GREENFIELD — Who scoops the ice cream has changed over the years, but the traditional Strawberry Festival staples of strawberries and shortcake — with a little accordion music thrown in — remain the same.
First Presbyterian Church’s 36th annual Strawberry Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 7 in the city parking lot at the southeast corner of South and Pennsylvania streets, south of the building at 116 W. South St. where the 164-year-old congregation meets.
Larry Von Essen, a crowd favorite of festivals past, will play accordion music for festival-goers at noon and 5 p.m. that day.
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“Larry has always been very popular,” said church member Shirley Johns. “People look forward to having him. He usually gets the crowd singing.”
The festival began as a men’s group project, and church members recall the event’s founders fondly. In October, Roby Hott, one of the early organizers who later moved to Florida, died. Other early festival leaders such as Ellsworth “Mac” McCleerey, Keith Miller and Ralph Scroggins had passed away in years before.
These days the festival is an all-church undertaking, with help from others in the community. The church received a grant from Hancock County Tourism Commission, and the congregation has invited several community organizations to help fill shifts serving at the festival.
Ann Ott, a member of the Tri Kappa chapter that meets at the church, was one such volunteer at the 2018 event.
“They have it very organized, and it’s very nice,” she said of the church members. “We were happy that they allowed us to help them. We all had a good time.”
The church’s numbers are small at the moment, with Sunday attendance often in the teens, yet the church remains active in the community. In November, for example, First Presbyterian sent 200 scarves and some hats to {span id=”fbPhotoSnowliftCaption” class=”fbPhotosPhotoCaption” data-ft=”{“}{span class=”hasCaption”}Westminster Neighborhood Services{/span}{/span} to place in Christmas baskets. The items were made by members of the String Therapy women’s group that meets monthly at the church.
Over the winter, when temperatures reached potentially dangerous lows, the church opened its doors as a warming center for those without power or heat, or for anyone needing shelter.
“Not only do they allow us to open their building as a warming center but they also give us space to store the equipment for disaster recovery and the Salvation Army Red Kettle drive,” Jim Peters, who works with both groups, wrote in an email. “Since both the Salvation Army and the Hancock County COAD are all volunteer organizations without a facility, allowing us to have space and a mailing address is critical to our continued operations.”
That community spirit extends to the festival itself. The money made over the years since it started in 1984 — multiply 1,500 pieces of shortcake by $3 or $4 a ticket — has been given to other organizations that serve the community. Over the years, church members estimate that’s added up to $50,000 to $75,000.
With ticket sales that appear on pace with previous years, church member Dennis Whitson estimates, the stage is set for another festival.
“All we need’s good sunny weather for it,” Whitson said.
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At First Presbyterian Church’s annual Strawberry Festival, church members and other volunteers serve bowls of strawberries, shortcake and ice cream to advance ticket-buyers and walk-ins 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the city parking lot south of the church. (If it rains, the event moves indoors.) Larry Von Essen will play the accordion at noon and at 5 p.m.
Advance-sale tickets are $3 each and available at McCleerey’s Sporting Goods, 22 S. State St., Greenfield, or Ye Olde Head Shoppe, 949 N. State St., Greenfield.
Tickets at the festival are $4 each.
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