Not even a little bit of rain stopped festival-goers from enjoying carnival rides and strawberry delights at the 28th annual Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival.
At the close of the weekend, records showed a significant increase in attendance.
Gate attendance was at approximately 64,700 people, up 9 percent over 2014. Carnival revenue was up 8.8 percent over 2014. That number was affected by Saturday morning rains.
“We attribute those numbers to the fantastic support for the Santa Maria Valley strawberry industry that we get from our sponsors and the community,” said Rich Persons, CEO of the Santa Maria Fairpark.
Parents smiled, children laughed and a festive atmosphere prevailed at the festival, which took place April 24-26. A little extra wind and rain on Saturday slowed things down but didn’t stop people from attending.
New attractions like the comedy juggling duo Something Ridiculous and the amazing magic of Ken Garr attracted large crowds. Center stage performances were also a big draw. On Fiesta Day on Sunday, 4,003 people attended the Calibre 50 concert.
Next year’s Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival will be held April 29-May 1, 2016.
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— Shelly Cone represents the Santa Maria Fairpark.