Strawberry Princess Dreams of Entrepreneurship, Connection, World Travel

Addison Cable, one of this year’s Strawberry Festival Princesses, is good at getting things done, from being a senior senator and event coordinator at school, to her planned degree in business administration.

Cable and her family moved from California to Lebanon, where her father’s family had lived for generations, just in time for the 100th Strawberry Festival. After watching other Strawberry Princesses take the stage and cut the shortcake since preschool, now at 17, she gets her chance.

“I just really want to meet people,” Cable said. “I feel like it’s cool to see how many people there are and how many are willing to talk to you about their life story.”

Cable said one of her favorite parts of being a Strawberry Princess is going to schools to visit the kids, including homeschooled kids this year, and nursing homes; she also loves how close the community is in Lebanon.

“(I love) how well everyone just comes together,” Cable added. “It’s not a doubt in anyone’s mind that, if someone needs something, they’ll just all join together to help.”

Cable – who lives on a farm with her parents, three brothers, her sister-in-law, and a menagerie of animals – said they often travel back to California. After getting her degree, likely with a specialization in hospitality management, she is considering multiple paths including starting an event planning company with her mom or getting a job at a “dream” company like Disney; Cable hopes to travel the world too.

“My mom and I have a plan to go to every Disneyland in the world,” Cable said. “(We had) family in Norway, that’s where (our family) is from.”

In the meantime, Cable said she’s often with her brothers and tends to pick up their hobbies, like skateboarding.

“I’m best friends with all my family,” Cable added.

Cable’s parents, Jennifer and Joe Cable, work for the Linn County Juvenile Center and the City of Albany, respectively, and Cable says her mom is one of her biggest inspirations.

“She’s just always had an ‘I’m gonna do exactly what I’m going to do’ (attitude) and is always determined and won’t have anyone else set her back,” Cable praised her mother. “So she’s always like, ‘I’m going to do exactly this and you’re not telling me otherwise.’”

While she loves all of the activities involved, getting to know the other princesses is one of Cable’s favorite aspects of being part of the Strawberry Court.

“I’ve known some of (the princesses) outside of (the court), but I’ve never really got the chance to actually be so in depth with them,” Cable explained. “And I’m very excited to go to the parades and everything and meet more people.”

Cable said her parents have taught her not to take life too seriously and not to worry about things.

“Just go forward without thinking too much about what could go wrong and have fun.”

Next year, Cable thinks a rock and roll Strawberry Festival theme would be a good idea.

“I think any neon colors and everything would be really cool,” she said.