Let’s start at the berry beginning…

Berry Dairy Days began as the “Strawberry Festival” and has grown into one of the longest-running festivals in Skagit County, proudly rooted in Burlington, Washington since 1937. For more than 89 years, this beloved Skagit Valley tradition has celebrated the region’s rich agricultural heritage, from strawberry farming to the growth of the local dairy industry, while bringing the community together year after year.

The first official Berry Dairy Days took place in 1937, when Burlington volunteer firefighters organized a fundraiser to purchase new equipment. What began as a simple community effort quickly became something much more. To draw a crowd, organizers created a giant strawberry shortcake and paraded it down Fairhaven Avenue in red wagons, serving slices to spectators gathered along the route.

As the festival grew in both size and significance, the Burlington Chamber of Commerce took over in 1965 to help carry the tradition forward. Then-President Roger Hulbush, along with other community leaders, renamed the event “Berry Dairy Days” to reflect the growing influence of the dairy industry alongside the area’s strong strawberry farming heritage. Today, the festival is co-hosted by the Burlington Chamber of Commerce and the City of Burlington.

Over the decades, Berry Dairy Days has created lasting memories for generations of local families. Longtime Burlington business owner Duane Stowe of Stowe’s Shoes & Clothing recalls the impact of the local strawberry processing plant on the community. Roger Hulbush also shared a favorite memory from the Grand Parade: “It was about 1970, and local firefighters dressed as clowns helped line up participants and drove a convertible in the parade.”

Today, Berry Dairy Days is widely recognized as one of the longest-running festivals in Skagit County, continuing to honor Burlington’s agricultural roots while celebrating the people, traditions, and community spirit that have defined it for nearly nine decades.