As the lights and sounds of the Midway came to an end for the 2023 Florida Strawberry Festival on Sunday, March 12, the memories made on the grounds during the Festival this year continue to echo throughout Plant City. This year’s festival was filled with exciting new attractions (The Berry Big Wheel), livestock shows, live music, a Corvette giveaway to a local resident, copious amounts of fried foods, rides and family fun.
The 11-day event drew a record-shattering 606,116 visitors. Last Saturday’s attendance was 103,000 people, the largest single-day attendance in its history.
“From our festival family to yours, thank you,” said Florida Strawberry Festival President Paul Davis. “We would not be where we are today without the community’s continued support. The patrons, the vendors, the concessionaires, the sponsors, the volunteers, the workers, the schools, the churches, the businesses, the staff, the board of directors, the maintenance team, the families, the committees, our friends at Belle City Amusements, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Plant City Police Department and everyone in between who has contributed to this moment, we share this accomplishment with you. We are so blessed!”
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Plant City Police Department, both of whom are contracted to conduct security operations during the event, reported minimal occurrences during the event, said Davis.
Belle City Amusements, Inc., the entertainment company that provides the festival’s rides, reported a significant increase in sales from last year’s festival making this the most attended midway to date.
“This is a huge accomplishment and the staff and I would like to personally thank our Board of Directors and Associate Directors who work tirelessly, giving of their time and talents to support our event 365 days of the year,” said Florida Strawberry Festival President-Elect Kyle Robinson. “We have some exciting things planned for next year, and we’re already looking forward to BerryFest24.”
The 2024 Florida Strawberry Festival will be held February 29 through March 10.