THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 2, 1995 TAG: 9506010251
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
shoulders of a ``very special person,'' her grandfather, Bob
Jasinowski.
Although the sun stayed away from the 12th annual Pungo Strawberry
Festival, the crowds didn't. About 120,000 people traveled to rural
Virginia Beach last Saturday and Sunday for the home-grown salute to
strawberries. They rode carnival rides, watched the parade and
wandered through displays featuring the armed services, steam
engines, medieval warriors and Civil War re-enactors. As usual, the
stars of the show were the strawberries. They were gulped down in
all forms - chocolate-dipped, ice cream, pies and tarts, milk shakes
and, in keeping with the festival's family theme, in alcohol- free
daiquiris. According to Stuart Cake, media relations and sponsorship
chairman of the event, the festival traditionally consumes 5,000 to
7,000 quarts of fresh berries. Proceeds are generally given away to
charity organizations in the community, and over the years, the
festival has donated more than $150,000.
LEFT: 4-H'ers from Creeds ride down Pungo's main drag in the
Strawberry Festival dressed as - what else - strawberries.
BELOW: Jeff Paragas, 5, of Virginia Beach navigates rows of
strawberry plants as he and his family collected the ripened fruit
at the Pungo Produce field.
Staff photos
by STEVE EARLEY
by CNB