Camping Near Cullman for the Alabama Strawberry Festival

The Alabama Strawberry Festival is scheduled for April 25-26, 2025, at Depot Park in Cullman, Alabama, and organizers again expect thousands to converge for two days of live music, food-truck fare and peak-season berries. Hotel rooms are expected to be in high demand during the festival, so booking early is advisable. With many travelers eyeing tents and RV pads instead, the region’s campgrounds are turning into prime festival lodging.

That surge is good news for park owners. Hipcamp’s dashboard shows that as of June 2024, Hipcamp listed roughly 1,089 camping options in the Cullman region. Average nightly rate on Hipcamp for the Cullman area is about $28 (June 2024 data; rates fluctuate with demand), but sites nearest the fairgrounds historically disappear first.

Proximity comes at a premium. Operators who sit closest to the music stage and vendor booths often institute festival-weekend, two-night minimums; tier shaded sites above open pads; require full pre-payment; and mark overflow rows for dry camping. One-way check-in loops, portable restroom trailers, extra trash pickups and clearly posted generator rules keep traffic and tempers under control when a park suddenly runs at capacity.

Greerbillies Campground, 1200 Leonard Road, exemplifies that strategy. Its three-day package, created solely for festival weekend, offers basic tent spaces, shaded tent pads, full-hookup RV sites and dry RV parking where generators are allowed. The park is the closest camping facility to the festival events, according to the Greerbillies event page, allowing owners to price the limited shaded inventory at a higher event rate while collecting payment up front.

When proximity drives a sudden demand spike, campground operators can turn that surge into higher and well-managed revenue instead of chaos and negative reviews. Best practices include introducing festival-weekend, two- to three-night minimums and tiered, premium pricing for preferred sites such as pull-through pads, shaded tent sites or extra-wide RV slips. Requiring full pre-payment, offering a lower, non-refundable event rate and a higher, refundable flex rate can help curb last-minute cancellations. Pre-marking overflow areas for temporary dry-camp rows and posting clear stakes and signage allow staff to direct incoming rigs without confusion. Bringing in portable restroom trailers and scheduling extra daily pickups for trash, recycling and dump stations protect infrastructure and reduce complaints. A one-way traffic loop for Friday check-ins, with cones, temporary arrows and staff using handheld radios, keeps arrivals moving and prevents gate clogs. Hiring short-term staff and training them on fast check-in through handheld POS devices, digital waivers and pre-printed windshield tags can speed the process. Including quiet-hours rules and generator guidelines in every reservation confirmation helps head off noise disputes when the park is at capacity.

A quieter option sits a short drive from Depot Park; mapping services show roughly a 10-minute trip to Cullman Campground. The property features 90 RV sites, a fishing pond, nature trails and easy access to Weiss Cottage and the Historic Train Depot, its Cullman Campground listing shows. Shuttle bundles to the festival grounds could help guests skip downtown parking while giving the operator another revenue stream.

Festivalgoers seeking a rustic backdrop can drive about 15 minutes west to Brushy Creek Campground in Crane Hill. The Hipcamp dashboard notes full electric, water and sewer hookups in a wooded setting, daily rates and a pet-friendly policy. A strawberry-picking farm tour would fit neatly with the campground’s country vibe and deepen visitor spending. Owners can differentiate themselves further by bundling round-trip shuttle passes to the festival with every reservation, hosting an on-site pop-up farmers market on opening day, or offering a strawberry-picking excursion through partnerships with local growers.

Inside Cullman city limits, Fly South RV Campground markets 42 gated sites with 30/50-amp service, full sewer, shaded picnic tables, grills and a dog park. The same Hipcamp dashboard suggests its central green space could host a pop-up farmers market or strawberry-themed photo booth, driving ancillary sales through limited-edition festival merchandise. Creating strawberry-logo mugs, caps or enamel pins and using SMS texts or app push notifications for real-time festival schedules or shuttle departure times can create new revenue streams and enhance the guest experience.

Several overflow and specialty sites stand ready if the core parks sell out, including private and primitive options in the broader Cullman region. When overflow areas fill, operators should reiterate generator quiet hours in confirmation emails to head off noise complaints. Stocking the camp store with strawberry-inspired menu items, such as milkshakes, shortcake kits or strawberry-infused s’more packs, can help extend the festival theme after guests return from the fairgrounds.

Campground owners willing to add festival-centric programming can further separate themselves from the pack. Bundling round-trip shuttle passes into every reservation, staging an opening-morning strawberry market, selling berry-logo mugs or pins and sending SMS schedule alerts all create new revenue without major capital outlay. Strawberry-flavored s’more kits in the camp store keep the theme alive long after guests return from the fairgrounds.

Travelers benefit from early planning, too. Given the festival’s popularity, in-town campgrounds often fill quickly. Before hitting the road, campers should verify pet policies, generator rules and refund terms and consider completing any digital waivers in advance to speed Friday check-ins.

As festival crowds are once again expected to swell, smart operators who prepare now—adjusting rates, staffing and guest experiences—can turn a busy two-day harvest party into a multi-season payoff when visitors come back for next year’s berries.