More than 100 guests filled the HCC Trinkle Center, dressed in shades of red, many wearing strawberry pins fastened neatly to their lapels. Laughter carried across the room as attendees balanced plates of fresh fruit, cheese, and slices of strawberry shortcake.
By 10:50 a.m., the buffet line stretched across the hall. But the gathering was about more than strawberry shortcakes. The annual luncheon was held to honor the City of Plant City, celebrate the legacy of the strawberry growers, and recognize the volunteers who sustain one of Florida’s most well-known traditions — the Florida Strawberry Festival.
The program opened with the national anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a short prayer.
Chairman Daniel Coton started the program by recognizing the board of the festival, Tampa Electric Company, the mayor, city commissioners, city manager, and other elected officials.
Strawberry Queen Layla Rothman introduced her court and said some words about the pride she feels representing the community.
Congress Member Laurel Lee said it was an honor to be at the luncheon and praised the city’s agricultural leadership.
“Plant City sets the standard, not just for strawberries, but for what American communities should look like,” Lee said. “Thank you to our growers for feeding our area and for leading our nation. May this year’s festival be yet another sweet reminder of the strength, the resilience, and the endurance spirit of Florida’s agriculture.”
Lee said strawberries are not just a crop in Plant City. They are an economic engine, helping supply thousands of jobs and feeding families across the United States throughout the winter months.
“The faith, the family, the community ties, the entrepreneurial spirit, you are reflecting the very best of Florida,” Lee said.
Next, Rothman introduced the former Strawberry Festival Queen and U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody.
“This festival has been a part of this community for so long. Indeed, it is about celebrating the bounty of the county. It’s also about the community coming together to serve and volunteer,” Moody said.
The festival has drawn 650,000 people in past years and Moody said there are around 2,000 volunteers who make this festival run. She said these volunteers are what help set Plant City apart.
“No festival comes close to that. No state fair, and if you ask the other festivals around the nation, none of them come close to those numbers in terms of people that want to come out and volunteer and welcome others to this great city,” Moody said.
She described Plant City as a beating heart. She said it is the heart of Florida because of its location in the middle of Florida and the agricultural success.
“Its in the very middle of this great state. It is the beating heart. I think the red represents strawberries and also represents the heart of the great free state of Florida,” Moody said.
This year’s celebration carries added meaning. Moody acknowledged that growers recently endured one of the harshest freezes since the 1980s, threatening crops that sustain both local families and the state’s agricultural economy. Honoring farmers during this festival shows the resilience of this community.
“To celebrate the farmers that have so much of our backbone, not only this community, but our state. And volunteers coming together to help us celebrate that,” Moody said. “That service, that commitment to being something bigger than yourself, that’s learned here.”
The luncheon brought together community members and those visiting from out of the area. Alma Alexander is a Florida realtor who has come to this luncheon every year.
“I have so many friends in Plant City, and being a realtor, I sold homes here, and they love it. I feel like it’s a part of what I need to do to be a part of the realtor community and help people find homes in a beautiful farming community,” Alexander said.
She is impressed with the agriculture in the city and stresses how youth in the area are learning this essential skill to keep the economy running through farming and harvesting.
“In fact, there are some 2,800 farms in Hillsborough County that produce fruit and vegetable crops with an annual value of over $360 million. This county is now one of the largest agricultural counties in the nation. The diverse farm production includes strawberries, citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, squash, okra, peppers, beans, dairy products, eggs, ornamental horticulture, tropical fish, beef cattle, swine, and other related products,” according to the Strawaberry Festival Website.
The festival began in 1930 and is to highlight the acres of strawberries being farmed in Plant City.
As the luncheon concluded, attendees prepared to transition from celebration to spectacle. Many planned to join the police escort leading to the Florida Strawberry Festival Grand Parade.
