Long Lines for Shortcake : Strawberry Fields May Not Be Forever, but the Festival Still Packs Them In

As they waited their turn in line for the motorcycle ride Saturday, youngsters Samantha and Jeremy Melgin, Stacy Scott and Vanessa Arroyo each displayed a painted strawberry on their face.

Christina Wagner, who came with the group, said she chose two hearts painted on her face because she wanted to be different.

“There’s a lot of love here at the Strawberry Festival,” Wagner said, smiling. “I have two hearts, one for my mom and one for my dad.”

The children were among more than 100,000 people estimated to attend the 37th annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival. The festival, which began Friday, will continue today from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Monday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free.

“The weather’s not cold enough to stay home and not warm enough for the beach,” said Jerry Margolin, a spokesman for the festival. “The festival is ideal.”

Margolin said organizers will raise about $250,000 from the four-day event. The money will go to local charities, he said.

Garden Grove was the largest producer of strawberries in California when the festival began in 1958. The name of the festival remains today, even though the city’s strawberry fields have dwindled, Margolin said.

Chandel Barber of Anaheim, who was among more than a dozen people waiting in a long line for strawberry shortcake, said she came for the cake. She said her two children, Chris, 6, and Nick, 18 months, came for the fun.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Barber said about the dessert. “The strawberries here are a lot sweeter, a lot better tasting.”

Nearby at a game booth, Richard Mendez, 27, of Santa Ana purchased five Ping-Pong balls for his daughter Vanessa, 8, to play a ball toss game.

His daughter tried tossing the Ping-Pong balls into a glass bowl that floats on water, to win a Tasmanian Devil stuffed toy.

“My wife is in line getting some strawberry shortcake,” Mendez said, cheering as his daughter’s Ping-Pong ball almost landed in the bowl. “It’s the weekend. I wanted to get out, have a good time and enjoy the food.”

The smell of corn dogs, cotton candy and strawberries wafted through the air Saturday as families walked around the festival grounds stopping at food stands or carnival rides. Many parents pushed their young children in strollers or walked in small groups with other family members and friends.

“I’ve been [coming to the festival] since I was about 3,” said Lisa Arroyo, 26, of Buena Park, who came with her daughter, Vanessa, 7, and her daughter’s nine friends and cousins. “I like to eat,” Arroyo said, holding a corn dog.

“She’s skinny but eats like a pig,” said Stacy Scott, 9, her niece.

A short distant away, a family pushed its way through the crowd to get to the fresh strawberry stand.

Janine Travillion, 29, of Los Angeles, said she came to the festival to buy strawberries.

“We’re big strawberry lovers,” she said.

“I wanted some strawberries too,” said her son, Bradley Travillion, 5. “It’s my favorite food in the world.”

The festival began Friday when a giant strawberry shortcake was cut into more than 4,000 pieces. During the weekend, visitors can enjoy carnival rides, games, arts and crafts booths, musical entertainment and an assortment of strawberry desserts.