By LINDA CHION KENNEY
Headline entertainment, livestock shows, art and commerce exhibits, decadent fair food and more are on tap for the 2023 Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, which kicks off its 11-day run March 2.
Now in its 88th year, the festival theme — “We Have A Winner” — is testament to the family-friendly offerings that draw hundreds of thousands of people to the celebration of the harvest in Plant City, known as the “Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.”
But there’s an even tastier reason for this year’s theme, which festival president Paul Davis attributed to the 2022 law that designated “strawberry shortcake with a natural Florida dairy topping” the state’s top dessert.
“Yes, it points to the recent win we achieved in naming strawberry shortcake as Florida’s official dessert, as we’re a little partial to the berry,” Davis said, in reference to the more than 200,000 shortcakes served annually at the festival. “We’re excited about this year’s event and look forward to sharing in the celebration of the shortcake dessert that has come to make us so successful.”
Ready to dish out scores of dairy-topped strawberry shortcake are volunteers working on behalf of St. Clement Catholic Church, whose booth each year is a major festival draw. According to state officials, more than 10,000 acres of strawberries are planted annually in the greater Plant City area, accounting for 75 percent of the nation’s winter strawberry crop.
“The strawberry industry has an economic impact of more than a billion dollars in the state of Florida,” said Davis. “Plant City is home to roughly 12,000 acres of strawberries, and the festival serves just about 200,000 shortcakes each year. We’re proud of our city and the Florida strawberry. It’s kind of a big deal around here.
Along with fresh strawberries, this year’s festival brings a crop of new offerings, including the Berry Big Wheel, featuring 36 fully enclosed gondolas seating up to six riders, and the Nerveless Nocks Jetpack Flying Water Circus.
New food includes Mrs. E’s Strawberry Freeze, the Very Berry Sugar Waffle, the Very Berry Battered Corn Dog, Sandy Ann’s Old-Fashioned Fried Pies, Fried Oyster-Mushroom Po Boy, Langos Ear (based on Hungarian deep-fried flatbread) and Pumpkin Patch with a Strawberry Twist.
Special days and discounts include Moonlight Magic and those for senior citizens, kids, families, American heroes and farm workers. New this year is Special Smiles Day, March 3, 9 a.m. to noon, for people with special needs. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Plant City, the event is reserved for “celebrating and serving our most treasured guests in a safe, fun and sensory-considerate environment.”
New vendors include Andor Peppers, Ascot Drifting (skateboards, longboards), Black Sheep Mountain Gourmet, Boal Express (traditional African apparel, baskets and drums), Dancing Puppets, Enchanting Crystals, EZ Cowhide, Kit Kat Catnip, Hatcher Hollow (solar-powered yard art), Homestead Kleinotas (handmade cutting and charcuterie boards), JL Vision (ceramics, stoneware and clay artware), Modern Forestry Soy Candles, Photobricks, Pat’s Cross Stitch and Net House (hanging hammocks).
This year’s headline entertainment includes Halestorm (March 3), Sara Evans (March 4), Chris “Ludacris” Bridges (March 4), The Dirty Janes (March 4), the Gatlin Brothers (March 5), Chris Young (March 5), Neal McCoy (March 6), Josh Turner (March 6), CeCe Winans (March 7), Tanya Tucker (March 8), The Pointer Sisters (March 8), For King + Country (March 9), Tommy James & The Shondells (March 9), Wayne Newton (March 10), Train (March 10), Sawyer Brown (March 11), the Isley Brothers (March 11) and Lynyrd Skynyrd (March 12). Ticket prices range from $25 to $60.
Free headline entertainment with paid gate admission are Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra (March 2) and Bill Haley Jr. & The Comets (March 9). Show time is 10:30 a.m.
Free entertainment includes Dennis Lee, Riverview High School Vision, Riverview High School Harmonix, Julestarz Academy for the Perfoming Arts, USF Golden Bulls Dance Club, Progress Village Magnet School Chorus, First Baptist Church of Plant City, Hola! Plant City, Scott’s World of Magic, Robinson’s Racing Pigs and the East Coast Connection clogging group.

This year’s festival theme, “We Have A Winner,” marks the naming of the “Strawberry Shortcake With Natural Dairy Topping” as Florida’s designated state dessert.
Contest and shows run the gamut from livestock (beef breed, dairy, lamb, FFA, poultry and rabbit, and youth swine, steer and plants) to eating (deep-fried strawberry-shortcake-on-a-stick, Amish donut, strawberry spaghetti, super dog mega-corndog, strawberry shortcake, strawberry mashed potato pie, and youth and adult strawberry stemming contests).
A slew of other contests include those for art, horticulture, photography and shoebox float. Showcased as well are ribbon-winning entries in both the youth and adult neighborhood villages, featuring such things as quilting, knitting, needlework, baking, cake decorations, paper crafts, photo scrapbooking, apparel, home decorations and more.
For more, visit www.flstrawberryfestival.com/. The Florida Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds are at 303 BestBerry Place, Plant City. For ticket information, call 813-754-1996.