Pungo Strawberry Festival

DON%26#39;T GO to this rip-off, two-bit, red-neck, poorly organized joke of a festival!!! It took us 2 hours to drive 4 miles on a country road to pay $5 for a parking space in a field 3/4 mile from the festival. It%26#39;s nothing but vendors, raffles, carnival rides and over-priced strawberry desserts.

I%26#39;d rather have a root canal than ever venture to Pungo again!!

Pungo Strawberry Festival

Having lived in Va Beach since 1980 I%26#39;ve been to the Strawberry Festival several times, but we haven%26#39;t been recently. We used to take the kids when they were younger and it was good for about 2-3 hours at the most. The best time to go to avoid that traffic jam is between 9 and 10am. Once it gets close to noon, the traffic is a mess. We always enjoyed getting there early and leaving as the big crowds arrived. The Pungo area is a one stop-light town, so it%26#39;s overwhelmed when that many people arrive at once. But if you go early, you can see everything, get some strawberries and get out by noon.

Pungo Strawberry Festival

The strawberries are great, but hold the Festival, for me too!

we have been twice and we will never go back. I agree with you 100%!!

What a shame to have such a negative post on this local festival. Yes, traffic can be horrendous, and it usually is hot, crowded, and full of all the normal attractions of such an event. But it%26#39;s a LOCAL festival, never intended to be a big tourist attraction. Frankly, we love the food!! Our local farming and agriculture families have a wonderful time here, and the kids all love it. If you do your homework, you%26#39;ll know that trying to get there, AFTER the early morning hours, is pretty much IMPOSSIBLE, so us locals never even try. You have to get there first thing in the morning, and leave when you have had your fill. I am sorry you had such a terrible experience, but had you asked any true local, you%26#39;d have had an idea of what to expect.

I go every year. It highlights the diversity of Virginia Beach.

Keep in mind that this is by far the largest city in Virginia, and it is not all about the oceanfront.

There is a huge rural area in the city that is unique, given that just a few miles north is a vibrant city center.

The Strawberry Festival is a small event compared to most festivals in Virginia Beach, but it is mostly a local thing. I understand why it would be frustrating to tourists who expect a larger spectacle.