Strawberry Festival returns for 36th year with lots of food vendors, activities

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Jay Santillo has fried dough and funnel cakes ready at the Santillo’s concessions stand at the Strawberry Festival. Santillo’s has been a vendor at the Strawberry Fest for about 15 years. They come from Prattsburgh. They also have blooming onions, sausage and lemonade.

“We love the Strawberry Fest,” Santillo said the Albion event.

He didn’t mind a little rain around noon.

“The weather doesn’t bother us,” he said. “We’re here for the people.”

Scott Mann of Mann vs. Food in Albion checks the pork belly burnt ends in the smoker. Mann started a food vendor at the Strawberry Festival in 2019. Last year he sold out of everything.

He has scaled back his events this year, but didn’t want to miss the local festival.

“It’s our hometown,” he said.

Bob Renko of Kendall has been a vendor at the Strawberry Festival for about a dozen years. He is at his concessions stand in the food court with his wife Cathy. Renko, 78, owns Renko’s Meat Processing.

He has reduced his schedule this year, but like Mann, kept the Strawberry Fest on the short list.

Today’s schedule includes:

• Food court and craft booths open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Family Fun Center open from 3 to 8 p.m. with “I Got It!” and face painting, Jeff Mann Drums, bounce houses, caricatures, trackless train and other kids’ games.
• Chicken barbecue and strawberry social from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
• Sky Cats band from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at food court
• Kendall Community Band from 5 to 7 p.m. at courthouse
• Triple Play band from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at food court
• Ryan Klatt Duo from 7 to 9 p.m. on Main Street at Marti’s on Main art gallery

Click here to see the schedule for Saturday, including the parade at 10 a.m.