Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival: A Berry Good Time!

Hop in the car! Come with me! We're going to Ponchatoula, Louisiana! Pon-cha-toula??? Yes!!!

Ponchatoula is a small, family-oriented town that's about an hour away from New Orleans. Ponchatoulan's call their city "The Strawberry Capital of the World" and each year host a delightful Strawberry Festival. Many attend from all over Louisiana every year.

We had BEAUTIFUL weather Saturday (April 13th) so I thought it would be a great day to get out. Sunshine! Blue skies! Fresh air! And of course LOTS and LOTS of STRAWBERRIES!

There are so many wonderful things to buy when you're in Ponchatoula. I love their fresh fruit & vegetables. I believe in buying from & supporting local businesses, especially when it comes to food. For this trip, I picked up cabbages, potatoes, creole tomatoes, gumbo and of course fresh strawberries. They also sell cute serving ware, tshirts, artwork and jewelry.

Many people go to The Strawberry Festival to stock up on Ponchatoula wine! 1-2 bottles? No. No. No. Everyone leaves with cases of this stuff. It's that good!

My favorite of course is their Strawberry wine. They give you a choice of Sweet, Semi-Sweet, and Bittersweet. My second favorite, is their Peach Wine. It's very smooth and goes well with so many Summer dishes. They also have Blueberry, Orange, Cranberry and other flavors.

Sunday, I prepared a shrimp and smoked sausage jambalaya over rice. I then made a simple lettuce and tomato salad. I used the tomatoes I purchased from the Ponchatoula Market and baked some garlic bread. It was really good! I chilled and poured myself a glass of Peach Wine. I was a happy girl :)

Top: GAP (similar) / Pants: Talbots (similar) / Shoes: JCrew sold out (similar) (worn here) /
Vintage Strawberry Straw Handbag: Etsy

The City of Ponchatoula was established as a logging camp in the early 1800's and at the turn of the 20th century commercial farming became it's main export. Just check out this cool train they have on display! Choo Choo!

The City of Ponchatoula is also known for their many antique shops! They're known as "The Antique City". They have a rich sense of history and even have their own museum. The Indian name Ponchatoula means "flowing hair", arrived at by the Indians as a way of expressing the beauty of the location, with much moss hanging from the trees. (source) I want to thank Mr. CJ for letting me park in his parking lot for the event and for the bathroom facilities! He's a really nice man!

Ready for a parade? Grab a corn dog! You'll need energy to catch all the great stuff they throw! The local police drive their motorbikes in formation, the fire department showcase their beautiful trucks, dance groups dance, senior citizens wave, strawberry queens reign and then there are the floats.

Someone on one of the floats, truly thought I was special, because I caught an Elmer's Strawberry Heavenly Hash candy bar (the Elmer's Chocolate facility is located in Ponchatoula). How cute is the Berry Pickin' Diner float below? It was my favorite. I also befriended the cutest little dog. He was decked out in his finest and his owner was the sweetest.

I never leave without indulging in a Strawberry Funnel Cake. A very nice lady at Mr. CJ's makes them hot & fresh when you place your order. You just pop a squat on a nearby bench, watch people pass by and enjoy yourself!

The Ponchatoula Festival also has a number of kiddie rides, bands, foodie booths and arts & crafts booths, but they are further down the road. There's truly something for everybody! It was a delightful day for me! I know this post was long, but I wanted to give you a sense of what it's like :)

 SWEET-BITTERSWEET-NOT SWEET

The Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival is SWEET!