California Strawberry Festival Is Berry-licious

Ian, CC and I were invited to the California Strawberry Festival in Oxnard.

From strawberry shortcake to strawberry nachos and strawberry popcorn, the aptly named California Strawberry Festival offered lots of unconventional options to fans of the ripe, red berry.

And, don't forget about the chocolate-dipped variety.

It was a surprisingly chilly day on Saturday, when CC, Ian and I drove up the Pacific Coast Highway to Oxnard, but that didn't stop us from partaking in the food-alicious fun as well as a little magic show for the kiddo.

There were tons of tents and vendors at the festival, which also offered more conventional fare including hamburgers, hot dogs and kabobs, but our first stop was, of course, the strawberry shortcake tent.

Now that was a dangerous place. For $5, you could make your own dish, and I have to admit that I was tempted to pile on the strawberry goodness, Mongolian BBQ-style -- but I refrained. Ian CC and I did dive right in, whipped cream and all, and we were on a sugar high for the rest of the fest.

We opted out of the rides because the lines were super long, but we were able to catch a lively magic show in the Jest for Fun tent. CC sat right up front and several times tried to hop on stage while Godfrey the Magician worked his magic.

Lucky for him, though, there was toddler security -- a very nice young woman who encouraged the kids to stay seated and not storm the stage.

But perhaps the most special treat for CC -- and a great capper for the day, in addition to the chocolate-dipped strawberries -- was a photo op with the *real* Strawberry Shortcake, who acted as the festival's Berryfest Princess.