Strawberry Festival – Ponchatoula
There are strawberry festivals and then there is the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. If the sweet red fruit is your taste of choice, Ponchatoula is where you have to be in April.
Strawberry Festival – Ponchatoula
First put on in 1972, the Strawberry Festival in Ponchatoula, Louisiana is held for three days during the first week or so of April. The festival is a celebration of Ponchatoula’s self-proclaimed status of “Strawberry Capital of Louisiana” and a good way to raise some money through tourism and a lip smacking good time.
When it first began, the festival was tiny but went about its business like a large festival. Now, the festival is so popular that only Mardi Gras can claim to outdo it in Louisiana. Yes, it is that big.
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The festival is put on under the guidance of non-profit organizations. The administrative board is comprised of non-profits and only non-profit organizations are allowed to have booths at the ball. In light of the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, this is all the more reason to attend the festival and eat some strawberries.
As with Mardi Gras, the Strawberry Festival is about having a good time. There is a big parade, a ball and a king and queen are chosen each year. Located in Louisiana, it should go without saying that there is a lot of live entertainment each night.
Obviously, strawberries of every type and concoction are available at the festival. You can also throw down the suds and feast on crawfish, sausage and other Cajon delicacies.
Ponchatoula is located roughly an hour from New Orleans. Despite the mess caused by Hurricane Katrina, the strawberry festival is scheduled to go forward in 2006 on April 7th.