Star Valley Strawberry Festival to take place Memorial Day weekend in Borden

Brooke McAfee, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·3 min read

May 17—BORDEN — The Star Valley Strawberry Festival is returning to Borden on Memorial Day weekend.

The festival will take place Saturday, May 27, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Borden Community Park, 875 E. Main St. The event was formerly called the Starlight Strawberry Festival, which was presented for more than 40 years by St. John's the Baptist Catholic Church in Starlight.

After the church discontinued the festival, the Friends of Borden Community Park brought the tradition back last year with a new name and location.

Brenna LaDuke, a co-chair of the Star Valley Strawberry Festival, said last year's event brought roughly 12,000 to 15,000 people, which was a larger turnout than they were expecting.

"We were in awe," she said. "That's one reason we're partnering with so many people from Sellersburg all the way to Salem. Different foundations and organizations are helping us."

The upcoming celebration of strawberry season features food and activities ranging from a build-your-own strawberry shortcake bar to a 5K race.

Visitors can enjoy live music, including performances by The Monarchs, Josh Glauber, Quinney Brothers and Hank Rose Trio. The schedule of events also includes pie-eating contests and a dessert auction, and the festival is reviving the "Little Mr. and Miss Shortcake" contest, which was previously hosted at the Starlight Strawberry Festival.

Event organizers partnered with the Clark County government to present a Memorial Day remembrance ceremony with a 21-gun salute.

This year's festival will include the first Star Valley 5K Berry Run, which will benefit athletic programs at Borden schools. The race has a $25 entry fee, and it will begin and end at Borden High School.

Kathy Weatherford, a festival co-chair and the community coordinator for the Town of Borden, said the event will cover both sides of Borden Community Park. One side will include entertainment such as inflatables, horseback riding, bingo, a petting zoo and other activities, and the other side will feature vendors.

The "Strawberry Lane" section of the park will offer strawberry shortcakes, strawberry smoothies and chocolate-dipped strawberries, Weatherford said.

LaDuke said the festival features more than 80 craft vendors and 18 food vendors.

Festival organizers have also updated the traffic route for visitors to enter and exit the festival after facing a large amount of traffic last year, and they are "utilizing as much parking around the town as possible," she said.

Weatherford said the Star Valley Strawberry Festival is a "kickoff to the festivals" in the area.

"It's been a signature festival in the area for 45 years," she said. "Unfortunately, St. John's couldn't continue on with it after COVID, and then we had the opportunity to pick it up last year," she said. "So we are able to carry on the tradition of bringing the communities together and providing them sphere where they can enjoy themselves a family day out."

"And we pull people from all over," she said. "We had people last year from Tennessee, Madison, Indiana [and] Louisville. It's just a great day to come out and experience what Borden has to offer because we live in such a beautiful area and we're so blessed to have the park that we have."