Six contestants for the next Strawberry Fest Ambassador

By Joseph Back

“We have many events that the girls attend,” Strawberry Fest Committee president Lori Olsen said of the Strawberry Fest Ambassador program. With six girls in the running this year (each with a different sponsor), Olsen further clarified that being Strawberry Fest Ambassador wasn’t a beauty pageant, but rather a scholarship program.

Co n t e s tants go before a panel of judges where they are judged on a host of attributes, including communication, poise, appearance (not having one’s hair in a ponytail for formal dress, as an example), speaking skills, social skills, and volunteerism. This year the ambassador hopefuls are six in number, as follows:

• Amanda Dsouza, sponsored by Liberty Heating and Cooling

• Brooklyn Edlund, sponsored by Minny Beauts

• Carolynn Johnson, sponsored by Schmitty’s Repo Towing LLC

• Neveah Rosseau, sponsored by TNT Fencing

• Olivia Loveland, sponsored by Integrity Dental Care, and

• Sheylina Schrenkler, sponsored by Ott Family Realtors Chosen by the panel of judges this past Thursday to represent Cottage Grove for the following year, the Strawberry Fest Ambassador will then be

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crowned, with this year’s coronation ceremony to be held at Oltman Junior High on Monday June 20th, thus closing out the festival that began with a kickoff dinner June 12th at River Oaks Golf Course and comes to Kingston Park Thursday June 16 through Sunday June 19th. Strawberry Fest 2022 will have both rides and booths among many other attractions.

Starting this Thursday, the fun begins at 4 p.m., with a strawberry sale at the information booth until 8 p.m.

Afton Apple is sponsoring the Strawberry sales while Red Wing Shoe Company is sponsoring the information booth.

Also on Thursday, meanwhile, a bungee trampoline willing be provided by Arcade Highway at a cost of eight dollars per person from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., with food vendors and a carnival until 10 p.m.

A kid power pedal tractor pull, meanwhile, will take place at 6 p.m with registration a half-hour beforehand, sponsored by NorthPoint Development Built just recently, the Grove 80 Apartments on 80th Street South will be sponsoring the talent show on the main stage at 7 p.m., with check-in a half-hour before at the information booth. The John S. Germo Insurance Agency is sponsoring Cottage Grove Sings, to run in tandem with the talent show on the main stage.

Coming Friday will be strawberries for sale from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.m, with the bungee trampoline once again provided from 2 p.m .to 9 p.m. Food vendors, a beer garden, and the Lions Den Bar and Grill will run from 2 p.m. to midnight Friday. The beer gardens are sponsored by the St. Paul Park/Newport Lions Club, while the Lions Den Bar and Grill will be sponsored by the Cottage Grove Lions Club.

Running from 2 p.m to 11 p.m. Friday will be the carnival, while pony rides offered by Down on the Farm will be available for $5 per person from 4 p.m to 8 p.m.

Coming in from 4 p.m .to Sunset will be the Strawberry Fields Marketplace, sponsored in turn by Hy-Vee, Walmart, and the St. Paul Park/Newport Lions Club. A top chef contest sponsored by Old National Bank and Tennis Sanitation and Rolloff LLC will also take place, with registration taking place at 5 p.m and the event itself at 6 p.m.

From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday the band “Distilled” will play, sponsored in turn by Genesis Financial and Tax Solutions, while the Band “Mojo Monks” will play the main stage from 8 p.m. to midnight, sponsored by Tennis Sanitation & Roll Off LLC.

Kicking off Saturday, things start early with a 5K Race and Walk, registration at 7:15 a.m. and event at 8 a.m., while a Men’s Softball tournament will take place in the Lamar Complex starting at 8 a.m. as well.

A Kids 1K event, meanwhile, will start at 9:15 a.m., all three of the events sponsored by the Cottage Grove Recreation Department.

For those into riding rather than walking, meanwhile, there will be pony rides from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while strawberries will be offered for sale from 9 a.m to 8 p.m. at the information booth.

From 9 a.m. to sunset the Strawberry Fields Marketplace will be open for visitors at Kingston Park, while the bungee trampoline will be available from 10 a.m .to 8 p.m. on Saturday as well.

For those into food and drink the vendors and beer gardens will again be available along with the Lions Den Bar and Grill from 10 a.m to midnight, while a Grande Day Parade sponsored by the Minnesota Pipe Line Company will start at 10:30 a.m., traveling from the corner of 80th Street and Jamaica to Cottage Grove Middle School.

The carnival will run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, while the Strawberry Ambassador Welcome and Parade Awards will take place on the main stage at 12:15 p.m.

A Pie Eating Contest will also take place beginning at 12:30 p.m., on the main stage.

From 1 p.m. on there will be a bean bag tournament sponsored by the Cottage Grove Lions Club in the Tennis Courts next to the Pavilion, while a wrestling event will take place from 1 p.m to 3 p.m. Saturday in an area near the main stage, being sponsored by Midwest All-Star Wrestling.

A Car show will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. sponsored by Bella Pizza and Graphic Resources, while a pet show will take place at 2 pm. at the Pet Show Tent, sponsored by Aimee’s Pampered Pet Parlor. A Doggie Dash, meanwhile, will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday after registration a half-hour earlier at the information booth. The Doggie Dash is sponsored by That’s My Idea Marketing.

For those into public safety demonstrations there will be K9 and SWAT Team demos at 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. respectively, sponsored by Cottage Grove Public Safety, while an Elvis Tribute Artist and band will take the main stage from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Starting at 8 p.m and running until midnight Saturday, the band “Stone Daisy” will be sponsored by Marathon Petroleum, while fireworks sponsored by 3M will kick off at 10:30 p.m. Saturday.

Main Stage Events Production is sponsored by Renewal by Andersen, while the Main Stage Production Tent is sponsored by Wireless World, while the Main Stage and Festival Tents are sponsored by Graphic Resources.

Dialing down somewhat, the Carnival will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, while coronation of the next Strawberry Fest Ambassador will take place at Oltman Middle School at 6:30 p.m. on Monday June 20th.

Kingston Park where the festivities are located, can be found at 9195 75th Street South in Cottage Grove, for those who might be from out of town. Why not stop on in and share in the fun?

Amanda Dsouza – sponsored by Liberty Heating and Cooling.

Submitted photo

Neveah Rousseau – Sponsored by TNT Fencing. Submitted photo

Brooklynn Edlund – sponsored by Minny Beauts. Submitted photo

Carolynn Johnson – sponsored by Schmitty’s Repo Towing LLC. Submitted photo

Olivia Loveland – Sponsored by Integrity Dental Care.

Submitted photo

Sheylina Schrenkler – Sponsored by Ott Family Realtors.

Submitted photo