March is the return of the warmer weather in Florida, spring breaks for schools, Daytona 500, and the Plant City Strawberry Festival. The strawberry festival boasts headline entertainment, lots and lots of rides, good eats, and strawberries galore. This year is no exception.

The strawberry festival has a lot of entertainment this year. Free and headline entertainment. From the “always returning” group The Oak Ridge Boys and Willie Nelson to older favorites such as Tanya Tucker and Alabama. There are also a diversity of music styles including STYX and Keith Sweat. The free entertainment has acts from America’s Got Talent’s Pompeyo Family and their dogs, The Redhead Express, and many other musical/variety acts.

The food at a festival is like none other and the Strawberry Festival presents a wide arrangement of food choices. The favorite of mine is the Build-Your-Own Strawberry Shortcake presented by St Clements Catholic Church. Where else can you get your cake and load it with as many strawberries and whip cream that you can fit in your bowl. The taste is endless. There is also Mama Jane and her funnel cakes. She presents a new recipe every year for the strawberry festival and this year it is the Strawberry Black Forest Funnel Cake. It is worth every penny. She can be located between the WQYK tent and the monster jam truck on display.

Various competitions throughout the festival are available for those of you whom can hold your food. Corn Dog, Amish Donut, Strawberry Spaghetti, Strawberry Shortcake, and strawberry mashed potatoes are among the food items you will see an eating contest for. Also, do not forget the Strawberry Fanta Throwdown held daily.

Finally, there are rides. Ride to your content with an armband. I did not get to ride anything on my visit, but there were plenty I had my eye on.

I will say this every year, but 2019 is no exception. You must visit the Plant City Strawberry Festival which runs through March 10th. Do not forget your flat of strawberries near the exit when you leave to head home.

David “Thrills”
The Thrill Freak 

David “Thrills” is an avid enthusiast of thrill parks and entertainment activities in the Tampa Bay Area. Be sure to follow me on twitter @TheThrillfreak for live tweets, Snapchat @thethrillfreak for that special exciting memory, and  instagram @thrillfreak just or email me at tampathrillme@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns