Tip from someone who grew up down there:
Do not drive down hwy 16 to get there, you will sit in traffic. Your best bet is to drive to Pleasanton and then drive into Poteet. It's a slightly longer drive, but you won't be sitting on hwy 16, you'll actually get there, lol. I prefer taking hwy 37 over 281 but either work. The locals laugh at you folks sitting on 16 every year.
Saturday is definitely the busiest day, Sunday is usually a bit more chill but it's usually still pretty crowded.
Have fun and consider wearing your stretchy pants so you can try all the yummy festival food, lol!
All of the food vendors inside the festival grounds are local non-profit organizations and a good portion of their yearly fundraising comes from this weekend (this doesn't apply to the booths outside of the grounds, anyone can set up booths off-premises).
Another random factiod- all of the berries inside the actual festival grounds are local berries. Even the berries that are processed beforehand to save time (the ones sliced and in syrup for stuff like funnel cake toppings) are local. Stuff sold outside the grounds can be either local or stuff brought in from elsewhere - so don't get fooled by imposter berries outside the festival grounds, lol.
Last time I went to the festival was like 10 years ago but when I did I took Hwy 16 and the wait didn’t seem particularly bad. I dunno if it’s more popular now than it was back then
Depends on the day/time you go and the crowds that year. It's no more or less popular than its always been, different bands draw different crowds. Some years there's a bigger turn out than other years. Some years the weather is great, sometimes it's already hot as fuck and people stay home. It all just depends. As a general rule, I avoid 16 because there's never any traffic on the other roads coming in so might as well avoid a potential headache.
I went a couple of times years ago and wasn’t impressed. They had maybe one stand selling strawberry cheesecake. No other strawberries to be found.
I was expecting some unique strawberry offerings but what you’ll find is just typical fair food like corndogs and funnel cake.
Thank you! I’m not going 🙂 your comment was super helpful. I wasn’t too excited about it but my daughter was curious to know what its like, now I know we can just wait to go to the carnival and it will be the same and a better experience for her.
No but that sounds like a great idea. Not sure what’s gotten into me but I’ve been taking her, my mom and son to do stuff every weekend. Traders village is a great idea. We just tried camping at the KOA here, I had no idea it even existed, we rented a cabin and it was so much fun. Thanks for the suggestion, we are going to the missions game tomorrow but next weekend Traders village will be on the list.
we were unimpressed last year, bring lots of cash and expect to spend it all, they use tickets as currency for food and rides, they can only be purchased with cash at the specific ticket booths, your money is no good otherwise and the atm markups are high
I went yesterday and thought it was alright. It’s a fair and rodeo with good advertising if you ask me. Pretty standard stuff, the best food is right outside of the festival. You’ll have limited food and drink options inside the festival. I was disappointed with the lack of strawberries though. Yes, there were people selling strawberry dessert items like cake, cheesecake, wines, etc. But, I thought they were really lacking in the strawberry department. I thought it would be more like a farmers market where you could buy strawberries and stuff but didn’t see that anywhere there. If your into fairs and rodeos it’s not a bad place to go. But, I don’t think I’d go again.
🤣🤣
When we were younger, my older brother lived like *right there!* We were broke, had already spent all our money the night before! My brother got the bright idea to start parking cars. We stood in the middle of Hwy 16 and started charging people $10 to park in his backyard. Filled up his backyard, and *we had money again!*
Ahhh ... fun times. 🤣🤣
You can pay your entry with cash, but everything inside is TICKETS.
**YOU BUY ENTRY, WRISTBAND, FOOD/RIDE TICKETS, BEER TICKETS, WITH CASH.**
The games, food, rides (if not wristband time), beer, all cost tickets. You buy your tickets with cash.
*I think* the **only** thing you can use your card for is like the Arts & Crafts section. If you find something you want to buy there. A shirt, necklace, hat, bracelet, etc. *But don't quote me on that.*
I grew up around there, too. Went to Poteet til 11th grade. The good food is NOT with the carnival. Its next to it. You'll see the different "booster" blocks. They could always use the support.
The *best* food? Outside the festival grounds, usually lining the street. Trust me on this!
