The Lebanon Strawberry Festival announced it will reveal a special surprise this year during Saturday’s grand parade.
For generations, the World’s Largest Strawberry Shortcake has been one of the most recognizable symbols of the Lebanon Strawberry Festival. This year, festival-goers will witness something truly special as the historic strawberry shortcake float makes its grand entrance following a complete restoration and rebuild.
The 36-foot, three-tier float, which has carried the famous shortcake through Lebanon’s Grand Parade for decades, has been transformed from a weathered and aging structure into a stunning showpiece that will serve the festival for years to come.
The restoration project represents the very best of Lebanon’s community spirit, said Jill Ingalls, member of the Lebanon Strawberry Festival management team, as local businesses, skilled tradespeople, volunteers and supporters came together to preserve one of the festival’s most treasured traditions.
The extensive rebuilding was led by the team at Integrated Mechanical Inc. (IMI), who reconstructed the trailer from its original frame and completed the structural fabrication necessary to ensure the float’s future.
The finished structure was professionally powder coated by Oregon Powder Coating, while vibrant graphics and custom decals were designed and produced by Gateway Imprints.
“This project is a perfect example of what makes the Lebanon Strawberry Festival so special,” Ingalls said, pointing to the volunteers and businesses who made the restoration possible.
Ashley McDowell, Strawberry Shortcake Committee chair, noted it’s “not just a trailer,” but “a symbol of generations of memories and a tradition that connects our past to our future.”
The historic World’s Largest Strawberry Shortcake tradition dates back to 1931 when local bakers first created the dessert that would become synonymous with the Lebanon Strawberry Festival.
The shortcake earned its legendary status over the decades, including a celebrated “Battle of the Shortcakes” in 1975 when Lebanon’s 5,700-pound cake easily outpaced a challenger from California. Today, thousands of festival guests continue to enjoy free strawberry shortcake each year following the Grand Parade.
As one of Oregon’s oldest and most beloved festivals, the Lebanon Strawberry Festival has celebrated the community’s agricultural heritage since 1909. The World’s Largest Strawberry Shortcake remains one of its most enduring traditions and a centerpiece of the annual celebration.
Festival organizers invite the community to be part of the historic unveiling when the restored float makes its official debut during the 2026 Lebanon Strawberry Festival Grand Parade on Saturday, June 6.
As the float rolls down Main Street carrying the historic strawberry shortcake, attendees will be among the first to see the transformation and celebrate the volunteers and businesses who made it possible.
Following the parade, the Strawberry Festival Association will continue its long-standing tradition of traveling to the festival grounds where thousands of slices will be served to attendees by volunteers from the community.