Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Carey Reeder | Staff Writer

The second annual Chilton County Strawberry Festival in Thorsby is set to take place on April 29 starting at 10 a.m. The annual celebration of Chilton County strawberry farmers and growers will be held at Richard Wood Park.

Many of the same strawberry themed events from 2022 will be taking place this year including the best of strawberry baking contests, strawberry jam and jelly competition and a strawberry shortcake eating contest.

There will also be the strawberry themed art contest for multiple age groups. The winner of last year’s contest, Kinzley Price, had her artwork put on the flyer for the festival this year. The winner of this year’s contest will have their artwork on next year’s flyer.

“I think the queens are most looking forward to meeting everyone and bringing awareness to our strawberry farmers,” Janie Ellison, Strawberry Queens director, said. “We had around 8,000 people come out last year, and we are hoping to surpass 10,000 this year.”

Patrons will have the opportunity to meet the new Strawberry Queens Miss Jesslyn Maddox, Junior Miss Alanna Cleckler, Young Miss Lanie Adams and Little Miss Carlee Smith at the festival.

Local strawberry farmers and growers will be on site at the festival in the farmer’s market selling baskets and bushels of their crops.

New this year, the festival will feature a strawberry auction where the best of the best local strawberries will be up for grabs.

“Until I became the Strawberry Queens director, I did not know that we had so many strawberry farmers,” Ellison said. “When you think of Chilton County, you think of peaches, but we have over 26 strawberry farmers, and I think it is great because you want to bring awareness to all agriculture.”

Over 20 food trucks and over 115 vendors have already signed up for the festival. Vendors ranging from works of art, crafts and antiques dealers are some of the ones signed up already.

There will be a kid’s area with inflatables, a petting zoo and tractors, and the circus will make an appearance again as well.

“It is good for Thorsby, and it brings a lot of tourism there,” Ellison said.

Other entertainment planned includes musical performances by the band Intermission and Tony Braydon. Blast from the Past students will also be performing some songs as well throughout the day.

The Bearded Peach in Clanton will have a roped off area at the festival with alcoholic, strawberry-themed drinks available. The drinks must be consumed fully within the roped off area.

Any additional details about the events can be found at www.chiltoncountystrawberryfestival.org.