PLANT CITY, Fla. – there will be a number of changes in place to keep families safe, starting with masks. They are required.
Festival organizers said they are trying to make things as contact-less as possible.
For starters, the big stage will be empty this time. There’s wont be any major concerts like they’ve had in years past. The 11-day festival typically hosts 24 concerts in its stadium.
While they won’t have big-name entertainers, there will still be plenty of entertainment. From animals to arts and crafts, the Midway, and — of course —the star of the show: fresh Plant City strawberries in all sorts of delicious dishes.
Guests must undergo temperature checks at the gate. There will be 100 hand sanitizer stations set up throughout the park, and there will be more restroom units on the grounds to prevent long lines. Faucets were made contact-less as well.
Air scrubbers will clean air in all buildings. There are 110 air filters, filtering air in the AG building. Each building is sanitized each day. Booths, tables, chairs and high contact areas are sprayed down and disinfected.
Florida Strawberry Festival Calendar
Perhaps the biggest change was the cancellation of concerts. There will be no performances on the main stage this year, but there will be a number of free music performances on smaller stages throughout the property. Organizers hope people will spread out and not crowd around in one place when they watch.
Over the past two months, festival organizers have spent $600,000 on COVID-19 safety improvements.
“We’re trying to think of everything, but we know there’s no solid script for everything you’re going to face every day. That’s why we have the COVID team walking around saying we need to tweak this, we need to look at this,” said Strawberry Festival President Paul Davis.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 6 through 12. Children under 5 can get in free with paid adult admission.
Parking is available on Florida Strawberry Festival property in the Blue, Gray and Red Parking Lots located on Ritter Street, off of Highway 92 or Highway 574, and costs $5 for cars, pickup trucks and vans under 20 feet, $10 for vehicles over 20 feet, and $15 for vehicles or buses over 40 feet.
The Florida Strawberry Festival is located at 303 Berryfest Place in Plant City.
The festival normally draws 500,000 to 600,000 people each day, but organizers said they expect 50% to 70% of normal attendance this year.
The Florida Strawberry Festival will run from March 4 to March 14 in Plant City.
Admission and Hours:
Tickets are $10 for those who are 13 years of age and older. Admission for children between 6 to 12 is $5. Those under the age of 5 can enter the festival for free with paid adult admission.
Gates open at 10 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. every day.
The Midway hours are:
Kiddie Korral: Daily from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Tuesday–Friday: 12:00 noon – 11:00 p.m. However, on Friday, March 12, the Midway will close just before 10 p.m. and will reopen from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. for “Moonlight Magic.”
Weekends & Monday: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Parking:
Festival guests can find parking on the Florida Strawberry Festival property in the Blue, Gray and Red parking lots, located on Ritter Street off of Highway 92 or Highway 574.
It will cost $25 for cars, pickup trucks and vans under 20 feet; $10 for vehicles between 20 feet to 39 feet; and $15 for vehicles or buses that are over 40 feet.
The T-Mobile tram will operate between the parking lots to the entry Gate 10 and Gate 14.
Parking is also available around the Festival grounds, such as the Bryan Elementary School track and Tomlin Middle School.The annual Florida Strawberry Festival that celebrates the berry’s harvest in eastern Hillsborough County begins Thursday, but, like other events since the pandemic started, it will be a little different this year.Parking is also available around the Festival grounds, such as the Bryan Elementary School track and Tomlin Middle School.
