The Florida Strawberry Festival’s Wish Farms Soundstage is known for hosting some of the top musical celebrities the music industry has to offer. The festival also has a tent that has showcased many local and national music acts. “The Publix Showcase Tent has hosted many amazing musical talents from right here in Plant City to acts from around the country,” Frank Trunzo, owner of Krazy Kup Coffee Shop and Stage 201 in Plant City, said.
Trunzo has also been helping the Strawberry Festival pick the talent featured in the Publix Showcase Tent. “We started in 2018 and we were doing battle of the bands, which was really cool,” Trunzo said. “I helped launch Battle of the Bands, which was very successful, but then COVID hit. When we came back, they had the Publix Tent and we started working on finding talent to showcase at the tent.”
Some of the talent that Trunzo helped secure for the festival include, Martin and Kelly, Pastor “Pee Wee” Callins, Rekindled Bits of Grass, Khalea Lynee, and The First Baptist Church of Plant City to name a few. “Pastor ‘Pee Wee’ Callins is an amazing Gospel performer and a crowd favorite,” Trunzo said.
Pastor “Pee Wee” Callins has been singing and preaching for the Lord since he was just a young boy. Today, Callins is still singing and preaching, only his audience has gotten much bigger. He is the senior pastor of a Florida church, Greater New Hope Anointed Ministries. Callins’ pure, velvety-smooth voice is sure to leave you praising the Lord and wanting more.
Callins’ music career began at the tender age of three when he started playing drums in his grandfather’s church in Plant City. He grew up watching many of his family members play instruments and he just fell into the rhythm along with them. Shortly thereafter, he began playing the keyboard without formal lessons. When PeeWee Callins was just 12 years old, he became the minister of music at his church and felt led to go into the music ministry as an adult full-time. Callins will be performing at the Publix Showcase Tent on Friday, March 1 and March 8 at 6 p.m.
Rekindled Bits of Grass is a group of seasoned musicians performing traditional Bluegrass music. The group likes to clown around and have fun on stage but they are serious about honing the band’s sound to reveal Drive and Clean Traditional Bluegrass music. They will be performing a blend of traditional Bluegrass, Country, and Christian/Gospel Music, at the Publix Showcase Tent.
Rekindled has quickly become a staple in the Bluegrass community in a little over nine years together. Their drive and timing are like a well-oiled machine and their blend of voices will bring you to tears of joy as they deliver the message of life in a song. You can catch their set on March 6 at 6 p.m.
The incredibly talented duo of Jilly Martin and Ryan Brooks Kelly have become the next must-see act from New England to Nashville. Over the years, they’ve been featured as support acts for many traditional and mainstream country artists.
Standouts in today’s crossover country music scene, Jilly and Ryan’s songs bridge the boundary between traditional and new
country. They’ve made their mark with highly acclaimed original music and are winning over audiences every time they perform. Jilly and Ryan’s compelling song writing, dynamic vocal harmonies, and stunning musicianship have them poised for a breakthrough in the music industry. Martin and Kelly will be performing at The Publix Showcase Tent on Thursday, Feb. 29 at 6 p.m.
Khalea Lynee is a singer, songwriter and performer with a spiritual connection to music. Attributing her grassroots beginning in the church and the strict upbringing of her mother, a pastor, Khalea brilliantly showcases her soulful, jazzy vibe influenced by her gospel roots which have helped mold her into the artist she is today.
After capturing the national stage on NBC’s Season 17 of “The Voice,” Lynee won all four chairs in her blind audition with her powerful and passionate rendition of “Best Part.” Representing Team Legend, led by singer-songwriter John Legend, throughout the competition, the judges described her talent as magical, polished, versatile and one of the more gifted talents of that season. She will be performing at The Publix Showcase Tent on March 7 at 6 p.m.
For a complete list of all the performers who will be featured at The Publix Showcase Tent, you can visit The Florida Strawberry Festival’s website at www.flstrawberryfestival.com.