Story By: Olivia Wilson
The 2023 annual Strawberry Festival took place in Calera, Alabama, on April 22 at Oliver Park. The festival is one of many community events held by the city. Occurring on Earth Day this year, the event serves as a way to highlight local sellers. According to the Green Business Bureau, buying locally helps to decrease pollution involved in the transportation of goods.
A twist on strawberries altered this year’s event. Although strawberries serve as the namesake of the festival, problems in production prevented them from being a prominent feature according to Taylor Hatchett, the only vendor selling strawberries at the event.
Temperatures in March had an effect on the harvests of the plants, said Hatchett. “We had a freeze. The blooms on a strawberry can’t last below 28 degrees and a lot of the farms got down to 24 and below about a month ago.”
The lack of strawberries did not stop people from attending the festival this year. The parking lot and road leading up to Calera High School, located near Oliver Park, was lined with cars on either side. Shuttles were running to help people get from overflow parking lots.
The event featured booths where vendors sold goods they made or produced, including various types of flowers, produce, jewelry, and baked goods.
Stephanie Tejada attended the event as one of the vendors in order to sell her signature candles. She started her company, Lava Candle Company, around a year ago as a hobby with her daughter.
Tejada said that events like the Strawberry Festival help to bring more awareness to vendor brands. “It helps visibility. I’m able to get people on my social media and I’m able to just get my brand and my name out there.”
Many of the vendors, including Tejada, had business cards with their social media and brand information to hand out to visitors.
To learn more about the vendors mentioned in this story, you can visit Taylor Hatchett’s Facebook and Stephanie Tejada’s website.
Vallo Vision News 