By Flora Xia | Posted May 31, 2022
The Montgomery Strawberry Festival isn’t your average community event. Sure, there’s food and live entertainment, even a silent auction. Yet, between the bustling crowds of people, you might notice something surprising.
The people selling and collecting the tickets, serving the food, and running the event aren’t adults, but a group of about 70 strong-minded boys in tan and green uniforms.
On Sunday, June 12 from 12 to 5 pm, Montgomery Scout Troop 46 will host its 54th annual Strawberry Festival at the Lower Middle School Cafetorium.
First held in 1966 by Troop 46, the festival is a family-friendly event featuring games, food, and live performances. The Strawberry Festival provides an opportunity for scouts, particularly those older, to foster and display their leadership skills.
“46 is a scout-led troop,” Michael Babler, a troop leader from Montgomery Township, says. “All the leadership from the very top level through the lower levels is run by the scouts. My [only] job is to guide them through the program.”
Tickets are five dollars and can be purchased online through the troop’s social media, a current Troop 46 member, or seven dollars at the door. Proceeds go to the troop to help fund future activities.
The festival will feature live entertainment provided by the Blawenburg Band and two Montgomery School District band ensembles.
To affirm its popularity, the Strawberry Festival reached up to 4,000 attendees in 2019, the most recent year it was hosted. Troop 46 Board of Directors member Justin Mayer notes that community turnout is particularly crucial this year with respect to meeting goals for fundraising.
The Strawberry Festival is one of two large fundraisers hosted by Troop 46 throughout the year. Funds are required to pay for supplies, materials, and outings such as the troop’s monthly campouts. “We need this year’s event to be a success,” Mayer says.
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Troop 46 is still currently accepting item donations for their silent auction and support from local businesses to cover recent inflation costs.
Yet beyond that, Mayer adds, “The Strawberry Festival has been going on for over five decades. It’s multi-generational, appeals to both the very young and the very old. I’m most excited to see everybody come back together as a community once again.” ■
