The four-day 2023 Strawberry Fest went off in spectacular fashion over the weekend. Event organizers and Cottage Grove Public Safety estimated record numbers in attendance, topping previous …
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The four-day 2023 Strawberry Fest went off in spectacular fashion over the weekend. Event organizers and Cottage Grove Public Safety estimated record numbers in attendance, topping previous years’ estimates of 20,000-25,000 festival goers.
The sun was out in full force, and so were residents looking to gather together for a summer event in Cottage Grove. Kick-starting on Thursday and Friday, the carnival, live music, and contests took over Kingston Park until Sunday afternoon.
On Saturday morning, the Grande Day Parade rolled past thousands of onlookers on Jamaica Avenue South, moving toward the park where the festival was taking place. Local and neighboring cities’ royalty and ambassador courts waved to families as they passed by in their floats. Several public figures took part in the parade, including Cottage Grove Mayor Myron Bailey, U.S. House Rep. Angie Craig, MN House Rep. Mark Wiens, and Washington County Commissioner Karla Bigham.
Professional wrestlers battled it out in a ring on Saturday afternoon, food trucks served hungry crowds with various fair fare, and dozens of booths offered goods and services from freeze-dried fruits to cutlery to community program information. 5k races took place early on Saturday morning, followed by baseball/softball/bean bag toss tournaments, as well as a car show, a pet show, and a Doggie Dash race in the afternoon. Late on Saturday night, fireworks brightened the sky and peppered eardrums for miles around.
Cottage Grove Community Engagement Officer Dan Schoen noted that the overall level of community and safety at the heavily-attended festival was something the city should be proud of. “The level of patience and respect for each other, on the streets or otherwise, was impressive,” he said. “I don’t know of any event this size that is handled in any other community that goes off as smoothly as this one did. Kudos to all the staff, like our Parks and Public Works. The Strawberry Fest staff worked hard to get a good venue together. Our staff here just really want Cottage Grove to be the best it can be, and we know we’ve got to work together to make that happen.”
“This year’s pet show started off with Mayor Myron Bailey choosing Chester Bob, an 18-year-old doggie, as the ‘Mayor’s Choice,’” said Festival Committee Pet Show Coordinator Jennifer Dailey. “Pennie, a previous Mayor’s Choice winner as a puppy, was chosen as this year’s ‘Golden Oldie.’ It was a big day for Lincoln and family, who won the ‘Waggiest Tail,’ ‘Best Trick,’ and this year’s giant stuffed animal giveaway. A Great Pyrenees beat out the Irish Wolfhound as ‘Largest Dog.’ In addition to 20 dogs, there were three chickens, two tortoises, one frog, an orange cat, a bearded dragon, and an Angora rabbit. The show was emceed by Betty Anderson, who has been the voice of the pet show for 20 years. The event was free, and was sponsored by Park Grove Pet Hospital, Aimee’s Pampered Pet, and Pet Wants of Woodbury.”
Pet Show winners (29 entrants):
Parade float winners:
Car Show winners (78 entrants, open to all makes and models):
5k Race winners:
Bean Bag Toss winners:
Additional tournament winners and awards will be posted on the Cottage Grove Strawberry Fest Facebook page as they become available.
