Every spring, the small city of Plant City — tucked along I-4 between Tampa and Orlando — transforms into the sweetest spot in Florida. The Florida Strawberry Festival has been celebrating the region's strawberry harvest for more than nine decades, and the 92nd edition runs March 4–14, 2027. Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned shortcake devotee, knowing how the ticketing and logistics work before you arrive makes the whole day go smoother.
Gate Admission: What You'll Pay at the Door
Gate admission for 2027 is $15 for adults (ages 13 and up) and $5 for children ages 6–12. Kids five and under get in free when accompanied by a paying adult. The grounds are open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., giving you a full day to work with. Note that the Midway runs on a slightly different schedule — noon to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends and Mondays.
The Smart Way to Save: Publix Advance Tickets
Here's the single best money-saving move for most visitors: pick up your admission tickets at a participating Publix Super Market before the festival. Advance tickets are available starting February 1 through the run of the event and drop the price to $10 for adults and $4 for children ages 6–12 — a meaningful savings, especially for families. Grab a reusable insulated tote bag while you're at the store; you'll want it for hauling home all those fresh flats of strawberries.
Special Days & Discounts: Mark Your Calendar
The festival's Special Days and Discounts program is one of its most visitor-friendly features, and it runs throughout all 11 days. Here's a breakdown of the recurring discount themes — specific dates for 2027 will be confirmed closer to the event on the official festival website, so check there before you go:
- Senior Citizens Day (held on both Thursdays): Guests age 60 and older are admitted at a reduced gate price of $10. A prize drawing also takes place at 11:45 a.m. each Senior Day following the free morning show on the Wish Farms Soundstage — you have to be present in the stadium to win.
- American Heroes Day: All active, reserve, and retired military veterans, law enforcement officers, first responders, and healthcare professionals are admitted free with valid ID — no asterisks, no partial discounts.
- Special Smiles Day: Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Central Florida, this morning event (9 a.m. to noon) welcomes individuals with special needs in a sensory-considerate environment. Special Smiles attendees and one companion receive free admission; entry is at Gate 5.
- Free Kids Day: Kids through high school age are admitted free. Stop by any festival ticket booth for a complimentary voucher on this day.
- Family Day: Bring an empty Coca-Cola brand can or plastic bottle to the entry gate and receive a voucher for $5 off the all-day ride wristband, dropping it from $35 to $30. Limit one can per person.
- Ride-A-Thon Day: A midway wristband purchased for $25 covers unlimited rides from noon to 11 p.m. Visit the Lazydays RV display on the grounds for a voucher that cuts another $5 off, bringing the total to $20.
- Food & Fun Friday: Donate a non-perishable food item at the Midway and receive a discounted ride wristband.
- Farm Worker Appreciation Day: Farmworkers with a sponsor voucher are admitted free — a nod to the agricultural community that makes the whole festival possible.
Concerts: A Separate (and Very Worth It) Purchase
The headline entertainment is the engine that drives the festival's massive attendance — over 573,000 people turned out in 2026, making it the most-attended festival in Florida. But here's the detail that trips up first-timers: concert tickets are not included with gate admission, and gate admission is not included with a concert ticket. You need both to attend a show. Think of them as two separate products that happen to share the same grounds.
Acts perform on the Wish Farms Soundstage, typically with afternoon shows at 3:30 p.m. and evening headliners at 7:30 p.m. Pricing has historically ranged from around $40 to $135 depending on the artist and seating section — pit, floor, and grandstand sections are each priced differently. Each Thursday morning also features a free concert included with paid gate admission, a great low-commitment way to experience the stage.
The 2027 concert lineup will be announced in November 2026, with advance tickets going on sale in mid-December. Past years have featured a crowd-pleasing mix of country heavyweights, classic rock acts, Christian artists, and nostalgic fan favorites — something for virtually every adult in the family. Buy early; popular night shows sell out. All shows are rain or shine with no refunds or exchanges, so dress accordingly and consider a packable rain poncho tucked in your bag.
Accessible seating is available for all headline shows; call 813-719-6680 to arrange it in advance. Wheelchairs ($30 all day) and motorized scooters ($70 all day, or $50 after 5 p.m.) are rentable inside multiple gates.
Parking: Plan Ahead and Bring Cash
Parking is the one area where even experienced visitors can lose significant time. The festival draws enormous crowds — on busy days, traffic management is a real consideration. Here's what to know:
- Festival lots cost $10 for standard cars, trucks, and vans. All festival-operated lots are cash only, so keep bills on hand.
- There are more than 10 color-coded lots (Red, Gray, Pink, Purple, White, Tan, Yellow, Green, Orange, Magenta, and others) surrounding the grounds, each manned by local churches and nonprofit organizations that keep the proceeds — a genuinely nice community touch.
- A free tram runs from the Blue, Red, and Gray lots on Ritter Street to Gates 10 and 14, saving your legs before you've even walked the grounds.
- Accessible parking is available in the Red Lot across from Gate 14 and near Gate 1 on West Oak Avenue, both for $10.
- Weekdays are dramatically calmer than weekends for parking and crowd levels alike. If your schedule has any flexibility, a Tuesday through Thursday visit is a different — and often better — experience.
- Download the official Florida Strawberry Festival app before you leave home. It includes lot-by-lot directions and a feature that lets you pin your parking spot so you can find your car at the end of a long day.
Getting There
The festival grounds are at 303 BerryFest Place in Plant City, about 25 miles east of Tampa and roughly 50 miles southwest of Orlando via I-4. From the Tampa side, take I-4 to Exit 17 (Forbes Road), head south to Highway 574 (MLK Blvd.), then east toward the festival. From Orlando, Exit 21 or 22 puts you on Alexander Street heading south; turn west on Reynolds Street and the grounds are straight ahead. Whichever direction you're coming from, the festival website maintains alternate route suggestions for high-traffic days — worth a quick look the morning you visit.
Practical takeaway: The biggest money-savers at the Florida Strawberry Festival cost you almost nothing to use — Publix advance tickets, a specific Special Day visit, and a free tram ride from the lot. Stack those three before you even set foot on the grounds and you've already had a smarter trip than most first-timers.
