It’s that time of year again—when everything is ripe and juicy and berrylicious. The scent of strawberries is in the air, and not just because the round red fruits are in season. There are strawberry festivals popping up all across the country—be sure to find and hit yours or you’ll be sorry you missed it!

I don’t know how the strawberry festival near you works, but the one near us is always heavenly. Sure, it’s hot outside, but the homemade strawberry lemonade (doesn’t that just make your mouth water?) makes it all worth it. Plus, there are bushels of ripe strawberries ready for purchase—along with strawberry ice cream, strawberry pie, and of course, my favorite, strawberry shortcake. Strawberry festivals are a strawberry lover’s dream!

Of course, most festivals have plenty of other things for fair goers to enjoy. Ours, for example, has a ton of merchants who set up to sell things—everything from charm bracelets to lotions to crafts to clothes—packed way too tightly together beneath white tents. There is always a band that usually (and unfortunately, at least for us) plays country music, though they’ll usually throw in some golden oldies, too. Rides, a petting zoo, games, and other attractions are usually held at our festival, as well as an open house at the local venues. Since ours takes place in an historic town filled with quaint shops and eateries, there’s the added bonus of their presence—and of course, they all make use of strawberries, too! It’s just that good.

If you have an historic village or town that runs a festival near you (or even within a day’s drive), I highly recommend attending. Even if country-style stuff isn’t really your cup of tea, the food and beverages will make it worth it (not to mention the cool stuff you might find for people on your holiday list, or even Father’s Day coming up). Our festival always has a homemade root beer stand as well as a homemade chips booth—both are culinary treats you simply cannot miss.

But oh the strawberries—that’s what the festival is all about! So if you absolutely cannot attend a strawberry festival near you, you can always just buy a pint of red deliciousness and indulge at home. Prepare your own festival with your own preferred style of music and strawberry recipes. Experiment with homemade strawberry lemonade, as well as fruity cocktails and strawberry cake.