March 7 – 8, 2020

The 33rd Annual Floral City Strawberry Festival returns to Floral Park

You know spring is just around the corner when the 33^rd Annual Floral City Strawberry Festival comes to town!  Get ready to come out to one of Citrus County’s prettiest parks on March 7^th and 8^th for fun (and strawberries), food (and strawberries), entertainment (and strawberries), Princess Pageants and Pie-Eating Contests (and strawberries), arts, crafts and more (and strawberries), and kids’ activities galore (and strawberries)! 

Oh, and did we mention there will be STRAWBERRIES??  Luscious strawberry shortcake prepared by the Citrus County Agricultural Alliance and the Cattlemen’s Association will be available for your noshing pleasure, along with flats and half-flats of whole fresh berries grown locally by Ferris Farms that you can take home with you as a sweet souvenir of your day to make your own delectable treats.

Saturday morning, the festival opens with the posting of colors, the Pledge of Allegiance and local eighth-grader Mason Holly performing our National Anthem on his flute.  Also appearing Saturday will be Southern Express Bluegrass Band, and headliner Moonflower “The Spirit of Santana”

Sunday Palomino Blonde takes the stage followed by headliner Gilly & the Girl, a contemporary, acoustic duo whose performances are requested worldwide!

Sticking to its very berry American roots, the annual pie-eating contests and princess pageants will be back as well! Ooh and ahh on Saturday morning as poised young ladies take the stage in their favorite strawberry-themed attire for a chance to earn a crown and become the next Little Miss and Miss Strawberry Princesses.  Or maybe getting messy is more your style?  Then sign up to compete in the strawberry pie-eating contests for a chance to win some cold, hard cash! Competitions will be held both Saturday and Sunday.

The Floral City Strawberry Festival is pleased to welcome the Big Idaho Potato, the world’s largest potato, as it makes a special stop along its cross country trip. Also driving into town is the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile! Rumor has it, the Big Idaho Potato “Tater Team” will face off against the Oscar Meyer “Hotdoggers” in an ultimate pie-eating competition Sunday at high noon!

Another exciting addition to this year’s festival is the Tin Can Tourists! The only trailer club in America that can claim to be over 100 years old! While most trailer organizations have been around for a few years, the TIN CAN TOURISTS (TCT) club is entering its second century of providing fun and educational camping opportunities for its members.

Round your festival adventures out by strolling the park and browsing close to 300 art and craft vendors, imbibing in a cold beer or glass of wine at the beer garden near the main stage, enjoying the gastronomic pleasures offered by the many food vendors, or enjoying laughs and smiles with the young ones as they “play themselves silly” in the kids’ area.

Floral City Strawberry Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.  The entrance fee is $5.00 for guests 12 and older.  Park free at the Citrus County Auditorium and take a shuttle to the Festival location. Floral Park is located at 9530 S. Parkside Ave., Floral City, FL 34426

For complete information on the Floral City Strawberry Festival, visit www.GoStrawberryFest.com.  On Facebook, search for the “Floral City Strawberry Festival.”

Floral City Strawberry Festival at a Glance

When:  Saturday, March 7, 9 am – 5 pm, and Sunday, March 8, 9 am – 4 pm
Where: Floral Park, 9530 S. Parkside Avenue, Floral City – 3 miles south of downtown Floral City on US Hwy 41
Cost: Festival Admission is $5 per adult, children 12 and under are free
Parking: On-site at Floral Park, or at the Citrus County Auditorium located at 3610 S. Florida Ave, Inverness.  Free shuttle buses from the auditorium are running all day, both days
Website: www.GoStrawberryFest.com

Little Miss and Miss Strawberry Princess Pageants

On Saturday morning, the festival opens with the Miss Strawberry Princess Pageants for girls aged 4 – 6, and 7 – 12, a festival tradition going back to the early days of the event. This special pageant is designed to be fun and enjoyable for the whole family and to help children build self-esteem.  It is not a highly competitive event. Applications to participate are on the Strawberry Festival website at www.GoStrawberryFest.com.

Festival Sponsors:
Silver: Drummond Community Bank
Bronze: JM Signs, Brannen Bank, Resort Furniture Liquidator
Pie-Eating Contest: Lynn’s Ice Cream, Joe’s Family Restaurant, The Screen Monkey Corp., SRG Lawn Care
Presenting Media: Citrus County Chronicle,
Media: WXJB 99.9 FM, Tampa Bay Times