At a meeting of the Plant City Lions Club, on July 5, 1929, Albert Schneider, the first president and organizer of the club, suggested the members sponsor a festival that would involve Plant City and the surrounding communities. A committee was formed and the city quickly got on board. City Manager John C. Dickerson was named General Manager. The city also advanced $1,000 for the committee’s operating revenue to be reimbursed from the festival’s first proceeds.
The organization’s incorporating charter was approved by the State of Florida and, at a meeting at City Hall, the Strawberry Festival Organization elected its officers and directors to include Albert Schneider, President, W. Dee Marley, Vice President, Henry H. Huff, Secretary, Henry S. Moody, Treasurer, and James Henderson, F.E. Cummins and Marcus Cone, Directors.
The newly incorporated Strawberry Festival Organization drew up plans for the inaugural event, which would include the selection and crowning of a Festival Queen. The Queen would be selected through a contest sponsored by the Future Farmers of America and would be featured in the grand parade on opening day and crowned at the festival grounds.
The Plant City Enterprise, under Fenton M. Prewitt, and The Courier, under Wayne Thomas, both published every Tuesday and Friday, kept a running commentary on the festival’s developments. The necklace the Future Farmers of America was to present to the new Festival Queen was on display at Edgar Hull Jewelry.
The Woman’s Club of Plant City and the Home Demonstration Club agreed to present their third annual flower show in conjunction with the festival and the communities of Dover, Hopewell, Seffner, Trapnell, Lithia, Turkey Creek, Cork, and Springhead all registered to participate.
Announcements were made in the two local papers that nominations for festival queen were open and any “maid” or “matron” residing in East Hillsborough County was eligible. There was a form in the paper to clip and complete and it was submitted to Gray Miley, who was working with the sponsoring Future Farmers of America committee.
Ballot boxes for votes were placed in stores around town to receive votes from the community. Each candidate received 5,000 votes to start. After that, each vote was one penny and pennies for votes were placed in clearly marked envelopes. By February 24, the last day to nominate a candidate, there were 36 names submitted.
Each newspaper, The Plant City Enterprise and the Courier, would print the 10 leading candidates on subsequent publication dates. The highest vote getter was elected Festival Queen, the next five would make up the court. It is reported that Nettie Simmons, a girl from Dover, was in the lead early, but was soon passed by Irvine Hopkins Wilder of Midway, daughter of Calffrey La Fayette Wilder and Joanne Singletary Wilder. Irvine Wilder’s lead gave way to Charlotte Rosenberg, daughter of Sam and Fannie Rosenberg, who had a retail business in Plant City.
With a vote total nearing 50,000, Charlotte Rosenberg became the first Strawberry Festival Queen and her court included Irvine Wilder, Nettie Simmons, Alice Sly, Kathryn Dudley, and Alice Maxey.
The Festival began on March 12, 1930, and on opening day, the first Strawberry Festival Queen and her court led a parade of elaborately decorated floats, cars, horse-drawn carriages, and marchers. The parade started north of Risk/Herring Street, on Wheeler Street, and wound its way through the crowded streets in the Historic District.
The coronation was at the end of the parade. The Queen was preceded by her four heralds, two Pages bore her train and two more carried her crown and necklace. The platform was decorated with a red, white, and blue bunting background and an overdrape of blue material with a silver fringe. Potted palms and ferns surrounded the throne in the center of the stage. Albert Schneider introduced Mayor/Commissioner George A. Carey, who gave a brief speech before crowning the first Queen at 2:30 p.m., March 12, 1930.
The crowing was followed by a band concert, entertainment, vendors, rides, and more. The remaining days of the Festival were Thursday, March 13 – Strawberry Day, Friday, March 14 – Tourist Day, and Saturday, March 15 – Farmers Day.
Today, the tradition continues. Things have changed quite a bit as the pageant is held in the Grimes Family Agricultural Center and has a spectacular stage production. Once the Queen and Court are crowned, they are featured ambassadors for the Florida Strawberry Festival. Their first official event is the first Tuesday following the pageant when they attend a luncheon with the Plant City Lions Club members and the Lions Club members douse them with questions regarding their experience and what they expect their journey to be like in the coming year.
The tradition continues………..