For strawberry lovers, the 40th Annual California Strawberry Festival returns on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, featuring chocolate-covered strawberries, strawberry-topped funnel cakes, strawberry pizza, strawberry nachos, deep-fried strawberries, strawberry tacos, and strawberry beer, margaritas, and smoothies.
Other strawberry-themed desserts at Mama Carol’s Kitchen booth are sweet strawberry tamales, Dubai chocolate and strawberry cups, and strawberry beignets. Carol Maldonado, owner of Mama Carol’s Kitchen, has been selling her creations at the festival for more than 25 years.
Another festival favorite is the chocolate-dipped strawberries from the Oxnard Buddhist Temple, where two shifts of 30 volunteers dip giant strawberries into melted Merkins chocolate, which are sold individually and in three- and six-packs. The booth sells about 20,000 chocolate-dipped strawberries over the two-day festival…