Strawberry Festival tickets available early

Tickets are on sale now for the 24th annual California Strawberry Festival, which will be held Sat. and Sun., May 19 and 20.

Advance tickets are available at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center box office, 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard, (805) 486-2424, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon. through Sat.; and at the guest services kiosk at Pacific View Mall, 3301-1 E. Main St., Ventura, (805) 642-8537, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon. through Sat..

Admission prices for the festival are adults $12, seniors 63 and older $8 and children ages 5 to 12 $5. Children ages 4 and under are free. Advance tickets are available for purchase until Fri., May 18. Proceeds will benefit Ventura County charities. Festival hours are Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The festival will feature strawberry cuisine, the Strawberry Promenade, live concerts, Strawberryland for kids, the Strawberry Hill climbing wall, star berry hunt, contests and an award-winning fine arts and crafts showcase.

The free Park-and-Ride "Strawberry Express" shuttle will be available from the Camarillo Premium Outlets, Topa Financial Plaza, Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard Transportation Center and Centerpoint Mall.

For more information, call (888) 288-9242 or visit www.strawberry-fest.org.