GARDEN GROVE : Festival May Get Quieter Electricity
City Council members have approved a request by the Strawberry Festival Assn. to replace three portable generators with underground electrical vaults on festival grounds at Village Green Park.
The generators that provide power for carnival rides and the operation of some booths have contributed to “a significant amount of noise and air pollution” in the area of the Strawberry Festival, city officials noted.
Despite the city approval, however, there are no guarantees that the non-polluting vaults will replace the noisy generators this year or anytime in the near future, Strawberry Festival Assn. President Don Lang said.
Lang said the association has no work permits or cost estimates and that plans for the power conversion are still in very early stages.
“If all goes perfectly, there’s still an opportunity (to replace the generators) before this year’s festival,” he said. However, the conversion plan could be scrapped if it proves too costly, Lang added.
“It’s not a fait accompli, “ he said.
The festival, an annual Memorial Day weekend event for 34 years, is expected to attract crowds of 200,000 to 300,000 from May 22 to May 25.
The Strawberry Festival Assn. contributes about $80,000 a year to charitable organizations in the city from its share of the proceeds, Lang said.
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