Poteet Strawberry Festival This Weekend

If you are visiting San Antonio this upcoming weekend, head just outside the city to the Poteet Strawberry Festival. This 3-day event is the largest agricultural festival in Texas. The annual festival takes place in Poteet, 25 minutes outside San Antonio on a 100-acre site off Highway 16.

The festival offers a lot more than just strawberries. In addition to the strawberry judging contest and the other agricultural events, there are also Country Western and Tejano music, an arts and crafts show, the festival rodeo, a BBQ cookoff, the carnival, animal shows, food contests, commercial exhibits, magicians, helicopter rides, nightly dances and much more.

Who Benefits
With over 100,000 visitors annually, the festival generates $10-$12 million in revenue into the South Texas economy. The Poteet Strawberry Festival Association is a non-profit group that funds scholarships to graduating Poteet high school seniors, as well as supports local community projects.

Poteet Strawberry Festival History
The festival began in 1948 in an effort to provide war veterans an incentive to return to the farms. Currently, the primary focus of the festival is promote Poteet’s strawberries–an endangered crop. The other purposes are to bring tourism and money into the local economy, as well as offer scholarship opportunities for local students.

62nd Annual Poteet Strawberry Festival
The festival takes place Friday, April 3, 2009 – Sunday, April 5, 2009. The grounds open at 6:00pm on Friday and 10:00am on Saturday and Sunday. The festival grounds close at approximately 1:00am.

Admission is free on Friday to everyone. Saturday and Sunday, admission is free to children under 12, while adults are charged $10.00 per person.

The strawberry eating contest for kids takes place at 1:00pm both Saturday and Sunday. The Radio Disney Performers will be entertaining in the Children’s Area from noon to 5:00pm both days.

• 2009 Entertainment Schedule

Refreshments and Rides
Coupon booths throughout the grounds sell coupons for 50 cents each. Food prices generally range from two coupons to six coupons. On Thursday, April 2nd, it will be armband night from 6:00pm to 10:00pm–unlimited rides with the cost of a $15 armband. Friday from 6:00pm-midnight, all rides are just a dollar. And of course, you can ride the carnival rides both weekend days too (prices vary per ride). Coupons are also used for the festival carnival rides. ATM machines are located within the grounds for your convenience.

Directions

From I-35 in San Antonio:

• Take I-35 South to exit 148A (TX 16-Poteet)
• Turn to Left at TX 16
• Travel approximately 25 miles
• Main entrance on right

From San Antonio from Loop 410:

• Take Loop 410 South to exit 49
• Turn south at exit 49 (Palo Alto Road/Poteet TX 16)
• Travel approximately 20 miles
• Main entrance on right

For more details about the festival or information on Poteet strawberries, please visit the Poteet Strawberry Festival website at strawberryfestival.com. You can also contact the Poteet Strawberry Festival Association by phone at (888) 742-8144.

Image: larkspur – Flickr