MARYSVILLE — The 80th annual Marysville Strawberry Festival is picking up the pace with its culminating weekend, and local residents such as Kim Williams are as ready as ever.
“I’ve been doing this for 30 years,” said Williams, as she set out six chairs on the east side of State Avenue, in front of Totem Middle School, on June 17, a full day before the Strawberry Festival Grand Parade. “Everyone knows that this is my spot,” she laughed.
Although the Adult Trike Races that had been planned for 7 p.m. on June 17 were cancelled due to a lack of entrants, the rest of the Strawberry Festival’s weekend events are still set to take place at their scheduled dates and times.
Funtastic Carnival
Funtastic Shows has been delivering the “world’s finest carnival” since 1985 and it will visit the Marysville Strawberry Festival once again this year, from June 16-19.
Marysville Middle School will be the venue, as usual, and the carnival hours will run until 10 p.m. on June 16 and 17, until 11 p.m. on June 18 and until 5 p.m. on June 19. Opening times for each day will depend on the weather.
Market in Asbery Field
The Market will run from 2-9 p.m. on June 17, from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on June 18 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 19 at Asbery Field.
On June 18, Asbery Field will also serve as the site for the Emerald City Car Club Car Show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as the Strawberry Festival’s annual Strawberry Shortcake Eating Contest from 1-3 p.m.
The Strawberry Shortcake Eating Contest is divided into various age categories, for kids of all ages, while the Emerald City Car Club Car Show boasts a variety of classic restored and custom cars and trucks.
The car show is free for spectators, but there is a $10 fee for show participants, and awards will be given out in a variety of categories.
Rose Planting Ceremony
This year’s Marysville Strawberry Festival Rose Planting ceremony continues on in the venue it gained last year.
The annual ceremony — a tradition to commemorate the friendship between the Strawberry Festival and the Northwest Festival Hosting Association — will take place at 10 a.m. on June 18 at Totem Middle School, located at 1605 Seventh St. in Marysville.
This free event is open to all ages, and light refreshments will be offered afterward.
Kiddies Parade
With no pre-registration before its registration and setup time from 4-5 p.m. — followed by judging from 5-5:45 p.m., the parade lineup starting at 5:45 p.m. and the parade proper starting at 6 p.m. — the Kiddies Parade on June 18 offers a host of surprises each year.
Each of the five categories of entrants has its own staging area at the start of the Kiddies Parade route, at Totem Middle School on Seventh Street. The parade heads south on State Avenue until it reaches Fifth Street, at which point awards are given to all the participants in Comeford Park.
Grand Parade
The Grand Parade officially starts at 7:45 p.m. on 76th Street, to ensure that entrants are rolling southbound on State Avenue in front of the TV cameras by 8 p.m. With any luck, the parade wraps up on Third Street and Alder Avenue by 10 p.m., just in time for the half-hour fireworks show.
Due to the parade, Routes 201, 202, 221 and 222 will be rerouted off State Avenue south of 80th Street from 4-11 p.m. Routes 201 and 202 will have temporary stops on Cedar Avenue between 80th and Fourth streets. Route 221 passengers will need to board a Route 201 or 202 bus along Cedar Avenue, then transfer to Route 221 north of 84th Street. Route 222 will not serve stops on State Avenue south of 88th Street. The closest alternative stops will be on Grove Street east of 51st Avenue or on State Avenue north of 88th Street.
