BERRY FESTIVAL PARADE TO FEATURE ACTORS, ATHLETES

Grand Marshal Joey Bishop will lead a line of television actors and local sports stars through the streets of Garden Grove on Saturday in the city’s annual Strawberry Festival parade.

The parade, whose host will be comedienne Phyllis Diller, is the highlight of the four-day Garden Grove Strawberry Festival, which will begin its 29th annual run Friday. The community-sponsored festival features carnival rides and games, an arts and crafts show and food and exhibit booths on the city’s Village Green, 12762 Euclid Ave.

Festival hours are 1 to 11:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday, noon to 11:30 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday.

The following is a schedule of special events:

--Friday: Billy Barty will be host for the “Tiny Tots” contest at the Garden Grove Amphitheatre from 3 to 5 p.m. The “world’s largest strawberry shortcake” will be sliced at 6 p.m. and served to 4,000 first-night guests. At 7:30 p.m., television actress Ann-Marie Johnson will entertain.

--Saturday: The parade, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, will be televised live on KHJ-TV, Channel 9, with Phyllis Diller and Fred Willard as hosts. An autograph session featuring celebrity parade participants will be held after the parade from noon to 1:30 p.m. A talent show will be held at 7:30 p.m.

--Sunday: A pie-eating contest is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Miss Garden Grove and her court will perform a Las Vegas-style revue at 7:30 p.m.

--Monday: A redhead roundup will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. The Orange County Song & Dance Company will perform from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

For more information on the festival, call (714) 638-0981.