Lebanon Strawberry Festival is held during the first week of June at Cheadle Lake Regional Park in Lebanon, Oregon, about a 1.5-hour drive from Portland. The festival showcases local strawberry growers and features lots of entertainment, such as live music, family activities, the Strawberry 5K Run, a 1-mile Health Walk, an Open Air Country Fair, a Strawberry Queen Coronation, a Strawberry Shortcake Eating Contest, and the Grand Parade.
Events and Entertainment
The Queen's Coronation is a festival high spot worth attending. Every year, five young women are chosen to be the Princesses of the Strawberry Festival. One is chosen as the Queen of the festival. The Queen's coronation happens on the main stage of the Strawberry Festival, and she is officially introduced to the Lebanon Community during the Grand Parade on Saturday morning.
Strawberry 5K Run is an event before the Grand Parade, lasting from 9 am to 9:30 am. The race kicks off and finishes on Main Street, close to the American Legion building. The 5K Run is open to participants of any age and any physical condition.
The Grand Parade is one of the major highlights of the festival. Thousands of people line Main Street to see cars and floats, various organizations, community groups, and marching bands. The parade showcases over 130 entries and lasts for two hours. The route starts at the intersection of Main St and Market St and ends at the intersection of Main St and Rose St.
Cheadle Lake Park gets filled with vendors during four days of the Lebanon Strawberry Festival. Over 10,000 participants from across the county and the state make this event as fun and tasty as it is.
Strawberry Festival Tickets
Online Single Day Adult Tickets (ages 13+) is $7, at the gate—$10, Multi-Day Adult Pass (ages 13+) costs $25. Kids (ages 12 and under) can visit the festival for free. Carnival Wristband (doesn't include admission) costs $30 online and $40 at the event.
Fest Hours
The festival hours vary from day to day. Guests can attend the Lebanon Strawberry Festival on Thursday from 4 pm to 11 pm, on Friday from 1 pm-midnight, on Saturday from noon to midnight, and on Sunday from noon to 5 pm.
Lebanon Strawberry Festival History
The festival was founded in 1909 to celebrate the bountiful berry harvests and became a deeply rooted tradition for locals, which unites and makes a strong bond in the community.
In 2018, the Lebanon Strawberry Festival celebrated an Oregon Heritage Tradition designation by the Oregon Heritage Commission. The designation signifies the importance of the Festival's traditions in defining the state and highlights the local heritage of Oregon. Some other Oregon Heritage Traditions include the Oregon State Fair, the Pendleton Round-Up, Medford's Pear Blossom Festival, and the Woodburn Fiesta Mexicana.
