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OXNARD -- The first thing on Megan McGugan's to-do list at the 23rd annual California Strawberry Festival: Eat a funnel cake smothered in powdered sugar, fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
"I think it's the powdered sugar, and it's deep-fried and greasy, and now I've got powdered sugar on my skirt and I had whipped cream on my chin," said McGugan, 20, of La Crescenta, as she happily devoured the treat with her friend, Suzanne Stanke, 18, and Stanke's mother, Patti, 48.
"And it's such a healthy food," teased Patti Stanke. "Oh, but it does have strawberries on it."
Nearly 32,000 came to the festival Saturday -- the event continues today -- to feast on the dark red berries with the sunshine-warm taste in nearly every possible combination. Nearly 70,000 people attended the two-day festival last year, said Lisa Carey, spokeswoman.
Besides the strawberry-laden funnel cakes, people could buy flats of plain strawberries, strawberries dipped in a variety of chocolates, strawberry smoothees, strawberry nachos,...