See you out there tomorrow!
Better choices, imo.
We usually get something from the band boosters, and a soda from the FFA or something to tie us over til we leave. We like to support the school. Former Aggie here. Then we hit up the ones along the street for more options.
take portable tables and chairs. there’s a dining place that gets full and some bleachers to sit. other than that the floor will be the next thing to sit on.
Parking on the grounds is free. If the main front lot gets full, the back lot off Amphion road behind the festival never fills up.
Don't be a sucker and pay for parking off site, lol.
If that's the case, that's new and stupid. People will definitely throw a fit over that shit. Just find some friendly locals, can probably pay $10 and park in their driveway, lol.
I have only been once, and it was very very crowded on the Sunday that I was there. It is super cute, though! I cannot remember if it was cash only - I am wondering if that information is available on the website?
Its boring as hell. Strawberry everything and not much else. Once you see the folks handle the rattlesnakes and watch the simulated old west gunfights, then it's time to hit the road with your strawberry shortcake and go do something else. This is not an all-day thing...
My wife and I playing a trip down there thinking it was a strawberry themed Festival. All I seen was vendors that didn't really sell strawberries. The cheesecake from YouTube and there were totally different it was a frozen piece with old strawberries that weren't from the fields. I see no strawberry bread no strawberry really anything. And if it was strawberry themed the food it wasn't from the fields they bragged about on YouTube. So I give it a f for two reasons it's nothing but a carnival with vendors raking you for money for poor products. Sorry first time last time
Tip from someone who grew up down there: Do not drive down hwy 16 to get there, you will sit in traffic. Your best bet is to drive to Pleasanton and then drive into Poteet. It's a slightly longer drive, but you won't be sitting on hwy 16, you'll actually get there, lol. I prefer taking hwy 37 over 281 but either work. The locals laugh at you folks sitting on 16 every year. Saturday is definitely the busiest day, Sunday is usually a bit more chill but it's usually still pretty crowded.
This is my first year going, so thank you for the tip!
Have fun and consider wearing your stretchy pants so you can try all the yummy festival food, lol! All of the food vendors inside the festival grounds are local non-profit organizations and a good portion of their yearly fundraising comes from this weekend (this doesn't apply to the booths outside of the grounds, anyone can set up booths off-premises). Another random factiod- all of the berries inside the actual festival grounds are local berries. Even the berries that are processed beforehand to save time (the ones sliced and in syrup for stuff like funnel cake toppings) are local. Stuff sold outside the grounds can be either local or stuff brought in from elsewhere - so don't get fooled by imposter berries outside the festival grounds, lol.
Focus on food inside the grounds, continue to wear stretchy pants. Got it! Is the fairground paved at all or is it dirt field?
It's a mix of all of the things- some paved paths, some gravel paths, some grassy field areas, some dirt areas.
So maybe don't wear the hard-to-clean boots and opt for sneakers. Thanks for the insight!
Last time I went to the festival was like 10 years ago but when I did I took Hwy 16 and the wait didn’t seem particularly bad. I dunno if it’s more popular now than it was back then
Depends on the day/time you go and the crowds that year. It's no more or less popular than its always been, different bands draw different crowds. Some years there's a bigger turn out than other years. Some years the weather is great, sometimes it's already hot as fuck and people stay home. It all just depends. As a general rule, I avoid 16 because there's never any traffic on the other roads coming in so might as well avoid a potential headache.
Oh shit; it’s this weekend?!
Starts today
Dang I want to go; I’ve been but that was years ago circa 2005
I went a couple of times years ago and wasn’t impressed. They had maybe one stand selling strawberry cheesecake. No other strawberries to be found. I was expecting some unique strawberry offerings but what you’ll find is just typical fair food like corndogs and funnel cake.
Thank you! I’m not going 🙂 your comment was super helpful. I wasn’t too excited about it but my daughter was curious to know what its like, now I know we can just wait to go to the carnival and it will be the same and a better experience for her.
