In Hillsborough County you will find quaint Plant City. Thanks to the fertile lands in the area, Plant City is known as the winter strawberry capital of the world and a perk of being the strawberry capital Plant City is hosting their annual Strawberry Festival right around the end of the winter season. Over 500,000 people visit every year to enjoy the live music, food, and parade events that are put on during the festival, which originally started in the 1930s as an attempt to promote the prominent crop and to celebrate the strawberry harvest.
The festival has since become an eleven day event filled with different concerts and activities for all. In addition, there is a parade and high schoolers from the city compete in a beauty pageant to determine the next Strawberry Queen. Throughout the fairgrounds the city’s famous strawberry shortcake, among other yummy treats like strawberry cheesecake and strawberry pie, are available for all to enjoy. What is great about the festival is that everything is exceptionally low priced, making it not only a fun event but also one that won’t break the bank. Tickets range from $5 to $10, and everything else available for purchase is in similar price range.
Each day, the Strawberry Festival has different special events for patrons to explore such as the Moonlight Magic events. On Friday, Feb. 27 and on Friday, March 6 from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m., patrons can buy a special wristband letting them ride most of the mechanical rides after dark. There will also be different vendors set up around the grounds for patrons to peruse; the 2015 cookbook will also be available for purchase. The cookbook is a collection of Neighborhood Village winners, volunteers of the festival, and former Strawberry Queens.
Almost as crucial to the festival as the strawberries, is the live entertainment during each day. As the years go on, the festival is able to book more and more prominent artists. This year has an incredibly broad spectrum of artists from multiple different genres. Last year, Hunter Hayes performed and is expected to be back again this year. In addition, John Legend, Boyz II Men, Alabama, Brett Eldredge, Parmalee, Reba, and Loretta Lynn are only a few of the amazing artists scheduled during the eleven days. There is a fee to get into the concerts, however there is also free seating so listeners can come and go as they please.
This year is exceptionally exciting for the Strawberry Festival because it is also the festival’s 80th birthday. To celebrate, the festival has been themed “Come Join the Party!” with the hopes of celebrating the legacy and the history of, not only the festival but the city of Plant City. All of the floats that are being shown during the parade will reflect this theme during the 2015 festival. Plant City’s Strawberry Festival starts on Thursday, Feb. 26 and ends on Sunday, March 8.
Check out the line up for the concerts each day HERE!
Complete schedule of events HERE!
Tickets are available at your local Publix or online HERE!
