If you've been to a strawberry festival in Florida, you know the feeling.
You're walking past food stands, live music, and rows of local vendors. There's a parade down the street, a livestock show around the corner, and somewhere nearby a plate of strawberry shortcake you did not plan on eating.
From Plant City's Florida Strawberry Festival to smaller celebrations in towns across the state, these events show up every spring.
People show up, stay a while, and run into someone they know. By mid-morning, the smell of kettle corn is everywhere.
Strawberry festivals happen in other places. In Florida, they've become part of the rhythm of the season. Farmers, families, food, music, all in the same place, on the same weekend. They give people a reason to get out, spend time together, and support what is local. That's why they've lasted.
It's not complicated, just people showing up for something they enjoy, year after year. That's local.
If you had to pick, what's your favorite part of a local strawberry festival? Click here to take our unofficial survey and let us know! 🍓
