Cedarburg's Scrumptious Strawberry Festival

Craving a weekend of the most delicious summer fruit? Come celebrate Cedarburg’s 28th Annual Strawberry Festival, June 22 & 23, 2013. More than 100,000 people traveled to Cedarburg for this event last year, to pay homage to the bold and colorful strawberry and enjoy some of the most decadent homegrown strawberries in the area. This festival is a favorite of many for a delicious, free, and family-oriented weekend sure to entertain fest-goers of all ages. From food to love music to rubber duck races, Cedarburg's Strawberry Festival is sure to delight! For attendees with a taste for wine, Cedar Creek Winery’s Strawberry Blush Wine is a must – this and the winery’s other award-winning wines can be purchases by the glass throughout the festival or, for take home, by the bottle at Cedar Creek Winery. Wander down Washington Avenue and you’ll see why “Art is a Tradition” in Cedarburg. Fondly referred to as Arts on the Avenue, Strawberry Festival highlights more than 250 of the best local and Midwest artists who bring their combined perspectives, skills, and thousands of works of arts to the streets of Cedarburg, including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, fiber art, fine glass, woodwork, mixed media, and photography. One of the biggest highlights is the 13th Annual Plein Air Painting Competition, organized by the Cedarburg Artist Guild, which attracts hundreds of artists from the Midwest region with Adult & Youth Divisions. Saturday morning, registered artists participate in the two hour long Paint the Festival Competition in the Historic District. All paintings are judged and available for purchase during the festival. Cedar Creek Settlement events at the north end of town include live bands, food booths, and a merchant’s marketplace as well the Strawberry Shortcake Eating Contest and Strawberry Bubblegum Blowing Contest. The popular Sunday morning Strawberry Pancake Breakfast takes place from 8:00-11:00 am and is served by the Cedar Creek Settlement merchants. More than 1,000 customers get their fill of the mouthwatering strawberry pancakes while listening to live music outside along Cedar Creek. For our littlest strawberry-lovers, the Kids Korner at Cedar Creek Park offers pony rides, a petting zoo, inflatable bounce houses, food vendors, coloring tables and lots of other activities. One of the most popular events is the CedarQuacker 500, where hundreds of rubber ducks are launched into the creek in a race to the finish Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 3 pm. Want to see a little more of beautiful Historic Cedarburg? The Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Ozaukee County’s “Berry Big” 5K Run/Walk kicks off Saturday at 9:00 a.m. and circles through the neighborhoods that surround the downtown area. Or take a ride on the Tractor Hayride Shuttle that travels up and down the festival route. Off the festival footprint, the new Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts will feature the exhibit Quilt Day on the Farm. Strawberry Festival is open to the public from 10am-6pm on Saturday, June 22, and 10am-5pm on Sunday, June 23. About Festivals of Cedarburg Four well-attended annual festivals have enhanced the vitality and energy of Historic Cedarburg’s downtown shopping district. Begun in 1972, Winter Festival and Wine & Harvest Festival have been successful in bringing thousands of visitors and residents alike to celebrate the charm and beauty of our beautiful downtown, named to the National Historic District in 1986. In 1985, Strawberry Festival was added to the lineup, while in 2008 the first annual German Festival, now called Oktoberfest, joined the list. Community volunteers, Cedarburg’s retail merchants and non-profit groups have worked hard to create and sustain festivals. In 2001, festivals had grown so large that for charitable purposes, a 501(c)(3) organization was founded: Festivals of Cedarburg, Inc., with a board made up of nine volunteer members. The Executive Director manages the day-to-day operations and, along with two Festival Coordinators, organizes the festivals while the Festival board and community and retail members continue to volunteer in collaborative roles. Festival meetings are held monthly at Cedarburg City Hall and are open to everyone. The purpose of Festivals of Cedarburg, Inc. is to continue to work toward sustaining a vital and healthy business and retail community by showcasing the city’s attributes, encouraging tourism and fostering civic, cultural and educational interests. Non-profit groups in Cedarburg also benefit financially, enabling them to fund their own operations and charitable contributions through a partnership with Festivals. For more information visit: www.CedarburgFestivals.org or call 888-894-4001. Follow Festivals of Cedarburg on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter @cedarburgfest.