Plant City, Florida welcomes back the Florida Strawberry Festival, beginning March 4, 2027. This 92 year tradition brings together local businesses, Florida farmers and families for nearly two weeks of food, entertainment, fair attractions, animal experiences and more. The 2027 theme is “A Timeless Tradition,” a focus on what has made this festival a part of Florida tradition for nine decades.
“Sometimes the simplest things say the most,” said Florida Strawberry Festival President Kyle Robinson. “As we began thinking about 2027, we kept coming back to the things that have stood the test of time. The Festival continues to grow and evolve, but at its heart, it is still about agriculture, family, community and creating memories together. ‘A Timeless Tradition’ gives us an opportunity to celebrate that.”
A Floridian tradition
It is no surprise that Florida is known for its beaches, theme parks and iconic cities. But this state has a long history of agriculture that isn’t just the Florida oranges. While the Florida Strawberry Festival is famous for its fruit and food stands, the event also hosts youth livestock shows, art exhibits, games of skill and chance, rides, magic shows, large-scale entertainment and museum spaces. And it has done this for longer than most visitors (and their parents) have been alive. In fact, Taylor Swift herself was a part of this showcase not so long ago.
A foodie fest with much more than just strawberries (but they are also great)
Fried food, Asian-inspired creations, strawberries used in everything from desserts to tacos and even pizza and enough fresh-squeezed lemonade to fill numerous pools, all await you at the Florida Strawberry Festival. If you just want to snack, you could probably search for hours to find all kinds of options, but there are a few spots I have to recommend:
- Smitty’s Original Hand-Dripped Corndogs, prepare yourself for a longer line, these are extremely popular.
- Transforming Life Church Strawberry Shortcakes, there are a lot of shortcake options, but after numerous years of visiting I declare these classics are the best.
- Chocolate Strawberry Express Bowl of Berries, a cash-only location that gives you a simple, yet perfect option, a pile of strawberries and hot, melted chocolate.
- Plant City High School Music Foundation Cheesecake, a classic strawberry cheesecake served cold.
Kristen of Wright Down Main Street did a deep-dive into the flavors you can find at the Florida Strawberry Festival. If you aren’t a big berry fan, you can still find plenty of other options ranging from fried carnival food to BBQ beef skewers. Visitors with religious or dietary food needs should speak directly with each booth or food truck to express their accommodations. Due to the nature of the event, it may be more difficult to accommodate all needs.
Continuing the tradition of the Florida Strawberry Festival
“We hear stories all the time from people who came to the Festival as kids and now bring their children or grandchildren,” said Florida Strawberry Festival Chairman Pam Warnock. “Everyone seems to have a Festival story. Those individual memories have become part of our collective history, while new memories are being made here every year. That is what makes the Florida Strawberry Festival timeless.”
The Florida Strawberry Festival is an 11 day community event celebrating the strawberry harvest of Eastern Hillsborough County. Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors visit the festival. The 92nd annual Florida Strawberry Festival, themed “A Timeless Tradition,” will take place March 4 through March 14, 2027, in Plant City, Florida. For more information, visit flstrawberryfestival.com or follow the Florida Strawberry Festival on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.
2027 Florida Strawberry Festival discounted tickets… stay tuned
Each year, as we get closer to the event’s first week, companies like Publix work alongside the Florida Strawberry Festival to offer discounted tickets or carnival ride admission. While those tickets aren’t yet on sale, keep an eye out for deals and nighttime entertainment tickets to be published later on this year.
