Pasadena Strawberry Festival: The Complete Guide

At a glance

• Where: Pasadena Convention Center and Municipal Fairgrounds, 7902 Fairmont Pkwy, Pasadena, TX 77507
• When: Third weekend of May, Thursday–Sunday (2026: May 14–17; 2027: May 13–16); check strawberryfest.org each year
• Hours: Typically Thu–Fri 3 PM–midnight, Sat–Sun 10 AM–midnight (Sun closes 6 PM); Buzzberry Kids Zone closes 9 PM nightly
• Cost: Adults $16; seniors and ages 11 and under $5; ages 4 and under free; Thursday admission is half price; shortcake slices $3 each
• Parking: Free on-site Thu, Fri, and Sun; Saturday: satellite parking at San Jacinto College with free shuttle to the grounds
• Time needed: Half day for a focused visit; full day for Saturday with mud volleyball, rides, and a concert

The Pasadena Strawberry Festival takes place at the Pasadena Convention Center and Municipal Fairgrounds every third weekend of May, Thursday through Sunday. The festival draws tens of thousands of visitors to 106 acres of carnival rides, live country and Tejano music, a mud volleyball tournament, and the event's signature draw: a strawberry shortcake that stretches across more than 2,000 square feet of banquet tables. Admission is $16 for adults and includes the nightly main stage concert.

The festival has run every May since 1974.

Why a city that grows no strawberries throws the state's biggest strawberry party

This is the best story at the festival, and most visitors never hear it.

After the 1900 Galveston Hurricane — still the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history — Clara Barton, then 78 years old and heading the American Red Cross, personally arranged the shipment of 1.5 million strawberry plants to Pasadena-area farmers to help them rebuild. That single relief effort turned a Gulf Coast farming town into a powerhouse. By the 1930s, 28 train carloads of strawberries per day were leaving Pasadena headed north, earning it the nickname the Strawberry Capital of the South.

The petrochemical refineries and industrial facilities that ring the city today replaced every farm decades ago. Pasadena does not grow a single commercial strawberry. The festival celebrates a farming identity that long outlasted the crop itself — and every year since 1974, the community has gathered to do it anyway.

A statue of Clara Barton stands on the festival grounds.

The giant strawberry shortcake

Volunteers begin building the shortcake on Wednesday, two days before the festival opens. Inside the convention center, they lay down hundreds of sheet cakes across 66 eight-foot banquet tables — a footprint of more than 2,000 square feet, roughly the size of a three-bedroom house floor plan. Fresh strawberries, glaze, and whipped cream go on top. The total weight typically runs around 10,000 pounds.

The shortcake tradition has continued every year since 1988. At the opening ceremony, the first slice is sold at auction — it has fetched more than $2,000 in recent years. When the festival closes Sunday, the final slice is auctioned too. All shortcake proceeds fund local student scholarships; the festival says it raises roughly $60,000 in annual scholarships this way.

Slices typically cost around $3 and go on sale to the public once the opening auction concludes; confirm pricing at strawberryfest.org before you go.

Pasadena bills the shortcake as the world's largest. The Guinness-certified record belongs to the La Trinidad Strawberry Festival in the Philippines (set in 2004). A recent Pasadena attempt came in at 18,024 pounds — short of the record, but still an 18,000-pound strawberry shortcake.

Mud volleyball

More than 160 teams compete in a mud volleyball tournament on Saturday. Players wade into knee-deep or deeper mud pools for a full tournament bracket. Spectators line the perimeter.

If you want to play, register early — teams fill quickly. If you're watching, Saturday afternoon around the mud courts is one of the more genuinely entertaining scenes at any Texas festival. Wear clothes you're willing to lose if you stand anywhere near the action.

Live music and other events

Every night's admission includes the main stage concert. The festival books country and Tejano acts — recent lineups have featured Neal McCoy, Diamond Rio, and Tracy Lawrence. Sunday is typically faith-themed programming. Performers are announced in early spring; check strawberryfest.org for the current year's lineup.

Beyond the music, the 106-acre fairgrounds pack in a BBQ cook-off, a Selena look-alike contest, mutton busting, pig races, a wine tasting tent, a beer garden, and around 300 vendors covering food, crafts, and art. For a sense of what festival carnival ride pricing looks like across Houston's big events, our Rodeo Houston carnival ride guide runs a useful comparison.

Buzzberry Kids Zone

The kids zone runs pony rides, a petting zoo, strawberry-eating contests, inflatables, and puppet shows. It closes at 9 PM nightly, earlier than the main midway and concerts. The full carnival midway stays open until midnight.

For more family ideas on the southeast side, our family activities guide covers the broader Houston area by age and season.

Tips for your visit

Thursday is the value day. Admission is half price on Thursday (around $8 for adults versus $16), crowds are lighter than the weekend, and the shortcake is at its freshest. The tradeoff: Thursday hours run 3 PM to midnight, so there is no daytime visit.

