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Poster marking Strawberry Fest's 25th features a bit of bubbly
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The poster's background incorporates all 24 past posters into a sort of quilt.
Joseph A. Garcia / Star staff Ventura artist Kevin Parks, left, and California Strawberry Festival Chairman Dean Maulhardt lead a toast Tuesday as they unveil the poster Parks designed, which commemorates the 25th anniversary of the festival.
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More from County NewsThis year's California Strawberry Festival poster, commemorating the event's 25th anniversary, features a perfect red strawberry capped in green leaves and floating in a celebratory glass of bubbly champagne.
The background, meanwhile, incorporates all 24 past posters into a sort of quilt honoring the festival's history.
The poster was unveiled Tuesday in Oxnard, where the festival will be held May 17-18 in Strawberry Meadows of College Park.
"I wanted the poster to be very elegant," said Kevin Parks, the Ventura artist who designed the poster.
This year's festival will offer several changes, Chairman Dean Maulhardt said at the unveiling at Yolanda's Mexican Restaurant in Oxnard, which featured an inflated plastic strawberry greeting people at the door.
Tickets — $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for kids — will be available online before the festival, said Maulhardt, an Oxnard City Council member. The festival also will have a keepsake book to celebrate the anniversary, he said, and shuttle service will be expanded.
"A 25-year festival that's been more successful every year — that's hard to come by," Maulhardt said.
This year's poster is unusual because it was not chosen through an open contest, which is the traditional method.
Instead, because of the anniversary, the festival board came up with the general idea for the poster, then hired an artist to design it.
Parks included elements of each past poster, although they are not in exact chronological order, he said.
To get the champagne glass just right, he experimented with sparkling cider, sparkling wine and ginger ale. "I kept going back to the champagne, because it had the most beautiful color," he said.
Posted by crazymind20082009 on March 5, 2008 at 2:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sad to know it was not an open contest...that is the fun seeing what everyone represents. Gosh and ticket prices are outrageous!! That price is more thatn going to the faire for a day, and not even half the great entertainment the fair offers. Get it together guys.
Posted by Wkg4theDream on March 5, 2008 at 6:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Never been to this event and probably never will. This event does not honor the workers who break their backs picking this fruit. The workers are not invited nor are they even given a discount to attend. Instead they are expected to work in the fields during this event -- have to pick the fruit. I will do as I have the past 25 years -- I will find something else to do on this particular weekend.
Posted by alovebug06 on March 5, 2008 at 7:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Has anyone ever noticed at the festival that they charge about $8.00 for 1 chocolate dipped strawberry, rip off. Also its usually windy, and over crowded, parking is awful and yes I have only gone once, and once is enough.
Posted by why on March 5, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is really great we celebrate the fruit of our immigrants hard earn work. The poster should feature the immigration van that sits on the field waiting for these poor people to SHOW UP TO WORK. Can you picture the straberries in the background of a green and white van with the immigrants shouting LA MIGRA, LA MIGRA. That would be great.
Posted by vcsexplorer11 on March 5, 2008 at 9:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Where does it say we are celebrating the fruit of our immigrants? We are just celebrating the strawberry. It's like saying the academy award for best actor is celebrating the guy doing the lighting.
Posted by mIssSIdekIck on March 5, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
yep that's wut im saying vcsexplorer11..... these people swear!!
Posted by why on March 5, 2008 at 9:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Without the immigrant worker we would not have the strawberries. Without the actors we would not have the Academy awards. Imagine having the immigration waiting backstage for the immigrant actor to receive his award. That would be quite show.
Posted by srascon on March 5, 2008 at 10:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Without the "strawberry" there would not be a strawberry festival. There will always be someone willing to pick the fruit. Work is work. There is plenty of hard work out there, not just farming.
Posted by cindymike805 on March 5, 2008 at 1:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Here, here on this event supposably being about "our" community. That festival hasn't been about "our community" in years, it's about the old mighty $. And your comment on the workers that DO ALL THE WORK never getting any credit is the most absolutely marvelous comment I've read in, forever. My hats off to you WK4thedream.
Posted by holdenon_2000 on March 6, 2008 at 4:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Lame, I bet the artist came up with the idea and sold it to the board. They should have had an open option for artists to bid on the project. They could have hired an Artist from Oxnard, since I don't remember strawberries being picked in Ventura, nor the festival being held in Ventura. I am an Oxnard Native and Professional Graphic Designer that would have done this job FREE. I just googled Kevin Parks and I cant even find an online portfolio. Every Designer should have an online portfolio. The poster does look good, and he did do a good job, but this is a basic design, that any student designer could have achieved, and would have done for FREE. Use your resources, City of Oxnard, you just waisted my tax dollars. Thanks again for your poor decision making.
Posted by starlite on March 10, 2008 at 11:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I can't remember the last time i've been!!! It just cost too much $$$$. I don't think that it is worth it.
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