Plant City Strawberry Festival: What You Need To Know

Ranked as one of the top 40 festivals in the United States, The Plant City Strawberry Festival is a destination for anyone looking to enjoy the ripe, juicy crop grown in this town just north of Tampa Bay.
 
Located at 303 North Lemon St. in Plant City, the festival headliner is strawberries in many different forms. You’ll find strawberry milkshakes, chocolate covered strawberries, strawberry peanut brittle, strawberry sandwiches and strawberry pizza. Perhaps the most famous is the St. Clement Catholic Church's "Make Your Own" Strawberry Shortcake station. The church served more than 4-million shortcakes at the 2018 festival.
 
Want to pick your own strawberries? Head over to the Wish Farms U-Pick area at the festival.
 
In addition to strawberries, the festival features agricultural competitions like cow milking and lamb jumping, along with a mid-way of carnival rides, exhibition halls, craft vendors, and live music. Each year the Strawberry Queen is crowned during a pageant.
 
Music is also a big aspect of the Plant City festival with twice-daily musical performers. The lineup is always listed on the Festival's official website. 
 
Each year more than 10,000 acres of strawberries are planted in Plant City. The festival began in the 1930s by the Lions Club. Each year more than 500,000 people flock to the festival grounds to partake in the annual celebration.
 
Don’t rush off after the festival.
 
Plant City is the perfect place for a weekend getaway. In addition to the festival, check out local attractions like Dinosaur World, a family theme park with life-size dinosaurs in their natural habitat. 
 
Unwind after a weekend of festival going with a glass of wine at the nearby Keel & Curley Winery, a winery using locally sourced fruits to make several blends of wine.
 

Plant City Strawberry Festival - If You Go