Long Grove’s annual tribute to strawberries starts Friday at the annual Strawberry Fest.

Strawberry Fest is the granddaddy of Long Grove’s signature festivals, drawing thousands of music-loving, food-loving, and fun-loving visitors to the historic business district for the three-day event. It is considered one of the premier outdoor festivals in the Chicagoland area, according to Long Grove Business and Community Partners website.

Strawberry Fest runs from Friday, June 22, through Sunday, June 24. Enjoy  chocolate covered strawberries, fruit smoothies, and other strawberry drinks, ice creams, strawberry donuts, baked goods and, of course, the farm-fresh berries themselves.

A special event planned for this year's fest is the old-fashioined pie eating contest, which will run on Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

"It will be an old-fashioned pie eating contest, hands behind your back, no utensils," said Rachel Perkal, president of Long Grove Business and Community Partners. There will be two divisions, celebrity and rookie. The celebrity contestants will include Long Grove Village President Maria Rodriguez. The pies are donated by a new bakery in Long Grove, M. Belles, and Sunset Foods. 

Perkal said Strawberry fest gets about 20,000 visitors on a good weekend, depending on weather.

Free live entertainment throughout the fest includes acoustic guitar, Irish American, Latin rhythms, country and classic rock. Most of Long Grove’s many shops, galleries, cafes, and restaurants offer variations of strawberry-themed foods, drinks, and merchandise.

Kids will find plenty of activities as well including  kiddie rides, face painting and outdoor activities and tents full of family and education-oriented products.

There’s even a Long Grove Strawberry Pageant for little girls, boys and babies, put on by Illinois Natural Pageants.

For more information on Strawberry Fest, visit the website.