Do you love all things strawberry related?
Well, so does Eastern Hillsboro County! In fact, they love it so much, they’ve dedicated an entire festival for the last 80-some years to celebrate the harvest of the 10,000 acres of strawberries they plant annually. It’s all thanks to their local farmers and nearly 3,000 farms they have spread out across the county.
This year’s 85th celebration is coming up. Don’t miss out on what Florida’s Strawberry Festival promises is a “berry sweet time.”
Who/What to Expect
Each year, the festival sees an estimated 500,000 visitors who come out to enjoy free live music, rides, arts, and crafts, adult eating contests and yes, world-famous strawberry shortcakes. If you have a child in your group, they can enter one of the many youth competitions on grounds and win prizes also.
For an additional ticket, this year’s headline entertainment includes appearances by Reba McEntire, Rascall Flatts, Josh Turner, and 98 degrees.
Where/When
The festival takes place in Plant City, Florida- the strawberry capital of the world! It’s located about 30 minutes from Tampa and an hour from Orlando.
The 2020 event takes place from Feb 27- March 8. That’s 11 days of strawberry fun. Admission is $5 for kids ages 6-12, and $10 for anyone 13 and older.
Why?
Because of the world-famous strawberry shortcake, that’s why!
If you need more convincing, there’s also freshly-made
- strawberry cookies
- strawberry fudge
- strawberry milkshakes
- strawberry pies and cobblers
- strawberry sandwiches
- strawberry lemonade
- strawberry covered nuts
- strawberry kettle corn
- strawberry cheesecake
- chocolate-covered strawberries (and bacon! just saying)
Hungry yet?
Don’t wait. Start planning your trip to Plant City now. If you go to the festival, come back and let us know what was your favorite part. We’d love to hear from you.
