Coming soon to Cottage Grove Thursday June 20 through Sunday June 23 with a Monday coronation at Park High School, the 40th annual Strawberry Fest is set to be a blast. With this year’s theme entitled “celebrating 40 years of fun before your berry eyes” and eight contestants competing in the Ambassador contest (each with a sponsor, as other events), the annual get together will have an ongoing medallion hunt (already underway), while the fun at Kingston Park starts Thursday, June 20 at 4:00 p.m.
Presale carnival tickets can be purchased online at www.cottagegrovestrawberryfest.com
Starting out with the Thursday night lineup for Kingston, event goers can expect carnival rides, food vendors, kids workshop crafts, balloon artistry by Mandana on the north soccer field, and the Lions Den and Bar.
Among the family night attractions Thursday are a drone demonstration, Festival Hair, the Science Guy, face painting, an interactive demonstration by the Cottage Grove Youth Sports, caricature artist, henna designs, demonstration by the high school robotics team, and Cottage Grove United Soccer. Also on Thursday are a kids power pedal tractor pull, Story Walk with the Park Grove Library, band named “Clover Club Jazz,” and kids dance party with DJ. With fun long into the night Thursday, Friday promises to offer even more.
Continuing Friday with the carnival, food vendors, and story walk, the 2024 Cottage Grove Strawberry Fest will also have a top chef contest, Strawberry Fields Marketplace, and beer gardens, along with two bands, one named “Distilled” that plays 5:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m., and another named the “Tim Sigler Band,” playing from 8:00 p.m. to midnight.
Coming Saturday morning, a 5k race and walk will be held, registration beginning at 7:15 p.m with the race at 8:00 a.m.
Also planned for Saturday are a mens softball tournament that kicks off at 8:00 a.m. and kids 1k for ages 10 and under, with runner registration at 9:15 a.m. Come 10 a.m. it’s time for the Grande Day Parade, starting at the corner of 80th Street and Jamaica before proceeding to Cottage Grove Middle School. A Strawberry Fest Ambassador Welcome and Parade Award gathering will take place on the main stage at 11:45 a.m., while a megajump motivational experience will take place from Noon to 3:00 p.m. Additionally on Saturday, CPR demonstrations with instructions will be provided by Cottage Grove Public Safety near the information booth from Noon until 4:00 p.m., while a pie eating contest will take place near the information booth beginning at 12:15 a.m.
Rolling into the afternoon, a bean bag tournament is scheduled to stat at 1:00 p.m. at the tennis courts next to the pavilion, while a car show will take place in the Grey Cloud Elementary parking lot at 1:00 p.m., a pet show taking place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., with registration at 1:00 p.m.
Also on Saturday afternoon will be a K9 and Swat Team demonstration, along with a doggie dash at 3:30 p.m. and two more bands on the main stage—“Stone Daisy” from 4:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m. and “Them Pesky Kids” from 8:00 p.m. to midnight.
Closing things out Saturday will be fireworks at 10:30 p.m.
Winding down as a new week starts, the carnival continues Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., while Monday will see the Cottage Grove Strawberry Fest Ambassador Coronation at Park High, the gathering to start at 6:30 p.m. A reception will follow in the Park High Cafeteria.
Made possible by local business sponsors, organizations, and volunteers, a list of those helping to make Strawberry Fest possible follows, in no particular order.
2024 Strawberry Fest sponsor organizations and supporters:
• Hard working volunteers
• Cottage Grove Lions Club
• Van Meter Inc.
• Window Concepts of Minnesota
• County Libraries—Park Grove Branch
• South Washington County Telecommunications
• CGAA Youth Sports
• Cottage Grove United Soccer
• LSP Cottage Grove L.P.
• Gerlach Service Inc.
• Genesis Financial and Tax Solutions
• St. Paul Park - Newport Lions Club
• Walmart
• Old National Bank
• Tennis Sanitations LLC
• Hy-Vee
• Cottage Grove Parks and Recreation Department
• Minnesota Pipeline Company
• Cottage Grove Public Safety
• Oral Surgery Center
• Bella Pizza
• Graphic Resources
• Aimee’s Pampered Pet Parlor
• Pet Wants Woodbury
• Park Grove Pet Hospital
• 3M - Cottage Grove
• Marathon Petroleum
• Renewal by Andersen
• Fractional Toys of Oakdale
• Nathan Pica-Anderson Agency - State Farm
• Wireless World/Verizon
• Sila Mind Body Wellness
• Liberty Heating and Cooling LLC
• Brynn Alden Interior Design LLC
• Sandstrom Windows
• Tom Stremski - State Farm Insurance
• John S. Gemo - Insurance Agency Inc
• DanceXcelDance Studio, and
• Merchants Bank