PLANT CITY, Fla. (WFLA) – The 88th Annual Florida Strawberry Festival drew in large crowds over the 11-day event – so large that it even broke records.
According to festival leaders, 606,116 visitors took part in concerts, livestock shows, free entertainment, rides, food, arts, craft vendors and more at the festival.
“From our festival family to yours, thank you,” Florida Strawberry Festival President Paul Davis said in a statement.
“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!”
In addition to the large crowds, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Plant City Police Department reported that there were “minimal occurrences” during the festival.
Belle City Amusements, Inc., the entertainment company that provides the rides, also noted that there was a significant increase in sales from last year. Making this year’s festival the most attended midway to date.
“This is a huge accomplishment,” Florida Strawberry Festival President-Elect Kyle Robinson said in a statement. “The staff and I would like to personally thank our Board of Directors and Associate Directors. They work tirelessly, giving of their time and talents to support our event 365 days of the year. We have some exciting things planned for next year, and we’re already looking forward to BerryFest24. We certainly do have a winner; we knocked this one out of the park!”
Already can’t wait to go back? Well, good news! The 2024 Florida Strawberry Festival will be held on Feb. 29 through March 10.