A Sweet Time at The Exciting Florida Strawberry Festival
The Plant City Water Tower
I knew I was in the right place for Plant City & The Florida Strawberry Festival when I saw the Giant Strawberry Water Tower. Plant City claims to be the winter strawberry capital of the world! In honor of that, the Plant City Water Tower was built in the shape of a strawberry! The water tower is located at the Otis M Andrew Sports Complex. Until you’ve seen the Plant City Water Tower, your trip to Plant City is just incomplete!
Address: 2602 E Cherry St, Plant City, FL
Historic Downtown Plant City
Historic downtown Plant City is a great place to visit. There are many shops, restaurants, and beautiful parks. Visit the Antique Emporium at State Theatre Antiques. This past movie theatre is now a vintage emporium full of American memorabilia.
Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum & Train Viewing Platform
One of the things that I noticed about Plant City is that trains are running everywhere. So, I guess downtown is a perfect spot for the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum. There is a train viewing platform across the tracks where you can view trains. It is well-lit for train viewing in the evening. The platform and tower are said to be one of the best places in Florida to watch freight trains. You can expect to see about 20 trains go through daily.
Koffee at Krazy Kup
After viewing a couple of trains, I headed across the park to Krazy Kup for a delicious Kup of Koffee. What a cool little Koffee shop. Krazy Kup is a funky, unique coffee house that offers a wide array of delicious food and pastries.
Whistle Stop Cafe
Take a step back in time at the Whistle Stop Cafe if you are looking for lunch. This cute little diner is in the perfect location to grab lunch after viewing the trains at the museum. This retro cafe contains antiques, collectibles, model trains, model cars, and much more.
Reflections of Plant City
The Reflections of Plant City mural resides on the south wall of the Whistle Stop Cafe. Painted by artist Keith Goodson, the mural encourages visitors to visualize Plant City’s past and present.
Outdoor Sculptures by J. Seward Johnson
As you explore downtown Plant City you will encounter statues by artist J. Seward Johnson. There are ten of these sculptures scattered around the downtown area. The displays change every year with different pieces on display. Many folks take advantage of photo opportunities with these life-size figures.
Strawberry Shortcakes & Milkshakes at Parkesdale Farm Market
Ok, so first things first. Since I was in town for the strawberries, my morning breakfast had to be a Strawberry Shortcake and a Strawberry Milkshake from Parkesdale Farm Market. Folks flock to Parkesdale Farm Market for the World Famous Strawberry Shortcake! This family-owned market and farm have been serving up world-famous strawberry shortcakes since 1968.
Served fresh from the fields, sweet sliced berries sit atop a bed of shortcakes with a healthy dollop of whipped cream as garnish.
You can slurp all this strawberry goodness down with a strawberry milkshake at a table, set amid a tropical garden with lush flowers and foliage.
You can take home your berries from Parksdale Farm Market. Every year, the farm produces about 3 million pounds of strawberries. You can even handpick your basket while you’re there. The girls at the market insisted that I take home a flat.
The market is located at 3702 West Baker Street, Plant City.
Strawberry Picking
Strawberry picking in Florida is a great family activity to do especially with kids. The berries grow in raised beds on the ground so they are easy for kids to reach. Strawberry season in Florida typically runs from December through March. It is easy to find somewhere in Plant City for strawberry picking.
Keel Farms
Keel Farms is an extremely popular farm in Plant City! This is a great spot to pick fresh organically grown strawberries. The picking hours vary weekly and are subject to change. The fields were closed for picking when I visited but you can walk around the farm and through the berry patch.
Since the fields were closed for picking, I figured the next best thing to do was to sample the wines from the Keel & Curley Winery. These folks have been producing some of Florida’s best wines since 2003. My server Caitlyn suggested a refreshing glass of the Strawberry Reisling.
They also have a restaurant at Keel Farms that serves handcrafted meals seven days a week! They have a wide variety of upscale pub-style food, made from fresh ingredients, that are sure to excite your tastebuds. You can dine in the tasting room or their beautiful outdoor patio. After wine tasting and lunch, I headed out with my map to tour the rest of the farm.
Address: 5210 Thonotosassa Rd, Plant City
Leave it to the Pros
If picking your berries leaves you in a jam, then you might want to leave it to the pros. These folks don’t mess around when it comes to berry picking. These men and women all bent over at the waist, grabbing fruit with both hands and then taking them to an awaiting trailer to be weighed and packed. I sat and watched these workers go through the fields and take up tray after tray of red berries. It has to be a grueling job with long hours.
Florida Strawberry Festival
The Florida Strawberry Festival is an 11-day event celebrating the strawberry harvest. They have strawberries, shortcakes, big-name concerts, rides, stage shows, attractions, food galore, exhibits, displays, contests, and competitions. It is a sweet time for the whole family.
Year after year folks come back to this festival to celebrate the strawberry with strawberry-themed events and delicious desserts, like strawberry milkshakes and the best strawberry shortcake in the world! The St. Clement Catholic Church’s Make Your Strawberry Shortcake stand is quite popular here at the festival. Guests can go through the line to make their strawberry shortcake.
Did you know that The Strawberry Shortcake has just replaced the Key Lime Pie as Florida’s Official State Dessert?
But it’s not just desserts here, they have thrilling rides, a huge Ferris wheel, and the most delectable fried food stalls. Next time the Strawberry Festival rolls into town, you must come to Plant City!
In addition to the sweet strawberries, Florida is also well known for its delicious oranges and grapefruits. Come along with us as All Around the Bend visits the orange groves and farm stores in Fresh Fruit from Florida: Indian River Citrus.
Have you visited the Florida Strawberry Festival? What was your favorite thing to do there? Leave me a comment below.
