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Sweet, Sweet Strawberries ‘Tis the season for celebrating strawberries. // B Y M E L I S S A P E T E R S O N
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hether indulging in the strawberry season at home with a yummy dessert or making your way to one of our state’s strawberry festivals, one thing is for sure—you won’t want to miss getting your hands on some of these delicious berries.
GET FESTIVE Near or far, there’s guaranteed to be a strawberry festival you’re sure to love. The Habitat Ocala Strawberry Festival, now in its eighth year, takes place on Saturday, March 6. With all festival proceeds benefitting the construction of a new Habitat for Humanity of Marion County home—the organization’s 200th home, to be exact—the festival will feature over 200 vendors, entertainment, a car show, a pet contest, a kids’ zone, a pie-eating contest and, of course, delicious Florida-grown strawberries for purchase. The festival organizers have taken great care to put safety precautions in place to keep vendors and attendees safe. “To stay within the CDC regulations, all volunteers and food vendors will wear masks, and we have asked our vendors to wear masks,” says Joanne Black, development director for Habitat for Humanity of Marion County. “We will have social distancing, lower the number of vendors and make our aisles a little bigger to give people more room.” Visit habitatocala.org/strawberryfestival to learn more. Also local to the 352 area, The Villages’ annual Strawberry Festival will take place on February 26 from 4-9pm at the Brownwood Paddock Square. Enjoy free live entertainment, a pie-eating contest at 7:30pm, dancing, market vendors, food and more. Learn more at thevillagesentertainment.com. The big to-do among strawberry lovers, though, is the Florida Strawberry Festival, an 11-day event scheduled for March 4-14 this year. Each year, nearly 500,000 visitors enjoy the Plant City festival’s midway rides, youth livestock shows, exhibits of commerce, strawberry shortcake and, under normal circumstances, headline entertainment. This year is anything but normal, though. Unfortunately, festival organizers recently decided to forgo headline entertainment for the 2021 event. “We are diligently planning to ensure visitors to the 2021 festival can have a safe and fun experience with their families just like they have for 85 years,” said Paul Davis, Florida Strawberry Festival president. “This year, we believe it is in the best interest of everyone to not have patrons sitting shoulder to shoulder for an extended period of time. “The festival’s other major attractions will continue, as they are all held either outdoors, in open-air facilities or in areas where guests can move around as they please,” Paul said. Visit flstrawberryfestival.com to learn more and purchase tickets.
HOME SWEET HOME Can’t make it to one of Florida’s strawberry festivals? Try one of these recipes at home to celebrate the sweetness of the season. 28
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Strawberry Caprese Salad with Balsalmic and Mint and Florida Strawberry Gin Fizz photos courtesy of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association
