“The show must go on” seems to be the motto on everyone’s lips as the community prepares to once again flock to the Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s pageant at the Grimes Family Agricultural Center at the festival grounds.
The event — to be held this Saturday — will pit contestants against one another for the coveted position of the Strawberry Queen and Court. The pageant will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 23 and will feature 29 contestants.
The Plant City Lions Club sponsors the event each year and it has long been a staple in the community. This is its 86th year and it acts as one of the organization’s largest fundraisers. Many in the community consider it to be one of their favorite events of the year and the stands are often filled come the night of the pageant. A panel of judges score the contestants on their personal interview, a public speaking competition, the casual wear event and the evening gown competition.
The Lions Club is limiting attendance. All of the tickets have been sold. However, it added a new element to the experience this year: if you want to stream the pageant at home, you can purchase a virtual ticket via a link on the Plant City Lions Club Facebook page. This virtual ticket will offer a unique link you can use on Saturday to watch the pageant from the comfort of your own home. If you already have a ticket and decide you want to stay home and stream, email Gail Lyons at flstrawberryqueen@gmail.com and give her your ticket number. She will then send you a link.
If you choose to still attend in person, you are required to wear a mask and the organization will take temperatures at the door. The chairs on the floor have been socially distanced. The bleachers, however, will require attendees to choose to be respectful of those seated and social distance as much as they possibly can when choosing a seat. There is an estimated 500 to 600 people with tickets to watch in-person, so get there early to get your preferred seat.
The Lions Club has measures in place to be as cautious as possible, including wiping off the microphone between questions during the Top 10 round. The live-stream ticket is heavily encouraged for the community to turn to so they can still experience the event.
You can find the Queen and Court at a variety of events throughout the year — as long as the pandemic doesn’t lead to them being canceled — and you can see them at the Florida Strawberry Festival from March 4 to March 14.