any cars and that has been working out really well."
Grove City High School is next to the park and donated its parking lot for the weekend's festivities. A multitude of vendors, crafters and musical entertainment was offered throughout the weekend.
Grossman said the increased traffic this year could be due to the new car show. Classic cars lined the park's entrance as visitors looked over the shiny vehicles.
"We try to improve it every year, and I think that's why it continues to grow," Grossman said.
Children gathered under the sand art tent Saturday to create multi-colored bottles filled with alternating kinds of sand. They topped off their creations with a tiny umbrella, frog or American flag.
Crafted earth stone jewelry at another stop offered colorful accessories for the summer.
Daphne Harvey of Grove City came to the festival with her daughters and said they loved the play put on by the Grove City Theater Arts Guild in the park.
"I brought my friends from Maryland and we were also thrilled to see a quilt being raffled off by Habitat for Humanity," Harvey said.
Harvey said it is her family's first time attending Strawberry Days, and now they look forward to the years to come.
"We had funnel cakes made by Grove City Christian Academy. This is the kind of thing that we love," Harvey said.
Elizabeth Messer of Grove City said her family comes to see the children's play every year.
"My little boy just got a snake painted on his arm and we cooled off with some snow cones," Messer said.
The heat was beating down on the festival Saturday, but Messer said she didn't mind at all.
"After the long winter, it's nice to get out and enjoy the sun," she said.
Jane Vasconi of Hermitage comes to the festival every year with her mother, Doris Snell.
"This is our mother-daughter thing," Vasconi said. "This is our day."
Vasconi said they both had enough shade to be comfortable and they immediately hit the food tent when they arrived.
"We love the crafts and the food, and since they moved Strawberry Days to the park, it's just been great," Vasconi said. "This is so family oriented and it's great. More things need to be this way."
