[Regorp]

Originally Posted by HIgolfers

Resident for 6 years. Have never been. This year have family visiting so sent them to Strawberry Festival Sat morning at 10 am. They couldn’t find parking- said it was total mob scene. So my question is how early do you have to arrive?

Arrived at 10:15, left when no parking and saw mix of young and old. Maybe this 2 day festival need one day villagers then 2nd day outsiders. May alleviate some parking issue or need a shuttle system. Move it to May, when full timers can get in avoiding snowbird season.

[Djean1981]

I guess, the early bird... 🐦

[Chi-Town]

Using my visits to the Taste of Chicago event as a benchmark, I consider my day at the Strawberry Festival yesterday to be nicely populated.

[Indydealmaker]

This does not sound different from any other "free" event ! Street fairs, Plant City Strawberry Festival, State Fair, fireworks display, etc. Why all of the angst?

[LarryD]

It seems like a lot of people want to show up early. Most people stay an hour or two. We go a little later. No problem with parking.

[Javin53]

With size of TV ever increasing plus outsiders it is time to move these events to places like the PoloGrounds.

Not worth the effort any longer

[PugMom]

in the 5 years we've been here, so far the strawberry fest is one of the biggest events of the year. (the crows get bigger it seems too, lol.) to enjoy it also depends on how far you can walk or be active. i knew better this year-gave $$ to my kid & had her get the strawberries for me. these berries are AMAZING! juicy, tender & fresh. i can suggest going by golf cart if you have one, there are few places to park once the lots are filled up. be prepared what to expect for next year, should you decide to attend--don't let the crowds deter you from a wonderful day.

[TerryCamlin]

I rode my bike down Meggison vs even trying to compete with all of the golf carts at 2 pm. Normally I just ride paths. I go to Genesis and had a class at 2 so I wandered for a bit around the square. It was packed but there was absolutely nothing there that was really special except a lot of people and a lot of noise. I want to do take out with Cousins Lobster but I do not think that is even possible. They would not be able to yell out your name when your order was ready and you would have to wait in line anyway. Here full time 3+ years. I avoid these events because parking is hard and they are not that great.

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I feel like I'm reading posts from people who've never been to opening day at a county fair. So here's a tip for everyone for the next time around:

If you want to avoid traffic, don't go to these things at all. There will be traffic. Especially since this is snowbird season, AND this is the kind of event that attracts people who don't live in the Villages, but rather live within an hour of the Villages.

Also - don't ever go to the big yearly Mt. Dora Crafts festival. If you were ever thinking about it, stop thinking about it. It's not an option for you.

Next - if you want to go opening day, avoid the opening hour. There is no need or reason to be the first people there. It runs til 4pm. I took Buena Vista down from El Camino Real and had -no- problem with traffic the entire way on the golf cart paths. But I left home after 11, and got to Brownwood sometime between 12:00 and 12:30. I didn't try parking in any of the lots, I just parked along the grassy bank beside the golf cart path with a bunch of other folks. There was plenty of room, and it was only around a block away from the center of the square.

IF you get there at lunch time, make sure you have a little bite of something before leaving home. You might need to wait in line for the food trucks and you don't need your blood sugar to take a dive while you're standing still on hot pavement with no place to sit for a half hour.

Bring a bottle/thermos with cold water in it. Bring your own small canvas bag with handles. Keep the bottle in the bag so you don't have to hold it in your hand the whole time. You can then use the small bag for smaller purchases, as sometimes vendors run out of bags - plus you really don't need one of their bags if you bring your own. You know you're going to buy stuff. Bring a bag.

Go to the bathroom before leaving the house. If you don't have to go, drink some water, and wait until you do have to go. And then go. THEN leave the house. And bring more water with you. Dehydration or needing to take a wiz while you're waiting a half hour in line for food is no joke.

DO NOT BRING YOUR DOG unless it's a) an ACTUAL service dog and b) wearing something to protect its feet (you can buy dog booties online). The dogs here today looked like they were ALL overwhelmed by the crowds and some of them were visibly suffering from standing on the hot pavement (the blacktop roads can get to temperatures over 140° - you try standing on that pavement barefoot and see how well you like it). It's just flat out cruel to bring your pet to a crowded pavement fair. If it was a county fair on actual fairgrounds with shaded grassy areas to sit on, it'd be different. But it's not. So don't do it. If you need a "comfort" animal with you at all times, then assume you won't be comfortable at this fair, and just stay home.

Can't reinforce enough your suggestion to leave dogs at home; dogs cool off through their tongues (i.e. panting) and the pads of their feet. Walking on hot pavement sends heat the wrong way. Very, very uncomfortable for the dog if not outright dangerous.

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Originally Posted by geobar

You bought a home there.
.
Now you finally know the "Morse Clan" only does things for their own benefit.
.
Look at all the houses built South of CR-44. Amazingly with nothing to do except drive North of CR-44. Guess what with nowhere to park.
.
"The Villages" was originally built by building all enmities to draw purchases. For the last 6 years or so. NO. NO. NO. Only sell homes to line the "Morse" pockets..
.
Why dont they spend the money to build more Town Squares like "Spanish Springs", "Lake Sumter Landing," and the last one built was "Brownwood" which opened in October of 2012. That was almost 11 years ago.
.
However, they never stopped selling homes, have they? Many new purchasers are unhappy and move North of CR-44 or out of The Villages completely.
.
Shameful of the "Morse Money Hungry Moguls"
.

Let me know if you receive any demerit points for this post; I suspect that such information might irritate the Developer and his Moderator.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by Regorp

Move it to May, when full timers can get in avoiding snowbird season.

So is what you’re saying is that some Villages homeowners are more important than others? I supposed the Strawberry Harvest season should be moved to May as well?

[walterray1]

Originally Posted by geobar

You bought a home there.
.
Now you finally know the "Morse Clan" only does things for their own benefit.
.
Look at all the houses built South of CR-44. Amazingly with nothing to do except drive North of CR-44. Guess what with nowhere to park.
.
"The Villages" was originally built by building all enmities to draw purchases. For the last 6 years or so. NO. NO. NO. Only sell homes to line the "Morse" pockets..
.
Why dont they spend the money to build more Town Squares like "Spanish Springs", "Lake Sumter Landing," and the last one built was "Brownwood" which opened in October of 2012. That was almost 11 years ago.
.
However, they never stopped selling homes, have they? Many new purchasers are unhappy and move North of CR-44 or out of The Villages completely.
.
Shameful of the "Morse Money Hungry Moguls"
.

Geez, Morse only mentioned 3 times.

[Lancer]

Originally Posted by bimmertl

I checked, they sell strawberries at Public.

It’s Publix.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Cobullymom

Just in case you need a babysitter to guide your every move..

Apparently some people do.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

& you can stay at home and listen to the transistor radio rather than go to a square for live music.

You can use zoom or other online apps to communicate with people outside your house, and order delivery service so you don't have to go out to the stores at all.

Fairs are festive occasions - the PURPOSE of them is two-fold: 1) to get vendors and customers together, sampling wares, touching fabrics, seeing the goods and 2) to be in big crowds where everyone comes on purpose to be excited about something of a common interest.

If either of these two things aren't of interest to someone, then they should just- not go. They'd be wasting their time, and they'd be another body taking up space at the fair that could be occupied by someone who WANTS to be there.