Ranking among the Top 40 Fairs in North America, the annual Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City is back and better than ever! From March 4th through March 14th, you can enjoy free entertainment, social events, contests, rides, arts and crafts, parades, livestock shows, fine arts, and, of course, beautiful exhibits of agriculture at the Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds. You won't want to miss all that this celebration has to offer!
At the Florida Strawberry Festival, you'll also be able to find the best fresh local products like squash, tomatoes, eggs, dairy, citrus, and even tropical fish, but the star of the show will definitely be the dozens of attractions featuring strawberries! In addition to their world-famous strawberry shortcake, expect to find strawberry milkshakes, dipped strawberries, cheesecakes, and even sandwiches and hamburgers with strawberries.
Entertainment
The 2021 Florida Strawberry Festival has put a pause on their headline entertainment and acts due to the pandemic but music isn't the only entertainment. There will be food contests, racing pigs, dog shows, magic shows, and more!
Have little ones? With over 80 rides, games, and attractions there will be plenty of things for kids to enjoy as well. One of the most popular attractions for the kiddos is the Polar Pop Kiddie Korral sponsored by Circle K. There, they can enjoy fun rides like the Space Train, Merry-Go-Round, and Motorcycles. The Neighborhood Village also has a bunch of fun activities for the whole family like cake decorating, jewelry and beading, and scrap-booking.
Food
As there are activities for everyone, there's also food for everyone at the Florida Strawberry Festival! The 11-day festival is a celebration of the Eastern Hillsborough County's strawberry harvest, showcasing the most beautiful strawberries you will ever see. Here, you'll find some of the most unique innovations with strawberry-themed foods.
The Chocoberry Oreo is a home-made chocolate/strawberry sandwich cookie with deep-fried Oreo and strawberry batter sandwiching home-made sweet cream. If you prefer salty snacks to sweet treats, strawberry kettle corn would be the perfect snack. And you can't forget to get your flat of fresh strawberries from Parkesdale Farms!
Times/Days
The gates of the festival will open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day as well as the Kiddie Korral, but the Midway will open from 12-11 pm from Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends and Mondays. On Friday, March 12th, it will close just before 10:00 pm and re-open at 10:00 pm for Moonlight Magic until 2:00 am.
Parking
Parking will be available at Florida Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds in the blue, red and gray parking lots located on Ritter Street off of Highway 92 and Highway 574. Cars, pickup trucks, and vans under 20 ft. will be $5, vehicles 20-39 ft. will be $10, and vehicles or buses over 40 ft. will be $15. Parking will also be available in the Bryan Elementary School track and Tomlin Middle School as well as other lots around the festival area.
Ticket Information
Adults 13 and up will be $10, children ages six to 12 will be $5, and children five years and younger will be admitted for free. As of February 4th, there are discounted gate admission tickets in a few Publix Super Market Stores.
Now that the weather is warming up and we're all ready for festivities again, bring the family out to the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City for a fun time everyone will enjoy.
Find more fun events in Tampa like the Florida Strawberry Festival and register on 813area, your free guide to the Tampa Bay area.
Cover photo courtesy of Unsplash
