Summerlin, farmers market to host annual Strawberry Festival

The public is invited to attend the inaugural Summerlin Strawberry Festival May 15 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the weekly farmers market at The Gardens Park, located in Summerlin at 10401 Gardens Park Drive near Town Center Drive and Desert Inn Road.

Admission to the festival is free and will feature family-friendly activities celebrating strawberries, including a toss, race, recipe competition, chef demonstrations by students at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Las Vegas and a shortcake-eating contest. Additional children’s activities include a bounce house, face painter, balloon artist and visits from Summerlin Sam, the master-planned community’s mascot.

The event is hosted by the Las Vegas Farmers Market LLC and The Summerlin Council, the nonprofit arm of the Summerlin Community Association.

“It’s been a tremendous year for strawberries,” said Steve Johnson, event coordinator. “The recent weather variations, including this year’s freeze, improved the growing conditions for strawberries, making this year’s crop especially sweet and delicious. It’s the perfect year for our inaugural Summerlin Strawberry Festival.”

The weekly Las Vegas Farmers Market brings fresh produce and homemade products from vendors throughout the western United States to The Gardens Park every Tuesday. Regularly featured items include fresh fruits, vegetables, soaps, lotions and other beauty products in addition to a variety of crafts — from candles and scrapbooks to handcrafted jewelry.

“The weekly farmers market is a favorite Summerlin activity,” said Lezlie Barnson-DeNardin, community relations director for The Summerlin Council. “Many residents enjoy the opportunity to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, delicious food and unique crafts and gifts — right in their own backyard. It’s just one more benefit to living in Summerlin.”

For more information on the farmers market, visit lasvegasfarmersmarket.com or call 562-2676.

Developed by The Howard Hughes Corp., an affiliate of General Growth Properties Inc., Summerlin began to take shape in 1990. It is a 22,500-acre master-planned community located along the western rim of the Las Vegas Valley. Featuring a number of amenities, the community is home to more than 95,000 residents, with 7,500 acres still to develop, including its urban core, Summerlin Centre.

The community is home to more than 100 neighborhood and village parks, more than 150 completed miles of the Summerlin trail system, houses of worship, shopping centers, medical facilities, cultural facilities, business parks and more than 60 model homes.

Homes are available in a variety of styles — from single-family homes to townhomes, condominiums and lofts — priced from the low $200,000s to more than $2 million.

For more information on the master-planned community, visit summerlin.com or call 791-4500.