The sun beat down on the grandstands Saturday morning as families made last-minute adjustments to outfits and wheeled their homemade floats to the starting line for the annual Baby Parade.
It’s a longstanding tradition in Plant City that never fails to draw a massive amount of support from locals. This year, more than 100 contestants were entered to compete in their age groups and the grandstands began to fill as soon as the gates opened to kick off the second to last day at the Florida Strawberry Festival.
Children age 1 to 4 years old walk the “runway” with their parent and wave at the judges,. The event is ran each year by the GFWC Plant City Junior Woman’s Club. This year’s event was sponsored by BayCare.
Many of the contestants stuck to this year’s theme of the festival, “All Aboard,” and donned their best railroad apparel. Some leaned in to the strawberry vibes while others wore their favorite costumes. The Strawberry Queen and Court emceed the event and within a few hours a new Queen and King of the Baby Parade were crowned.
BABY PARADE
Most Beautiful
1-Year-Old
First: Arabella Mueller
Second: Melina Jones
Third: Sunny Wiggs
Most Handsome
1-Year-Old
First: Jennings Wheeler
Second: Lincoln Pfoff
Third: Kellan Royse
Best Personality
1-Year-Old
Carter Jones
Best Costume
1-Year-Old
First: Paisley Pearsall
Second: Aspyn Moody
Best Float
1-Year-Old
Henley Wyatt
Most Beautiful
2-Year-Old
First: Wrenleigh Leasure
Second: Andy Waller
Third: Paris Sheridan
Most Handsome
2-Year-Old
First: Daxton Valdez
Second: Sawyer Keys
Third: Parker Reece
Best Personality
2-Year-Old
First: Aaliyah Merrin
Second: Annaleigh Jimenez
Third: Bailey Mae Lovelace
Best Costume
2-Year-Old
First: Reagan Eagle
Second: Buster Collins
Third: Cole Bryant
Best Float
2-Year-Old
First: Emma Stoneking
Second: Avery Elizabeth Boston
Third: Elsa Jehl
Most Beautiful
3-Year-Old
First: Ava Robinson
Second: Claire Cannon
Third: Baylin Davis
Most Handsome
3-Year-Old
First: Elias Fuentes
Second: Jayde Pope-Dalmas
Third: Kace Bernard Boles
Best Personality
3-Year-Old
First: Reagan Causey
Second: Ava Molina
Third: Cheyenne Boston
Best Costume
3-Year-Old
First: Gracelyn Mack
Second: Davina Castro
Best Float
3-Year-Old
First: Elizabeth Maisyn Jean Lawson
Second: Ishabethel Gonzalez
Most Beautiful
4-Year-Old
First: Caydance Grace Brown
Second: Olivia Valerius
Third: Bailey Martz
Most Handsome
4-Year-Old
First: Mason Reece
Second: Mateo Gutierrez
Third: Ainsley Raciti
Best Personality
4-Year-Old
First: Karslyn Royse
Second: Ainsley Raciti
Third: Nolan Nieves
Best Float
4-Year-Old
First: Grace Pippin
Second: Maicie Armstrong
Third: Callie Mann
Baby Parade Court
Queen: Caydance Grace Brown
King: Mason Reece
Court Members: Grace Pippin and Karslyn Royse