By LINDA CHION KENNEY
The annual celebration of the berry harvest in the world-renowned “Winter Strawberry Festival of the World” continues through March 12 at the Florida Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds in Plant City. Now in its 88th year, the 11-day festival is jam-packed with exhibits, rides, food vendors, shows and contests, along with headliner entertainment and shows featuring local talent.
Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds president, Paul Davis, with Betty Jo Tompkins, executive director of the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District, at the festival’s Fresh From Florida Breakfast Kickoff on March 2
Festival signs promote this year’s theme, “We Have A Winner,” chosen to celebrate the state’s newly designated dessert, “strawberry shortcake with a natural Florida dairy topping.” Inside the Neighorhood Village, displays of entries in various categories include those for quilting, food preservation, knitting, jewelry, paper crafts, scrapbooking, baking, needlepoint and toys. An entry in the cake-decorating contest, presented by professional Aubry Murray, showcases individual shortcakes bearing the festival theme.
Strawberries are plentiful at the festival, including at the “Make Your Own St. Clement Catholic Church Strawberry Shortcake” exhibit and at the Strawberry Shortcake shed presented by the East Hillsborough Historical Society, where a trio of volunteers posed with the makings of another fine shortcake.
Asking visitors to ring “with respect,” a sign stands at the “Let Freedom Ring” exhibit presented by the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. It stands with rows of crops ready for harvest and displays of heavy farm machinery, among them, a John Deere G 1942-47 wartime tractor, one of 64,000 such vehicles built, owned by Steve Mathis of Steve Mathis Farm. According to its exhibit sign, the tractor originally sold for $2,600 in 1953.
Livestock shows completed included those for dairy and swine. Ongoing and still to come are those for lamb, steer, beef, lambs, poultry and rabbits. Also on tap, strawberry shortcake and strawberry mashed potato pie-eating contests and headliner entertainment, including Wayne Newton (March 10), The Isley Brothers (March 11) and Lynyrd Skynyrd (March 12). Senior Day is March 9, followed by Moonlight Magic (March 10), Farm Worker Appreciation Day (March 11) and Family Day (March 12). Gates open and close at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Linda Chion Kenney Photos
Among the Lennard High FFA students in attendance at the March 5 youth plant show, from left, were Natalia and Sascha Overduijn, Keira Weeber, Trevor Creel, Vincent Finch, Luke Lauria, Emily Emory, Timothy Stinson, Hannah Rooks, Isabella Sanchez and Elissa de Blasio.
Wrapping up his final year as Florida Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds president, Paul Davis, in a published letter, spoke of “the challenge of operating this word-renowned event that draws over half-a-million visitors in just 11 days.” Davis said it has been “thrilling” and “exciting” to oversee the festival and “book legendary acts, construct new facilities and navigate an ever-evolving industry.” With Kyle Robinson set to become president, Davis said he will continue to play his part, as a “lifelong Florida Strawberry Festival patrol, volunteer and champion.”
The festival is at 303 BerryFest Place, Plant City. For more information, visit www.FLStrawberryFestival.com/.
