85th Strawberry Festival to begin May 7

HUMBOLDT, Tenn. — Humboldt’s Strawberry Festival will be starting next week!

The 85th annual Strawberry Festival is set to kick off on Sunday, May 7 in downtown Humboldt.

The week-long event is loved by so many across West Tennessee, and there seems to be a reason why it keeps coming back every year.

“Why is it still going on? Because it’s the granddaddy of them all, and there’s something for everybody. The Strawberry Festival started back in 1934, and it has continued on. We’ve only shut down for two things and that was World War II and COVID. Other than that, we’re 85 years strong,” said Shane Lynch, the President of the West Tennessee Strawberry Festival.

Starting Sunday, there are events going on every single day from live music, fireworks, a prayer breakfast, cornhole tournament, and much more.

“The food trucks are already starting to roll into town, as you can tell. We have live music on Wednesday and Thursday night. The carnival will open on Tuesday at 5:00, weather permitting. We have Berry Idol finals on Tuesday night as well. We have a prayer breakfast on Monday morning, with the fireworks extravaganza and opening ceremony Monday night at the high school stadium,” said Anne Short, the General Chairman of the Strawberry Festival.

The week-long event brings thousands of people to Humboldt, with the largest turnouts being later in the week for the junior and grand parades.

“On Fridays and Saturdays, the estimates have been anywhere from 40-60,000,” Lynch said.

They say the festival is important because of how it brings people together.

Family reunions, class reunions, and many more people plan their schedules around the Strawberry Festival.

The festival will run from May 7 to May 13. Find the schedule here.

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