Strawberry Fair begins today in Heredia

April 11^th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) If you love strawberries, you should find your way to Heredia.  Today until Sunday, Vara Blanca de Heredia will host its third annual Strawberry Fair.

The country’s largest strawberry-producing area welcomes visitors each year to the fair, dedicated to the delicious fruit grown in the mountains between Heredia and Alajuela by about 120 small and medium producers, who will be offering their product at competitive prices during the fair.

Today is a national holiday in Costa Rica, Juan Santamaria Day, which makes for an excellent excuse to visit the fair, which will be offering activities such as marimba music, piñatas, and some fun contests – including a strawberry-eating contest and the traditional “strawberry war.”

On Sunday, you can have a slice of the largest strawberry cake every made in the country.

In addition to the strawberries – which go for an average of 1,000 colones per kilo, farmers will also offer other local products, such as milk and vegetables.

Strawberries are produced throughout the year in the area, usually in greenhouses.  The Ministry of Agriculture estimates that 55 tons of fruit are produced per hectare each year, 75 hectares of which are planted in Vara Blanca and the surrounding area.