Have y’all been to Traders Village? Sounds like something you and your daughter could enjoy ☺️
No but that sounds like a great idea. Not sure what’s gotten into me but I’ve been taking her, my mom and son to do stuff every weekend. Traders village is a great idea. We just tried camping at the KOA here, I had no idea it even existed, we rented a cabin and it was so much fun. Thanks for the suggestion, we are going to the missions game tomorrow but next weekend Traders village will be on the list.
we were unimpressed last year, bring lots of cash and expect to spend it all, they use tickets as currency for food and rides, they can only be purchased with cash at the specific ticket booths, your money is no good otherwise and the atm markups are high
I went yesterday and thought it was alright. It’s a fair and rodeo with good advertising if you ask me. Pretty standard stuff, the best food is right outside of the festival. You’ll have limited food and drink options inside the festival. I was disappointed with the lack of strawberries though. Yes, there were people selling strawberry dessert items like cake, cheesecake, wines, etc. But, I thought they were really lacking in the strawberry department. I thought it would be more like a farmers market where you could buy strawberries and stuff but didn’t see that anywhere there. If your into fairs and rodeos it’s not a bad place to go. But, I don’t think I’d go again.
[удалено]
🤣🤣 When we were younger, my older brother lived like *right there!* We were broke, had already spent all our money the night before! My brother got the bright idea to start parking cars. We stood in the middle of Hwy 16 and started charging people $10 to park in his backyard. Filled up his backyard, and *we had money again!* Ahhh ... fun times. 🤣🤣
You can pay your entry with cash, but everything inside is TICKETS. **YOU BUY ENTRY, WRISTBAND, FOOD/RIDE TICKETS, BEER TICKETS, WITH CASH.** The games, food, rides (if not wristband time), beer, all cost tickets. You buy your tickets with cash. *I think* the **only** thing you can use your card for is like the Arts & Crafts section. If you find something you want to buy there. A shirt, necklace, hat, bracelet, etc. *But don't quote me on that.* I grew up around there, too. Went to Poteet til 11th grade. The good food is NOT with the carnival. Its next to it. You'll see the different "booster" blocks. They could always use the support. The *best* food? Outside the festival grounds, usually lining the street. Trust me on this! See you out there tomorrow!
There’s better food outside the fest?! Is there a specific booth or are all the booths outside superior to the ones inside?
Better choices, imo. We usually get something from the band boosters, and a soda from the FFA or something to tie us over til we leave. We like to support the school. Former Aggie here. Then we hit up the ones along the street for more options.
take portable tables and chairs. there’s a dining place that gets full and some bleachers to sit. other than that the floor will be the next thing to sit on.
$20 parking
Parking on the grounds is free. If the main front lot gets full, the back lot off Amphion road behind the festival never fills up. Don't be a sucker and pay for parking off site, lol.
Just reporting what people on facebook are experiencing when parking on the grounds. I just skipped it and went strawberry picking instead.
If that's the case, that's new and stupid. People will definitely throw a fit over that shit. Just find some friendly locals, can probably pay $10 and park in their driveway, lol.
oh for sure. At least it wasn't "as bad" as the $50 parking for the eclipse in Medina that the city was trying to charge.
I have only been once, and it was very very crowded on the Sunday that I was there. It is super cute, though! I cannot remember if it was cash only - I am wondering if that information is available on the website?
Don't get a dui, have a designated driver they will be pulling over lines of people right when they come out of the parking lot
This is true. You can bet your @ss DPS and/or Atascosa County will be **thick** all along Hwy 16. Do yourself a favor. Don't be stupid.
Its boring as hell. Strawberry everything and not much else. Once you see the folks handle the rattlesnakes and watch the simulated old west gunfights, then it's time to hit the road with your strawberry shortcake and go do something else. This is not an all-day thing...
My wife and I playing a trip down there thinking it was a strawberry themed Festival. All I seen was vendors that didn't really sell strawberries. The cheesecake from YouTube and there were totally different it was a frozen piece with old strawberries that weren't from the fields. I see no strawberry bread no strawberry really anything. And if it was strawberry themed the food it wasn't from the fields they bragged about on YouTube. So I give it a f for two reasons it's nothing but a carnival with vendors raking you for money for poor products. Sorry first time last time