Strawberry fest has different location but same fun

• The Newark Strawberry Festival has moved but still offers the same fun activities.
• It kicks off at 11 a.m. Friday and will continue until 6 p.m. Sunday.
• It will be held on Locust Street between Third and Fourth streets.

NEWARK – The Newark Strawberry Festival will be in a new location this year.

But fans of the annual event still will be able to enjoy the same traditional activities such as rides, live music, crafts vendors and strawberry shortcake, with a slight change of scenery, said festival chairman Lynn Fawcett.

A downtown tradition for 32 years, the festival temporarily has been relocated to the vacant lot on Locust Street between Third and Fourth streets.

It kicks off at 11 a.m. Friday and will continue until 6 p.m. Sunday. Locust Street will be closed in that area during that time.

With construction starting on the Licking County Courthouse Square, the members of the Kiwanis Club of Newark had to find a place to relocate the festival, Fawcett said.

Their goal was to keep it as close to downtown as possible so families living nearby could still walk to the festival, he said.

While club members were searching for a new, temporary location, the Jerry McClain Company offered them the opportunity to use the lot, he said.

“(Jerry McClain) is a community leader and he understands the importance of this event for local kids,” Fawcett said. “We wouldn’t be able to do this without him.”

The festival will have a slightly different layout this year. There will be a stage set up for entertainment, instead of the gazebo on the square.

Visitors still will be able to enjoy rides, food and a variety of live music. After several well received performances last year, Squonk Opera is returning to present a new show, “Pneumatica,” at different times throughout the festival.

The Strawberry Princess contest and the strawberry shortcake eating contest both will be back this year and the Kiwanians will be selling their famous strawberry shortcakes, Fawcett said.

The festival also still will support the same great causes — youth events at Kiwanis Park and Camp O’Bannon, he said.

Last year’s event raised about $35,000. The majority of that money benefited Camp O’Bannon, he said.

Even with the new location, Fawcett said he’s hoping for good weather and a turnout of about 30,000 people.

No matter where the festival is held, its greatest mission is to provide a family-friendly event for kids, Fawcett said.

“For a lot of the kids in this area, this is the big event of the summer,” he said. “Kiwanis is dedicated to changing the world, one child at a time.”

ajeffries@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8544

Twitter: @amsjeffries

IF YOU GO:

What: Newark Strawberry Festival

When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m Sunday

Where: Locust Street between 3rd and 4th streets.

Cost: Free and open to the public. Food, ride tickets and merchandise are available for purchase.

More info: Go to newarkstrawberryfestival.com.