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Closing in on its 90th year, the Florida Strawberry Festival still has no booze, no tobacco, no nonsense and everything strawberry in the small town of Plant City in northeast Hillsborough County. Started in 1930, it retains its Southern charm to keep its crown as the most-attended fair in the state.
It helps that it has a killer music lineup. The Feb. 28 Reba McEntire show sold out long ago, but there is a wide range of genres and styles from Oak Ridge Boys to Nelly, John Fogerty to Boyz II Men. There are also farm animals, funny competitions and strawberry shortcakes in both cake and biscuit form to start a debate in the winter strawberry capital of the world.
The festival works hard to keep its image as a quaint piece of Americana that offers friendly roving “ambassadors” wearing bright red visors and red vests who walk the grounds and seek out the lost or bewildered with maps and advice.
In addition to the star-studded concert lineup, the festival will feature over 20 free stage performances, more than 85 rides on the midway, 150 food vendors, seven livestock shows, eight food contests and a wide array of arts and crafts for all ages.
Concert schedule
Thursday, Feb. 27
- Jimmy Sturr and his orchestra: 10:30 a.m. Free with gate admission.
- Tommy James and The Shondells: 3:30 p.m. $40.
- Nate Smith: 7:30 p.m. $45
Friday, Feb. 28
- Roots and Boots with Aaron Tippin, Sammy Kershaw and Collin Raye: 3:30 p.m. $45
- Reba McEntire: 7:30 p.m. Sold out.
Saturday, March 1
- Home Free: 3:30 p.m. $35
- Lauren Daigle: 7:30 p.m. $65
Sunday, March 2
- Bailey Zimmerman: 7:30 p.m. $75
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Explore all your options
Monday, March 3
- Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, The Drifters, The Platters: 3:30 p.m. $30
- Boyz II Men: 7:30 p.m. $55.
Tuesday March 4
- Sara Evans: 3:30 p.m. $40
- Chris Tomlin: 7:30 p.m. $40
Wednesday, March 5
- The Bellamy Brothers: 3:30 p.m. $25
- Lynyrd Skynyrd: 7:30 p.m. $70
Thursday, March 6
- Jimmy Fortune: 10:30 a.m. Free with gate admission
- The Oak Ridge Boys: 3:30 p.m. $40
- Whiskey Myers: 7:30 p.m. $65
Friday, March 7
- The Beach Boys: 3:30 p.m. $45
- Jon Pardi: 7:30 p.m. $70
Saturday, March 8
- Sawyer Brown: 3:30 p.m. $40
- Nelly: 7:30 p.m. $65
Sunday, March 9
- John Fogerty: 7:30 p.m. $75
Berries and more
Maybe one day this debate that divides us will be settled. Do you take your strawberry shortcake on a biscuit or on a sweet cake?
The big draw is found at the three booths offering both.
- St. Clements Shortcake Booth is a popular choice for its make-your-own option that allows you to pile it high. It is found in the middle of the Parke Exhibit Building, next to the Parkesdale Farms booth.
- Transforming Life Church inside the Entenmann’s Strawberry Tent.
- East Historical Society Shortcake Booth: South of the TECO Expo Hall.
Besides shortcake, the food stalls are jam-packed with special takes on the strawberry. Among them are over-the-top milkshakes that are pricey and also photo-worthy in their construction. Look for the Polar Bear Ice Cream stand at Edwards Street and East Independent, where your red cup gets rolled in Fruity Pebbles, and a strawberry milkshake is topped with a strawberry cupcake and sponge cake. Those sweet treats are then topped with whipped cream, more strawberries and a strawberry lollipop.
There’s also chocolate-dipped strawberries, preserves, pies and Strawberry Pizza — a dessert pizza using a graham cracker “crust,” a cream cheese confection, strawberry glaze as the “sauce” and sliced strawberries as “pepperoni” at Brandon Farms, east of the TECO Expo Hall, near Gate 1. You’ll also find a Strawberry Brisket Taco from Johnsons Barbeque, a soft taco with smoked beef brisket topped with a strawberry pico de gallo.
As you leave, take home a flat of freshly picked strawberries.
- Parkesdale Farms: South side of Parke Exhibit Building
- Wish Farms: Northeast corner of Parke Exhibit Building and just outside Gate 1 at the Amscot Main Ticket Gate.
If you go to the Florida Strawberry Festival
The festival opens Thursday, Feb. 27, and runs through March 9. 10 a.m-10 p.m., with the midway open at noon Tuesdays-Fridays and 10 a.m.-11 p.m. weekends and Monday at 303 BerryFest Place, Plant City. Concert tickets are in addition to gate admission, which is $15, $5 ages 6-12, 5 and younger free. Parking is $5. Discount days and special sales can be found here at flstrawberryfestival.com.
