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The annual ChiliFest, hosted by the Arts Council of Plant City, brought the community together in a day of food, entertainment and friendly competition.
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Photo by Tony Marrero. After Hillsborough School District denied teachers a scheduled pay raise students at Strawberry Crest High School walked out of first period to protest the decision.
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Les and Christine Miller performed a country dance at the annual Dancing with the Locals competition. The couple won the competition with a dance Les Miller said was an homage to how they first met.
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Little Miss Plant City and her court decorated a large bowl to be auctioned off at the seventh annual Empty Bowls Project, which raised awareness on local hunger. Twenty-three local schools signed up to participate in the project.
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Several organizations and churches throughout Plant City hosted Fall Festivals to celebrate the season. At City Pointe Church’s festival, attendees took part in Jedi Training, using lightsabers to battle other Jedis.
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Main Street threw a festive Food Truck Rally in December to ring in the holiday season. The group showed “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on a giant screen in McCall park at the November rally.
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Country music legend Mel Tillis, who traced his success to Plant City youth, died on Nov. 19 at 85 years old. Tillis penned more than 1,000 songs, was a Country Music Hall of Fame member and received a National Medal of Arts.
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Gil Horn, a chef with Georgia Big Bozys Smoke House, was one of the few competitors at the annual Pig Jam to offer Paella and other nontraditional recipes. The 15th annual competition drew competitors from across the globe.
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Michael Scionti and Dan Middlebrooks prepare to unveil the newly dedicated bricks at the 32nd annual Veterans Day service. The bricks lay in the shadow of the park’s monument to honor the men and women of Plant City who served.
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The Masons have held an award dinner for more than 40 years honoring public servants and stand-out members. At the event, PCPD Capt. Jerry Stwann (left) presents Det. John McDowell (right) with the Police Officer of the Year award.
Plant City spent November saying goodbye to fall. Groups hosted fall festivals, supported the food bank with Empty Bowls and competed in the annual Chili Fest and Pig Jam. Dynamic duos showed off their moves at Dancing with the Locals and the city honored those who have served on Veterans Day. The community rallied together for hot-button issues, like when Strawberry Crest students walked out of class to protest their teachers not getting raises and bonuses they were promised.
