The 2024 Strawberry Festival in Plant City, Florida – Take a Big Juicy Bite of Springtime!

Every spring, Plant City, Florida rolls out the red carpet to welcome visitors from around the Sunshine State – and around the world! – to enjoy their bountiful harvest of strawberries. During Strawberry Festival 2024, enjoy juicy berries, live music, concerts, classic fair attractions, and more.

This year’s festival will be in full swing from February 29th to March 10th, with admission tickets priced at $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for kiddos at the gate.

An Event Steeped in Tradition

There’s a reason why visitors come from near and far for the annual Strawberry Festival. The festival features the best Plant City has to offer in the realm of agriculture, business, livestock, fine arts, craftwork, and horticulture. 

The diverse, homespun fabric of American life is beautifully woven into this festival. From the contests, youth development programs, top-name local entertainment, and parades, this festival is Americana at its finest!

When you enter the Strawberry Festival, you’ll step back into a time from American history when fairs and festivals brought communities together through the celebration of hard-won harvests, a time when unbreakable bonds were made by simply sharing each other’s bounty.

While festivals are no longer the community staples they once were, the Strawberry Festival continues to grow in popularity year after year, bringing together strawberry lovers from around the world.

Fruitful Roots

Festivals are all about fun and games, and the Strawberry Festival is no exception! However, it also has another purpose – to preserve and enhance the Florida strawberry’s agricultural and historical legacy. The festival unites people from all parts of Plant City and the surrounding area as they work together to make this celebration happen year after year.

The festival first began in 1930 when locals came up with the idea to celebrate the bountiful strawberry harvest. (And what a great idea that was!) Today, it’s become one of the best festivals in the country and ranks among the top 40 fairs in North America. Although it’s grown a lot, the festival’s roots haven’t been forgotten; community connection and yummy strawberries are still a vital aspect of the celebration.

Bite into Fresh-Grown Berries

There’s no better way to enjoy strawberries than right from the hands of the local berry farmers themselves. The simplest (yet perhaps the best) way to fully appreciate the luscious fruit is straight from the farm. And at the Strawberry Festival, there’s plenty of fresh berries to go around! However, if you know anything about fair food, then you know people like to get a little creative with their dishes.

The Strawberry Festival website posted a menu of amazing strawberry goodies we can expect to see, so let’s do some taste testing, shall we?

If you could only choose one strawberry delicacy, then you’d want to opt for the world-famous strawberry shortcake! However, it’s also hard to beat classic, delicious chocolate-dipped strawberries. Oh, and the chocolate strawberry shortcake milkshake sounds amazing, too! The cup is rolled in Fruity Pebbles and the creamy strawberry milkshake is topped with a strawberry cupcake, whipped cream, more strawberries, and a strawberry lollipop. Wowza!

And don’t miss out on the wide selection of strawberry jams that are perfect for a PB&J or to complete a batch of homemade biscuits at home. You’ll find strawberry pie, cheesecake, crepes, fudge, parfaits, cobbler, and more!

If you’re looking to get a little zany (and we recommend you do), try the strawberry pizza. It’s not what you think! The sweet delicacy features a graham cracker crust, strawberry glaze “sauce,” a cream cheese spread (instead of mozzarella), and strawberry “pepperoni” slices.

Looking for some more inspiration for what you can do with strawberries? Pick up your copy of the Florida Strawberries Cookbook! The fun and experimentation with strawberries doesn’t have to end when you go home at the end of the day. That’s just the beginning!

While berries are the best part of this festival, there’s also a smorgasbord of other fair foods. If it can be fried, you’ll probably find it here! Corndogs, funnel cakes, lemonade, pretzels, kettle corn, and all of the classics generally make an appearance.

Strawberry Festival Entertainment: Live Musical Acts

No fair would be complete without musical acts. But what sets this festival apart from your regular event is the quality of the headliners. You’re sure to recognize some of the names in the 2024 concert line-up:

• Thursday, February 29
  Jimmy Sturr & his Orchestra – FREE w/ admission
  The Oak Ridge Boys American Made Farewell Tour – $35
  Oliver Anthony – $35
• Friday, March 1
  The Beach Boys – $45
  Jordan Davis – $55
• Saturday, March 2
  Black Eyed Peas – $65
• Sunday, March 3
  Parker McCollum – $65
• Monday, March 4
  The Bellamy Brothers – $25
  ZZ Top – $55
• Tuesday, March 5
  Mark Lowry – $30
  Zach Williams – $40

• Wednesday, March 6
  Craig Morgan – $35
  Riley Green – $50
• Thursday, March 7
  Bill Haley Jr. & The Comets – FREE w/ admission
  Gene Watson – $25
  Kirk Franklin – $45
• Friday, March 8
  The Commodores – $35
  FOREIGNER – $55
• Saturday, March 9
  Jo Dee Messina – $30
  Flo Rida – $50
• Sunday, March 10
  Cody Johnson – $75
  

Headliner tickets cost extra in addition to admission, but there’s plenty of free entertainment that includes various live shows and music, too, so you can have a well-rounded day at the festival, even if you choose to forego a concert.

Other Entertainment

If there’s one thing you’ll find plenty of at the Strawberry Festival (other than strawberries), it’s exciting things to do. Watch incredible crafting in action at the wood carving show and marvel during Native dance performances in full indigenous regalia. Cheer on your favorite porker at the pig-racing competition, ooh and ahh at all of the adorable puppers at the dog show, and get up close with barnyard pals like cows, chickens, sheep, and rabbits at the youth livestock shows!

For an extra fee, you can also gain access to the Belle City Midway, which is brimming with 80+ rides, games, and attractions.

Neighborhood Village

In this arts and crafts contest, you’ll get a chance to see what Plant City’s local artisans can do. Categories include cake decorating, baking, food preservation, home décor, jewelry, beading, yarn crafts, needlepoint, quilting, scrapbooking, clothing, apparel, and so much more. Entries are on display all 11 days of the festival, then judged and awarded prizes and ribbons in each category. Stop by and root for your favorite!

Discover the Charm of Plant City 

Plant City is one of the largest agricultural counties in the nation, and the Strawberry Festival is a unique chance to see what they’re all about. Their varied farm production includes cucumbers, eggplant, citrus, tomatoes, beans, okra, peppers, squash, eggs, dairy products, ornamental horticulture, beef cattle, tropical fish, pork, and more. Of course, the day’s all about strawberries. But keep your eyes peeled for the full range of local color!

What’s your favorite way to enjoy strawberries? Let us know in the comments below!

We’ll see you at the festival!

Featured Image

Photo: Canva.com

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