A beloved tradition returned to the Copper Country as community members gathered Thursday evening to celebrate the strawberry season.
The Chassell Strawberry Festival began with volunteers cutting more than 1,600 quarts of berries under the Centennial Park Pavilion. Participants included Chassell Lions Club members, local residents, and strawberry queen candidates who have made the event a cherished tradition.
“We are cutting strawberries as a group. It’s a great way to bond as a group of girls and get to know each other better,” said Cecilia Butler, the reigning strawberry queen. “Also, it helps out our Chassell community because they use these strawberries that the community comes to cut and they use it to make shortcake. And this strawberry shortcake is sold at the festival the entire time and it’s absolutely delicious.”
The strawberries will be transformed into shortcakes sold throughout the festival, with proceeds supporting the Lions Club’s community projects and programs.
Eight queen candidates are competing for the crown Friday evening. The contestants expressed enthusiasm about representing their community and supporting the Lions Club’s mission.
“For me it means a lot because I know that the Lions Club makes such a big difference in our community,” said Callie Knuuttila of Houghton. “Being able to help them bring in that money that they need to keep their club going, I think it’s really meaningful and impactful.”
Dusty Lippold of Chassell added, “I liked growing up and watching the girls walk across the stage and seeing them be confident. And I just wanted to embrace myself and do the same.”
Delaney Salmi of Houghton said, “I think it’s a great way to meet girls your age who have the same values as you and same interests and it’s a really cool way to represent your community.”
Lily Etelamaki of Chassell said, “It’s a great way to meet girls your age who have the same values as you and same interests and it’s a really cool way to represent your community. Alliance Club they work so hard all year round to put on this great festival every year and I think it’s just a little thing we can do to try to help out just auction off all the fun goodies and you must come and find get an auction.”
The festival’s auction features homemade goods from community members, many of whom contribute the same items year after year.
“Judy Ebert always has her chocolate dipped strawberries. Hazel Tepsa always has her freezer jam and then cooked jam,” said Dan Crane, secretary of the Chassell Lions Club. “Again, it’s just tradition. So these things keep coming back year after year.”
“Well lot of times it’s families of the Kuhn contestants that come to bid on things so we try to have a variety but it’s Lions Club members mostly that bake for the auction or volunteers from the community,” said Mary Crane, first vice president and incoming president of the Chassell Lions Club. “Some are beautifully decorated cakes, are jams or jellies.”
The festival opens at Centennial Park Friday at 9 a.m. The queen contest begins at 7 p.m., followed by the strawberry auction and community awards. The queen candidates are Callie Knuuttila, Delaney Salmi, Dusty Lippold, Lilli Girtz, Lexi Burns, Nynna Jarvi, Lily Etelamaki, and Raegan Resing.
Find more information about the 78th annual Chassell Strawberry Festival sponsored by the Chassell Lions Club here.
