Plant City is hosting the 88th Florida Strawberry Festival from March 2-12.
With over 500,000 visitors each year, the festival is one of the largest and most attended fairs in the United States.
The festival theme is “We have a winner,” a recognition of its successful effort in getting strawberry shortcake named the official state dessert.
“Yes, it points to the recent win we achieved in naming strawberry shortcake as Florida’s official dessert as we’re a little partial to the berry,” said festival President Paul Davis. “We’re excited about this year’s event and look forward to sharing in the celebration of the shortcake dessert that has come to make us so successful!”
Celebrating one of the largest parts of Florida’s economy, the 11-day festival includes rides, food and live entertainment with more than 20 artists headlining. This year, the Berry Big Wheel is the newest attraction.
“The Florida Strawberry Festival represents a piece of Americana, a time in American history when fairs and festivals brought communities together through celebrations of their harvests,” the Strawberry Festival says on its website. “It has continued to grow in popularity year after year through the preservation of this heritage. Central to its focus, the Festival continues to preserve and enhance the agricultural and historical legacy of the Florida strawberry.”
Most importantly, expect tons of strawberries in every shape or form. A must-try is their famous strawberry shortcake featured every year. Several community organizations sell the dessert at the fair, among them, the Transforming Life Church in Plant City.
“We have been doing shortcakes at the festival, I want to say, for 43 years,” said festival coordinator for Transforming Life Church Ryan Wynn.
“All of our proceeds go to local missions in our area and missions further out too,” said Wynn.
Founded in 1930, the festival is deeply rooted in its community. Local vendors and artisans decorate the event halls while Plant City farmers contribute their delicious strawberries.
Check out the Berry Fest March 2-12 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily at 303 BerryFest Place, Plant City.
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Reporter/Producer: Samantha Trezevant
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