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LOS ANGELES – The annual California Strawberry Festival is returning to the Ventura County Fairgrounds May 17-18, and Southern California’s regional passenger rail system, Metrolink, will once again modify service to accommodate attendees. Throughout the weekend, Metrolink’s Ventura County Line trains will bypass the Ventura-East Station and will instead stop at the fairgrounds-adjacent Ventura-Downtown/Beach Station, allowing for easy access to the festivities.

“The California Strawberry Festival is a beloved annual tradition in Ventura County, attracting thousands of attendees from all over the region,” Metrolink Board Second Vice Chair and Camarillo City Councilmember Tony Trembley said. “By providing convenient train travel that drops passengers off right at the event’s doorstep, Metrolink is making this unique, fun-filled experience more accessible for families and strawberry enthusiasts traveling from near and far.”

Festival attendees can take advantage of Metrolink’s $10 Weekend Day Pass promotion, which provides unlimited rides on the day of purchase. On weekends, kids 17 and under also ride free with a paying adult.

Metrolink trains are scheduled to arrive at the Ventura-Downtown/Beach Station each day at 12:19 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. and depart at 12:53 p.m. and 4:14 p.m. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains also serve the fairgrounds, providing more options for Metrolink ticketholders thanks to an ongoing codeshare program valid for travel between Los Angeles and Ventura. Throughout the weekend, Pacific Surfliner will allow up to three children (ages 12 and younger) to ride free with each paying adult.

In its 39^th year, the California Strawberry Festival celebrates Ventura County’s leading crop with more than 50 onsite food and drink vendors cooking up strawberry-inspired creations like strawberry popcorn, kabobs, nachos, infused beverages, deep-fried strawberries, and a ‘build-your-own’ shortcake option. Beyond food, live entertainment for all ages, including music, puppet and magic shows, carnival rides and artist displays, round out the experience.

Gates open each day at 10 a.m. More information about Metrolink’s special service for this event is available at metrolinktrains.com/strawberry-festival.

For Metrolink b-roll, click here, for California Strawberry Festival b-roll, click here