Ponchatoula, La. – If you’re looking for the perfect place to take a “strawberry selfie,” head to Ponchatoula City Hall. Right across the street you will find a 9 foot tall berry, complete with 120 golden seeds embedded in its shiny red gel coat. This iconic piece of art is a sweet reminder that Ponchatoula is the official “Strawberry Capital of Louisiana.”
If the sight of this fiberglass fruit makes you hungry for berries, look for a local farmer with a pop-up stand, or mark your calendar for this year’s Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, coming up April 13-15th.
Artist Valek Sykes normally works on Hollywood South movie sets, but made time to create this giant symbol of the town. It’s bolted to the sidewalk and partially filled with sand.
Bricks around the base of the berry will feature the names of sponsors; the berry was all paid for by private donations.
Ponchatoula will be celebrating its largest berry on Monday, April 2, with an unveiling at 2 p.m. and the public is welcome (and encouraged!) to join in the fun.