Are You Ready To Have Fun? Strawberry Festival Opens Thursday

With an ideal weather forecast and 23 headline entertainers scheduled to perform, organizers of the Florida Strawberry Festival anticipate a record-breaking crowd this year. The festival, celebrating the harvest of the east Hillsborough County strawberry crop, kicks off Thursday, March 1.

Featuring more than 85 rides, 150 food vendors, seven livestock shows, six food contests and hundreds of arts and crafts, the 83rd annual festival offers something for every member of the family.

Unfortunately, if you haven't already purchased tickets for country singer Reba McEntire's concert, you may be out of luck. The festival board announced Wednesday that McEntire's show on the Wish Farms Soundstage Sunday, March 4, is a sellout. Fans have purchased all 10,500 tickets for the show.

"We are overjoyed that so many people are as excited to see Reba as we are," said Florida Strawberry Festival President Paul Davis.

But don't worry, there are 22 other shows featuring top recording artists during the 11-day festival including Jerry Lee Lewis, The Oak Ridge Boys, Josh Turner, Trace Adkins, Lee Greenwood, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Lettermen, Charley Pride, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sawyer Brown, Chase Bryant and Brad Paisley.

The shows will take place in the festival's new GT grandstands concert seating area, featuring comfortable seating that allows fans to get closer to the stage and enjoy a more intimate concert experience, Davis said.

Reserved seat tickets are still available for the festival's other headline entertainment acts and can be purchased online, over the phone at (813) 754-1966 or at the box office on the festival grounds.

"All of our other concerts are selling quickly as well," said Davis, "so we encourage guests to secure any extra tickets as soon as possible."

Each year, more than 500,000 people come to the festival to sample Plant City's famous strawberry shortcake, enjoy thrill rides, see their favorite entertainers and watch young would-be farmers compete in livestock shows.

The festival opens Thursday at 10 a.m. at 2209 W. Oak Ave. in Plant City and will run through March 11 from 10 a..m. to 10 p.m.

Admission is $10 for children age 13 and up and adults, $5 for children age 6 to 12 and free for kids 5 and under with a paid adult admission.

For directions, dates and times of shows, contests and special events and a festival map to plan your day, visit the Florida Strawberry Festival website.

Image via Florida Strawberry Festival