Reba, Ripe Berries, & Rockin’ Good Times

Every year, Plant City cranks out so many strawberries, you’d think they were trying to fill Lake Okeechobee. (Okay, maybe not that many, but you get the idea.) The Florida Strawberry Festival (Feb. 27–March 9) is back, and it’s your annual excuse to eat berries like it’s your job.

You know those grocery store strawberries that taste like disappointment? These are not those. These berries are sun-ripened, juicy, and so fresh they probably still have a curfew. You could eat them straight from the carton like a responsible adult, but why stop there? This is your chance to go big—piled on shortcake, blended into a milkshake so thick it’ll test your lung capacity, or stuffed into your backseat with the idea that they’ll last the week. (Spoiler: they won’t. You’ll be snacking before you hit the parking lot.)

And if you think this festival is just about fruit, bless your heart. Between bites, you’ll find carnival rides that test both your bravery and your stomach, a midway lined with vendors selling everything from homemade jams to things you’ll impulse-buy and later claim were “totally worth it,” and the Berry Big Wheel—a Ferris wheel so tall it lets you rethink all your life choices from above.

Then there’s the music. Reba is taking the stage February 28, Boyz II Men are ready to bring the slow jams, and Lynyrd Skynyrd will have you screaming “Free Bird” whether you meant to or not. John Fogerty, Sara Evans, The Beach Boys, and more are all lined up, proving that the only thing better than strawberry shortcake is a side of live music. And if you need a breather, swing by the livestock barns—because where else can you admire a grand champion cow and then immediately celebrate with a strawberry funnel cake?

Festival Survival Guide:

• Shortcake first. If you wait, you’ll regret it.
  
  
• Ride the Berry Big Wheel. Preferably before the deep-fried Oreos.
  
  
• Pick your concert. Your mom has already texted you the lineup.
  
  
• Respect the cows. They’ve trained for this moment.
  
  

Strawberries this good don’t wait, and neither should you. Grab your people, wear something with stretch, and get to Plant City.

Find more Florida happenings at www.guidetoflorida.com/arts-entertainment.