2014 Garden Grove Strawberry Festival set for May 23-26

CONTACT: Judy Cooper, JCPR, 949/640-8828; 949/280-6545

THE 56th ANNUAL GARDEN GROVE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL TO RAISE FUNDS FOR LOCAL CHARITIES
Festival to Honor Exceptional Educators

GARDEN GROVE, CA (February 12, 2014) — The 56th Annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for the community. This annual event has brought
in over $6 million for local charities since its inception in 1958. In 2013 twelve non-profits received a combined total of over $119,000.00. The Festival also annually benefits many non-profit groups who set up festival food booths and collectively raise over $100,000 more for their charities. The board also awards scholarships to local school students and underwrites parade participation for school bands. And annually, the festival treats over 2,000 special needs kids to a day of free rides and food.

This year’s theme is Honoring Our Exceptional Educators, and many outstanding teachers will be
celebrated in the Saturday parade.

The festival will be held Memorial Day Weekend Friday, May 22rd through Monday, May 26th, 2014.
Friday hours are 1:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Monday
from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free. Special one-price ride-all-day wristbands will be offered for all festival days at $25 per wristband on Friday and $30 each on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Tickets for individual rides can also be purchased separately at $1 per ticket.

The four-day event, which is the second largest city festival in the Western United States, will be held at the Village Green between Main Street and Euclid Avenue in downtown Garden Grove. Last year’s attendance was over 300,000.

Highlights include the Friday evening official giant strawberry cake cutting ceremony at 6:00 p.m. at the Showmobile (Acacia & Main streets) when free cake is served to over 2,000 people. Saturday
morning begins with the festival’s first ever 5K Run followed by an 8:30 a.m. VIP celebrity breakfast at the Garden Grove Community Center, with proceeds going to We Give Thanks. Next is a parade at 10 a.m. with floats, bands, equestrians and characters such as Knott’s Berry Farm’s Snoopy. Many film and TV celebrities will be honored in the parade.

All four festival days will include 35 carnival rides, 5 contests, over 200 food and sales booths,
games, music and live entertainment in the amphitheater and Showmobile. Contests, held in the
festival’s 550-seat amphitheater, include the Berry, Berry Beautiful Baby Contest, Redhead
Roundup, Strawberry Idol Karaoke, and Tiny Tots King and Queen.

Last year’s sponsorship support came from the Garden Grove Tourism Promotion Corporation, Time
Warner, Clear Channel Outdoors, McDonalds, Care Ambulance Service, Jay’s Catering, OCTA,
Sam’s Club, Crowne Plaza Resort Anaheim, Costco, Garden Grove Hospital, Brandywine Homes and
Casa Garcia. Media sponsors included Parenting OC, Garden Grove Journal, OC News, Korea
Times, El Panamericano, Farandula USA, Miniondas, Nguoi Viet Daily News, and radio stations
KOST, KWVE, KEARTH, KSWB, KSSE, KLYY, Exitos 93.9, KDAY, KWIZ and JACK FM.

For additional information, call (714) 638-0981 or visit www.strawberryfestival.org.

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EVENT DATES: MAY 23-26, 2014
Hours: Friday (1:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.)
Saturday and Sunday (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
Monday (10 a.m. to 9 p.m.)