Strawberry
that say, ‘Nobody has the secret recipe that the Strawberry Festival does,’ ” Robinson said. “We get a good variety of Christian shows, some R&B shows, classic country, new county and rock shows, including
Halestorm and Lynyrd Skynyrd this year.”
The festival offers a dedicated morning for visitors with special needs, a new addition for this year. “Special Smiles Day” from 9 a.m. to noon March 3 aims to dial down the loud music and sensory overload typically presented at the festival.
“A visitor and one companion will get in free; they can ride the rides for free and get a $10 food voucher,” Robinson said. “This is the first year we’re going to do this.”
As the Florida Strawberry Festival nears its centennial milestone in the not-so-distant future, Robinson sees the family
tradition continuing to grow for decades to come.
“We continue to offer the best value and entertainment. We have not raised gate prices in over 20 years,” he said. “We want to make things new and exciting for people that have been here before, but we try to maintain that same down-home, country fair
atmosphere the festival is known for.”
IF YOU GO
The Florida Strawberry Festival is open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. March 2-12 at 303 BerryFest Place in Plant City. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-12. Children ages 5 and younger enter for free with paid
adult admission. Discounted tickets ($8 adults, $4 kids) are available at participating Central Florida Publix stores. Headlining entertainment tickets are separate and usually cost extra. For more information, visit flstrawberryfestival.com.