MONROE, CT — Monroe Congregational Church buzzed with activity late Friday morning as volunteers set up the grounds for the 53rd annual Strawberry Festival this weekend. The tents were up and a fresh batch of strawberries were picked earlier. Next, a crew would bring out chairs and 
picnic tables, before over 110 crafters arrived to set up their spots on the church green that evening.
Inside the kitchen of the Rexford House, Joyce Rousseau led a group of women in preparing crusts for strawberry pies. This is her 51st year as a festival volunteer.
“My mother started this,” Rousseau said, adding of her family, “we’ve been in charge of the pies and biscuits since it began.”
Thirty-four boxes of strawberries lined the hallway. Rousseau said volunteers, who pick the fruit every day of the festival, will be out again on Saturday and Sunday mornings to replenish the supply.
“We start picking strawberries at sunrise at Jones Valley Farm … that’s when the magic begins,” said The Rev. Jennifer Gingras, senior pastor of Monroe Congregational Church (MCC). “There’s something sacred about gathering at dawn with a group of volunteers, harvesting the sweetest fruit of the season to share with our neighbors. It’s hard work, yes, but it’s joyful work.”
In addition to baking pies and biscuits for strawberry shortcakes, MCC volunteers use the berries to make and jar jam.
“Our jam table is a map of flavor, from classic to wild,” Gingras said. “We made over 1,400 jars this year, with flavors ranging from old favorites like strawberry rhubarb to surprises like strawberry jalapeño and Satan’s Delight. They go fast, so come early!”
Strawberry Festival regulars are always in for a different treat, according to Gingras.
“Every year we try something new,” she said. “This time it’s iced strawberry boba lemonade, but what never changes is the warm welcome you’ll get from everyone here.”
The New England festival also includes live music and plenty of shopping on the green at the corner of Monroe Turnpike and Church Street. It will be held this Saturday, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. — rain or shine. Ample parking is provided on Fireman’s Field.
“Rain or shine, the spirit of this festival doesn’t wash out,” Gingras said. “Even if there’s a sprinkle or two, we’ve got tents, smiles, and strawberry smoothies to keep you covered. The joy’s still here — it just might come with an umbrella.”
On Saturday, Gunsmoke, a country band, will perform from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. The Other Four, a New Haven band, will play classic rock, blues, country, jazz, funk and Americana music, from 2 to 5 p.m.
On Sunday, Half & Half, a band of young musicians, will play at 11:30 a.m. The award-winning Silver Steel Band, based in Bridgeport and led by Jim Royle of Jim Royle Drum Studios, will then perform from 1 to 4 p.m.
Gingras and her husband, Clark, serve as co-chairs of the festival committee, along with Frank Wittenhaur and Susie Cuseo. Clark said over 200 volunteers, young and old, make the Strawberry Festival happen every year.
Clark said the youngest like to help out with the children’s games and the bounce house and high school and college age members of the Pilgrim Fellowship, the church youth group, grill hamburgers and hotdogs during the festival.
“It’s one of the most fun, fulfilling festivals and it’s all for a good cause,” Clark said. “It helps people in need in the Greater Bridgeport Area.”
Among the groups Monroe Congregational Church helps are The Center for Family Justice, nOURish Bridgeport, Homes for the Brave and Monroe Social Services (Monroe Food Pantry and Project Warmth).
Of the festival goers, Clark said, “they love the crafters, the strawberry shortcakes, the pies and the jams.”
“It’s not just about strawberries, it’s about community,” Gingras said. “For 53 years, this festival has been our way of welcoming the community with open arms and open hearts. Whether you come for the shortcake or the steel drums, you’ll leave with a full heart.”
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