by Natalie Bradley, Flint Energies Community Connections Specialist
As the warmth of spring envelopes the charming town of Reynolds, Georgia, there's an unmistakable buzz in the air. It's that time of the year again – strawberry season – and the community eagerly anticipates the annual Georgia Strawberry Festival. More than just a celebration of plump, juicy berries, this festival has become a cherished tradition that brings together people from all over the Southeast, fostering a sense of community and hometown pride.
Each year the festival is on the fourth Saturday in April. This year, the Georgia Strawberry Festival will be on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The festival started 26 years ago in 1998 when Walter Wainwright suggested a strawberry festival for something fun to do in the spring that would coincide with strawberry season! It started with a few hundred people attending and has steadily grown since then. In 2017, the attendee numbers drastically increased with the addition of a Weenie Dog Race and a Facebook page, and this past year, there were approximately 15,000 people in attendance!
The Georgia Strawberry Festival is a spectacle of vibrant colors, enticing aromas, and the joyous laughter of families and friends coming together. The festival transforms the town into a strawberry wonderland, paying homage to the local harvest and the values that define this close-knit community.
Each year, they add a different event or contest to keep the festival fresh and exciting.
The parade includes a competition for the best float and best bike decoration to get everyone's creative strawberry juices flowing.
The Miss Georgia Strawberry Pageant is for ages 0 to 24 years, and will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2024, this year.
Every year there is a 5k Run for Literacy at 8am the day of the festival!
The Vintage Tractor Show started with a couple of tractors and now different tractor clubs from all over the state come to the Georgia Strawberry Festival to participate.
One year, The Johnstons taped one of their shows for TLC's "7 Little Johnstons" when they entered their dog into the Weenie Dog Race.
The Georgia Strawberry Festival is made possible because of a dedicated group of volunteers that make up the board. They work year-round planning the festival, only taking off November and December each year. No profit is made from the festival; the sole reason for the festival is to bring the community together and create a wonderful event of fun for the whole family to enjoy!
Special thanks to Tina Parsons, Becky Forbes, Nicole Acree, and Alton Ford from The Georgia Strawberry Festival Board for sharing the history and fun of the festival with us!
Enjoy our podcast on the Strawberry Festival below!