Saturday is the full experience. Mud volleyball, the biggest concert lineups, peak energy on the midway — but also peak crowds and the satellite parking setup (see below). Arrive before noon if you want the best shortcake selection and a spot close to the mud volleyball courts.

What to wear: Comfortable closed-toe shoes. If you're watching mud volleyball from close range, expect to get splashed. Players should budget for clothes they can discard.

What to bring: Cash helps for shortcake slices and smaller vendor stalls. Most food vendors and the beer garden accept cards, but craft booths may not. No golf carts are allowed on the grounds; pedicabs operate inside for getting around the 106 acres.

Beat the heat: Mid-May in Pasadena is warm and humid. Saturday and Sunday mornings before noon are cooler; Thursday evenings skip the worst of the afternoon heat entirely.

Getting there and parking

The Pasadena Convention Center and Municipal Fairgrounds sit at 7902 Fairmont Pkwy at Red Bluff Rd., Pasadena, TX 77507, roughly 20 miles southeast of downtown Houston.

Thursday, Friday, and Sunday: Free parking is available on-site at the fairgrounds.

Saturday: On-site parking closes. All vehicles go to San Jacinto College (typically the South Campus, 13735 Beamer Rd., Pasadena), with a free shuttle running continuously to and from the festival. Budget 15–20 minutes for the shuttle ride each way, and plan for longer waits if you arrive after noon when it's busiest.

RV parking is available on-site. Check the official site for the current year's lot location and any overnight fees.

Nearby strawberry picking

Pasadena no longer grows commercial strawberries, but u-pick farms do exist about 25 miles south of Houston. Froberg's Farm in Alvin (3601 Highway 6, Alvin, TX 77511) typically offers u-pick strawberries from late January through mid-May at $5 per pound, plus a $5 per-person entry fee (ages 2+) and a $2 reusable bucket. The farm is open 8 AM–6 PM daily; picking closes at 5 PM with last entry at 4:30 PM. Call ahead at (281) 585-3531 before driving — the season ends when berries run out, and rain can close the fields on short notice.

Froberg's is about 30 minutes from the Pasadena Fairgrounds. A good combination: drive to the farm on a Saturday morning when fields are freshest, then head to the festival in the afternoon for the mud volleyball and evening concert.

After the festival: what else is nearby

Pasadena sits minutes from the Clear Lake area, Kemah, and the start of the run to Galveston.

• [Kemah Boardwalk](/things-to-do/kemah-boardwalk-guide) is 10 miles south — rides, seafood, and waterfront dining on Galveston Bay. An easy add-on before or after the festival.
• [Things to do in Clear Lake](/things-to-do/things-to-do-clear-lake-tx) includes Space Center Houston and waterfront parks within 15 minutes of the fairgrounds.
• [Restaurants in Clear Lake](/food-dining/best-restaurants-clear-lake-tx) has the closest sit-down dining options if you want a meal after the festival.
• For a longer day: the [Galveston day trip guide](/travel-lodging/galveston-day-trip-guide) covers the beach and historic Strand district, about 40 miles from Pasadena.

For more spring events, see spring festivals in Houston and the full Houston festivals by month calendar.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Pasadena Strawberry Festival?

The Pasadena Strawberry Festival is an annual four-day outdoor event held every third weekend of May at the Pasadena Convention Center and Municipal Fairgrounds (7902 Fairmont Pkwy, Pasadena, TX). It has run since 1974 and features a giant strawberry shortcake, mud volleyball, carnival rides, live music, and around 300 vendors.

When is the Pasadena Strawberry Festival?

The festival takes place Thursday through Sunday on the third weekend of May each year. In 2026, dates are May 14–17; in 2027, May 13–16. Check strawberryfest.org for the official dates each year.

How much does it cost to get into the Pasadena Strawberry Festival?

Adults pay $16; seniors and children 11 and under pay $5; children 4 and under are free. Thursday admission is half price. All nightly main stage concerts are included in admission. Shortcake slices cost $3 each and are purchased separately inside.

How big is the strawberry shortcake at the Pasadena Strawberry Festival?

The shortcake typically covers more than 2,000 square feet — laid across 66 eight-foot banquet tables inside the convention center — and weighs around 10,000 pounds in most years. It has been built every year since 1988. Slices cost $3 each; the first and last slices are auctioned to fund student scholarships.

Is there free parking at the Pasadena Strawberry Festival?

Yes, on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, parking is free on-site at the fairgrounds. On Saturday, all parking shifts to a satellite lot at San Jacinto College with a free shuttle running to and from the festival. Plan extra time for the shuttle ride on Saturday afternoons.

Where can you pick strawberries near Houston?

Froberg's Farm in Alvin, TX (3601 Highway 6, about 25 miles south of Houston) typically offers u-pick strawberries from late January through mid-May at $5 per pound, plus a $5 per-person entry fee (ages 2+). Call (281) 585-3531 before going — the season ends when berries run out. Pasadena itself no longer has commercial strawberry farms.