2017 Florida Strawberry Festival: What To Know Before You Go

PLANT CITY, FL – The sweet smell of strawberries – served up Southern style – is about to fill the air in eastern Hillsborough County for the 2017 Florida Strawberry Festival.

Plant City’s small-town festival has grown up since its humble beginnings in 1930, earning the No. 31 spot in the Carnival Warehouse Top 50 Fairs in the U.S. for 2016 – outdrawing the Florida State Fair by 165,000 people.

Here’s what area residents need to know before you go to the 2017 Florida Strawberry Festival:

Dates and Times

The 2017 Florida Strawberry Festival is scheduled to take place from Thursday, March 2 to Sunday, March 12. Gates open at 10 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. daily.

The midway opens at 10 a.m. on Saturdays (March 4 and 11) Sundays (March 5 and 12), plus Monday, March 6. All other days, the midway opens at noon.

Location

The Florida Strawberry Festival grounds are bounded by Lemon Street to the east, Ritter Street to the west, Oak Avenue and Baker Street to the north and Granfield Street to the south in Plant City.

Parking

Parking is available on the Florida Strawberry Festival property in the Blue, Gray and Red parking lots located on Ritter Street. Cars, pickup trucks and vans less than 20 feet are $5, vehicles from 29 to 39 feet are $10 and vehicles or busses more than 40 feet are $15. Parking is also available in independent lots surrounding the festival grounds.

Admission and Tickets

Admission at the gate is $10 for adults and children age 13 and older, and $5 for children between ages 6 and 12. Children 5 and younger are free with paid adult admission.

Special Days and Discounts

The following Publix stores will offer discounted tickets from now until Sunday, March 12. Discounted tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for youth.

• Mango Square, 11782 East. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Seffner
• Kingsway Crossing, 1220 Kingsway Road, Brandon
• Terrace Ridge Plaza, 11502 N. 53rd St., Temple Terrace
• Lake Brandon Plaza, 11255 Causeway Blvd, Brandon
• Temple Terrace Publix, 5450 E. Busch Blvd., Temple Terrace
• Plant City Crossing, 2515 Thonotosassa Road, Plant City
• Shoppes of Lithia, 3461 Lithia-Pinecrest Road, Valrico
• Publix at Walden Woods, 2202 Jim Redman Parkway, Plant City
• Valrico Square, 1971 State Road 60 E., Valrico
• Collier Commons, 2121 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes
• Summertree Plaza, 7830 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Zephyrhills
• Zephyr Commons, 7838 Gall Blvd., Zephyrhills
• Plantation Square, 5375 N. Socrum Loop Road, Lakeland
• Town and Country Square, 2300 Griffin Road, Lakeland
• Lake Gibson Shopping Center, 6767 U.S. Highway 98 N., Lakeland

Special festival days include:

Ride-A-Thon Days – Monday, March 6 through Wednesday, March 8

Ride most mechanical rides all day with a $20 wristband purchased at the midway

O’Reilly Auto Parts Ride-A-Thon Days – Thursdays, March 2 and 9

Purchase a $20 wristband at the midway to ride most mechanical rides from noon to 11 p.m. Select O’Reilly Auto Parts stores are selling $3 off the wristbands until March 9.

Florida Blue Senior Citizens Days – Thursday, March 2 and 9

Patrons 60 years or older get $2 off the regular adult admission all day. On March 2, the first 500 Florida Blue members who present a valid Florida Blue card will receive free admission.

Publix Feeding Florida Day – Friday, March 3

Donate any Publix brand non-perishable item at the entry gate and receive $5 off the regular price of the $20 Fun Pack Ride Coupon Book.

Moonlight Magic Night – Fridays, March 3 and 10

From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., ride most mechanical with the purchase of a $25 wristband.

Saturday, March 4 – Free Kids Day

Children through high school age are admitted free. Complimentary vouchers are available at any festival ticket booth.

Super Saturday Wristband Days – Saturdays, March 4 and 11

From 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., purchase a wristband for $30 to ride most mechanical rides all day.

Coca-Cola Family Days – Sundays, March 5 and 12

Present any Coca-Cola brand can or plastic bottle product at any entry gate to receive a voucher for $5 off the $25 wristband.

TWOSDAY – Tuesday, March 7

Ride any single ride for $2.

American Heroes Day – Wednesday, March 8

All active, reserve and retired military and military veterans along with law enforcement and first responders will be admitted free all day with a valid ID.

Tampa Bay Times Day on the Midway – Friday, March 10

Present a coupon from the Tampa Bay Times to receive $5 off the $20 Fun Pack Ride Coupon Book.

Farm Worker Appreciation Day – Saturday, March 11

Farm workers receive free admission with a voucher from Astin Farms.

Concerts

3 Doors Down, Willie Nelson and Rascal Flatts are scheduled to headline the 2017 Florida Strawberry Festival’s entertainment. Click here for the full list of concerts.

Strawberry Contests

The following strawberry-themed contests will take place during the 2017 Florida Strawberry Festival

Fanta Strawberry Soda Throwdown – Daily at 2:30 p.m. on the Belmont Magic Show Stage

Watch to see who can drink 44 ounces of Fanta Strawberry Soda the fastest.

Youth Strawberry Stemming Contest – Sunday, March 4, 2 p.m. in the Stingray Chevrolet Entertainment Tent

Children of all ages compete to see who can remove the stems from 20 berries the fastest.

Strawberry Spaghetti Eating Contest – Monday, March 6 at 5 p.m. in the Stingray Chevrolet Entertainment Tent

Competitors are challenged to eat one bowl of spaghetti topped with a strawberry.

Adult Strawberry Stemming Contest – Tuesday, March 7 in the Stingray Chevrolet Entertainment Tent

Adults will compete to see who can remove the stems from 25 berries the fastest

Strawberry Shortcake Eating Contest – Thursday, March 9 in the Stingray Chevrolet Entertainment Tent

Competitors are challenged to eat a 4-pound strawberry shortcake in 10 minutes. Spoons will be taken away from the competitors at the 8-minute mark of the contest.

Strawberry Mashed Potato Pie Eating Contest – Friday, March 10 at 1 p.m. in the Stingray Chevrolet Entertainment Tent

Competitors are challenged to eat one plate of garlic mashed potatoes topped with strawberry glaze and a fresh strawberry in less than 10 minutes.

For more information, visit http://www.flstrawberryfestival.com.

Image via Walter, Flickr, used under Creative Commons