Florida Strawberry Festival 2025

Each spring, the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City offers an 11-day celebration featuring exhibits on agriculture, livestock, fine arts, horticulture, crafts, and commerce. Visitors can enjoy free entertainment, musical performances, contests, and a flea market-style marketplace with crafts and goods for sale.

Schedule of Events

Each year, the Florida Strawberry Festival introduces a new theme for the event and parade, showcased through artwork and decorations. The festival features numerous vendors and exhibitors. Attendees can enjoy tons of good food, free entertainment, a large midway with rides, live musical performances with stadium seating, livestock exhibits, and much more.

Lineup

Each year, the Florida Strawberry Festival® brings world-renowned headline entertainment to its stage. The 2025 lineup includes Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra, Tommy James & The Shondells, Nate Smith, Roots & Boots with Sammy Kershaw, Aaron Tippin, and Collin Raye, Reba, Home Free, Lauren Daigle, Bailey Zimmerman, Cornell Gunter's Coasters, The Drifters, The Platters, Boyz II Men, Sara Evans, Chris Tomlin, The Bellamy Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jimmy Fortune, The Oak Ridge Boys, Whiskey Myers, The Beach Boys, Jon Pardi, Sawyer Brown, Nelly, and John Fogerty. Daily performances in the Entenmann's Strawberry Tent include KAZUAL at 1 pm, 3 pm, and 6 pm, and Hilby at Noon, 2 pm, and 5 pm.

The Strawberry Grand Parade (March 2025)

The highlight of the Florida Strawberry Festival is the annual parade, held through downtown Plant City to Sammonds Road. Drawing over 30,000 spectators, the parade features colorful floats, marching bands, local royalty, mascots, and more, making its way down Reynolds Street on at 1 pm. A key part of the celebration is the famous St. Clement Catholic Church's "Make Your Own" Strawberry Shortcake, along with the annual presentation of Plant City's "Person of the Year" award.

Rides & Attractions

This year’s Florida Strawberry Festival Midway features over 80 rides, games, and attractions, offering fun for all ages. The Deggeller Attractions Inc. Midway opens daily at noon, with early openings on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at 10 am. Special days like Family Day bring additional attractions and discounts.

The SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo Kiddie Korral, opening daily at 10 am, includes activities like the Berry QUESTival trivia, the Kids Coloring Corner, and livestock exhibits showcasing various breeds of cattle, swine, poultry, lambs, sheep, and rabbits. The mascots, Mr. & Miss Berry, greet fairgoers daily at the Orthotic Works gazebo. The Kiddie Korral also features fun houses, bumper boats, mini roller coasters, and rides like trucks, trains, motorcycles, and whales.

Other attractions include the Swindle Family and Astin Farms Livestock Pavilions, the FSGA Booth & Ask A Farmer Exhibit, the Shoebox Float Display, the Stingray Chevrolet Entertainment Pavilion, and the East Historical Society Art Show. Pioneer Village and the Neighborhood Village showcase handmade and handcrafted items, with award-winning creations like cake decorating and baking on display.

Livestock Shows

The Florida Strawberry Festival features several livestock shows, including the Mosaic Youth Swine Show, the Mosaic Youth Swine Sale, Dairy Showmanship, the Dairy Show, Dairy Showmanship for adults and Pee Wee, the Dairy Costume Ball, the Youth Plant Sale, the Lamb Jumping Contest, the Lamb Costume Contest, and Lamb Showmanship and Show.

Hours, Tickets & Parking

The Florida Strawberry Festival runs from 10 am to 10 pm. Admission costs $15 for adults (ages 13+), $5 for kids (ages 6-12), and is free for children under 5 when accompanied by an adult with a paid ticket. Concert tickets range from $40 to $100, with some concerts free with paid gate admission. Midway wristbands are available for $25 to $35. Accessible parking is provided in the Blue Parking Lot across from Gate 14 for $5, and across from the Amscot Main Ticket Gate (Gate 1) on West Oak Avenue for $10.

History of the Festival

The Florida Strawberry Festival began in 1930 in Plant City, Florida, and continues to thrive today. The festival attracts approximately 500,000 attendees from Central Florida and neighboring states. This annual event is a celebration of a time in American history when festivals and fairs played a key role in bringing communities together.