MARYSVILLE, Wash. — Update: After a "strawberry uptick," Harvold Berry Farm in Carnation was able to open Sat., June 18.
As organizers set up for the first Marysville Strawberry Festival in three years on Friday, vendors found themselves pondering the unthinkable.
"Well, I hope there's enough strawberries for people who want to show up and eat them. That would be nice," said Joe Sahli, who operates Faultline Rocks and Minerals.
Cold, wet weather has pushed back the strawberry harvest this year by about two weeks.
It should be peak season at Bailey Farm in Snohomish and their five acres should be filled with people picking their own berries. Instead, the farm is closed; the fields are empty, and you're lucky to find a single ripe berry.
You could call this "strawberry fields for later."
"It's going to be OK," said the farm's Elizabeth Bailey. "People are just going to have to wait. I wish we could be open, but you just never know with the weather."
Back at the Marysville festival, most of the traditional events will continue as usual, but there will be few, if any, fresh strawberries available. There will still be plenty of strawberry shortcake, but it'll be made with frozen fruit.
Then there is the matter of the weather. More cold and rain is expected.
After two years of COVID-19 restrictions, however, vendors are simply happy to be here at all.
"You always learn a little bit more each time it rains," said Sahli. "You just move back in your tent a little bit more and have an extra cup of coffee."
The festival has been a tradition in Snohomish County for 90 years. It has only been canceled twice. The other time was for World War II.
Festival President Gail Frost said nothing is going to stop it this year.
"I don't think anything is gonna stop the crowds," Frost said. "I don't think anything is gonna stop the kids from coming to the carnival. People are so excited about it. You can't stop the strawberry festival just because there are no strawberries."