Gus is a 265-pound Hampshire pig and looks like a giant Double Stuf Oreo cookie. Kenley Connell is an outgoing Lincoln Elementary School third-grader, who is maybe one-third of the size of her pig. Together, they make quite the team. Kenley and Gus are gearing up for the ag competitions at the 2014 Florida Strawberry […]
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St. Clement volunteers serve up festival shortcakes
Buzzing like a hive, 150 volunteers scurry around the fellowship hall of St. Clement Catholic Church. It is just one day before the beloved Florida Strawberry Festival, and the church has one of just three booths on the entire grounds that offers the city’s signature strawberry shortcake. Last year, green-aproned volunteers sold more than 90,000 […]
Continue ReadingAnnual parades celebrate festival season
Plant City will celebrate the beginning of the 2014 Florida Strawberry Festival with not one but two parades. The Plant City Civitan Club’s Annual Youth Parade will take to the streets at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 1, at the Plant City State Farmers’ Market, 1305 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Two days later, the […]
Continue ReadingBREAKING NEWS: Ronnie Milsap cancels festival show
The Florida Strawberry Festival announced today that Ronnie Milsap, the entertainer scheduled to perform at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, has been replaced with BJ Thomas. “Still recovering from recent surgery, and under doctor’s supervision, Ronnie Milsap has not been cleared to travel and/or perform and must regretfully cancel his scheduled appearance at the Florida Strawberry Festival,” said a Milsap […]
Continue ReadingWin two tickets to Rascal Flatts!
Youth pop band NRG and the Plant City Times & Observer are teaming up to give one lucky winner tickets to one of this year’s hottest concerts! The Rascal Flatts prize pack includes two general admission tickets, as well as two tickets to the concert, which takes place at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 2. Plant […]
Continue ReadingFlorida Strawberry Festival Ticket Winner: Rachel Green
We received many, many entries for the first of our NRG/Plant City Times & Observer Florida Strawberry Festival ticket giveaways. Some made us laugh, while others tugged at our heartstrings. In the end, Rachel Green’s entry stood out above the rest: “I am thrilled to get the chance to share my special story with you,” […]
Continue ReadingPAST & PRESENCE: Albert Schneider: Festival’s first president
For the onset of Florida Strawberry Festival season, we decided to take a look back at the beginning of the festival. As noted historian D. E. Bailey Jr. wrote, “Harvest festivals have long been traditional with every country in the land.” Plant City was going to have one. The role of strawberry production and sales […]
Continue ReadingCivitan Club to honor teens
The Plant City Civitan Club will be honoring the Outstanding Students at 7 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at its monthly breakfast at Buddy Freddy’s, 1101 Goldfinch Drive, Plant City. Jessi Rae Varnum and Austin Bruner have been selected as this year’s Outstanding Youth and also will be the 2014 Youth Parade grand marshals on March 1.
Continue Reading2014 FORECAST: Paul Davis, Strawberry Fests Forever
The Strawberry Festival has been a big part of Paul Davis’ life since he was very young, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who loves their job more than the festival’s jolly general manager. And, what’s in store for 2014? More music, more festivities and, of course, more fun. It’s been a long time […]
Continue ReadingGrand marshals selected for parades
Bobby Brantley, from TruTV’s “Lizard Lick Towing,” will serve as the grand marshal for the 2014 Florida Strawberry Festival Grand Parade at 1 p.m. March 3. “Bobby is going to add some excitement to this year’s parade, and we are very lucky to have him participate in our event,” says Gail Lyons, president of Berry […]
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