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Bring Appetite, Sense Of Adventure To Strawberry Festival

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By BOB ROSS

Special Sections correspondent

Published: February 17, 2009

Every fair in the country has rides, food and colorful characters.

But the Florida Strawberry Festival remains unique. Its daily slate of top-notch concerts is a big draw that few of its counterparts can match. The Plant City locale makes it convenient to everyone in Central Florida.

And oh, yes, it has strawberries. Lots of them. People swarm to taste those sweet red treats. Strawberry pie. Strawberry shortcake. And thousands of pints, quarts and flats to bring home for delicious days to come.

Last year, about 550,000 attended, making the Florida Strawberry Festival one of the top 50 fairs in the land.

And this year, there will likely be more at the festival that runs from Feb. 26 through March 8.

"We had some cold days during 2008," general manager Paul Davis said in a December announcement. "We also had some windy, blustery days. So, we're very pleased with the turnout we got. 2009 will be even better!"

Davis knows what he's talking about. Although he only has a few months tenure in the general manager's position, he has been part of the action for three decades.

For 31 years, Davis served in the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, rising to the rank of major and commanding the special investigations division. But, he pointed out in a recent interview, "I've worked security at the festival about 30 years, and I was in charge of it for five, so I've been involved with the inner workings and operations for many years." Plus, he added with a chuckle, "I've been going to the festival as long as I can remember."

Davis retired from the sheriff's office not long after his predecessor, Patsy Brooks, retired from the festival after 33 years employed there, rising to general manager for her last 13 years on the job. Davis seems like a natural choice to take over the helm, but his extensive background still left room for improvement.

What surprises me, he says, is how involved the operation is. There is so much to do, so many vendors and events. It is a great learning experience, and I've been extremely excited about it.

"We've added a lot of new things this year," Davis said. "I'm excited about that, and I'm also looking forward to talking to our visitors. I've always enjoyed greeting the people. It's how I find out what they like, what they want more of."

Davis likes to hang out at the ticket booths. "I talk to folks and thank them for coming. I'll be everywhere this year, at every gate and on the grounds as much as I can."

So, if you see a friendly guy chatting up fairgoers, it might be the boss himself.

Another point of pride for Davis: "We've kept our prices the same as last year. I know these are tough times, and we just refused to raise them."

Once you're inside, the fairground is full of fun, free stuff to see and do.

You don't have to be a child to enjoy the daily slate of kiddie events. All ages seem to like Granpa Cratchet, a comedy codger with a miniature fire truck, who tells tall tales while he teaches fire safety. Between stage shows, Granpa interacts and entertains.

A personal favorite: Robinson's Paddling Porkers, a pack of pigs that races regularly. Just north of the fair office, the porcine track is a guaranteed amusing stopping place.

Of course, every minute of the Strawberry Festival is full of fascinating exhibits and displays, along with livestock shows that never fail to impress and a monster midway crammed with lively rides.

There are loads of free musical events, too. Favorites include the outstanding ensemble Southern Star Bluegrass in the Cool Whip Strawberry Tent. Over in the Sweetbay Showcase Tent, you can hear Vocal Trash sing tight harmonies while accompanying themselves on trash cans and metal lids. That's also where longtime favorite Dennis Lee brings his music and comedy several times a day.

The festival also is renowned for its concert headliners. Two major acts appear each day on the GTE Federal Credit Union Soundstage, a pleasing open-air venue.

Even if you aren't buying concert tickets, the Strawberry Festival is full of fun on any day you go, all for about the cost of a movie admission — $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 6-12.

"It's a phenomenal bang for your buck, a great entertainment value," says Davis. "You can get in and keep busy for hours."

Don't forget to save room for strawberry shortcake.

An earlier version of this story had an incorrect start date for the festival.

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