Meet some of the artists scheduled to perform at the 2015 Florida Strawberry Festival. HUNTER HAYES WHEN: 7:30 p.m. March 1 TICKETS: $40 When you play 30 instruments — as singer-guitarist Hunter Hayes did on his self-titled debut album — time can slip away from you in the studio “Easily, 16-hour days are not a […]
Continue ReadingFlorida Strawberry Festival 2015
Secrets of ‘The Palace’
Being royalty is a lot of work, especially if you’re the Florida Strawberry Festival Queen or a member of her court. Between the meet-and-greets, big-name concerts and other festivities, the Strawberry Festival royals need some downtime. That’s why they have a hidden place on the festival grounds, known as “The Palace,” where they can relax […]
Continue ReadingSweet Shopper: Get you Florida Strawberry Festival trinkets
Among the hundreds of vendors at the Strawberry Festival, there are a number of booths where festival goers will find souvenirs that were made or designed right in Plant City. From apparel to art, and everything in between, you are sure to find the perfect gift for someone back home, or something by which you […]
Continue ReadingPigging Out: A guide to Florida Strawberry Festival eating contests
It’s been almost exactly a year since I’ve eaten a strawberry shortcake. That’s not a knock on the food itself, which is delicious, but a psychological effect that’s held over since I tried my first eating competition at last year’s Florida Strawberry Festival. You guessed it — the eating contest I entered was a strawberry […]
Continue ReadingBizarre Foods: What to eat at the Florida Strawberry Festival
No one comes to the Florida Strawberry Festival without sampling the local favorites: strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie and the works. There’s more food tucked away in this little part of Plant City than most people know about, and many of the items are quite good. But some of the offerings that one can get on […]
Continue ReadingShortcake Showcase
There are three main vendors of strawberry shortcake at the festival, and here’s why you should save room for all of them. St. Clement Catholic Church St. Clement is the oldest and largest shortcake operation at the festival. It is also the only vendor that allows customers to build their own shortcake. The church began selling shortcake […]
Continue ReadingTips from a festival veteran
It’s tough to top a good trip to the Florida Strawberry Festival on any given day. But, there are so many things to do and get caught up in that many festival-goers may miss out on something great. Or, in some cases, they may not even be able to find the parking to get there […]
Continue ReadingCivitan Club selects grand marshals
Two successful students and loyal leaders have been chosen as the grand marshals of this year’s Civitan Club Youth Parade at the Florida Strawberry Festival, and their credentials are nothing short of impressive. The grand marshals will be Jackson Hardee, a senior at Plant City High School, and Kevin O’Hare, a senior at Durant High […]
Continue ReadingPHOTO GALLERY: 2015 Queen Competition Highlights
Here are some highlights from the 2015 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen Competition.
Continue ReadingPHOTO GALLERY: 2015 Queen Contestant Winners
The 2015 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen and Court were announced at long last.
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