Every year the streets of Plant City are lined with folding chairs as families stake out the perfect spot to watch the annual Strawberry Youth Parade.
The parade is a way for local youth to have a chance to be honored and get a taste of the nostalgia that makes Plant City so unique. It’s a slice of Americana, David Wolf, vice president of the parade board, said. When he thinks of quintessential small-town America he thinks of smiling and waving kids surrounded by a community that loves them and comes together to show them support.
“One of the great things about the parade is the fact that so many people in our community remember when they were kids and were in the parade,” Wolf said. “Now their children are in it, their grandchildren are waving at everyone they pass. We all have a memory of doing something as a kid where our family came to watch us. For so much of Plant City this parade is that memory.”
Whether it’s the Strawberry Youth Parade, the Grand Parade, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Parade or the Christmas Parade the community comes out in abundance to take part. Some families come 24 or even 48 hours in advance to set up their chair with their name on the back to ensure they get their favorite spot to watch the festivities.
The youth parade strays from the tradition of having elected officials or candidates lead the charge down Reynolds Street. Pat Pogue, chairman of the board, said this parade is solely about the youth and they make sure to open the door for local clubs, churches and organizations that Plant City kids are active in to have a chance to participate.
Each year local youth are nominated to have the honor of being named Grand Marshal. The board members individually comb through the nominations and present their top three choices of “outstanding youth.” This year, the first choice from every single member was Katelyn Yarbrough.
Yarbrough, a senior at Plant City High School, is the epitome of excellence. On top of having a 4.0
unweighted and a 7.24 weighted GPA, she has spent her life investing in her community. There’s hardly a group she isn’t a part of and she has held leadership positions with Raider Buddies, Interact Girls Service Club, FFA and more. Yarbrough’s sister was also once a grand marshal for the parade.
Having accumulated more than 700 hours of community service, Yarbrough also found time to train students at Titanium Gymnastics and Tumbling. Her passion for working with students in groups like Special Olympics, the Exceptional Student Education program, Night to Shine and more have fueled a desire to become a board-certified behavior analyst.
“I went to the school and told Katelyn she was going to be our grand marshal and she was so thrilled,” Pogue said. “A lot of factors go into choosing our grand marshal. The students really have to stand out not only with their grades but also with their involvement in the community. Whether it’s church, a school group or an organization in town we want to see they are invested in Plant City.”
This year the board has added a $500 scholarship to the winner and they will receive a proclamation from the city, be honored by the Strawberry Youth Parade Committee and attend the Citizen of the Year Luncheon.
The 2019 parade will be held at 11 a.m. March 2 and there will be close to 75 units participating in the event. Pogue said everything is always organized “to a T” to ensure the safety of the children participating in the event.
The committee is currently accepting applications for the 2019 Youth Parade and they can be found at strawberryyouthparadeinc.org or flstrawberryfestival.com under the contest rules tab.
“It beckons to a simpler time and I think it’s what makes Plant City, Plant City,” Wolf said. “Kids are our future and we need to embrace them and show them people care about them. You’ve got a bunch of people volunteering their time and helping organize the parade and they’re chatting with the kids and showing them they care. Then the parade starts and these kids see the entire community lined up along the streets just for them.”