Candy’s Corner

By Candy Owens

Well, Folks, it’s Festival time again!!! The 88TH annual Florida Strawberry Festival that is. Did you know the very first Strawberry Festival was conceived for and dedicated to the glorification of the strawberry and was held here in Plant City, March 12-15, 1930? Since that time, our beloved little Festival has become one of the best in the nation and now ranks among the top 40 fairs in North America.

In my 54 years as a Plant City resident, I have proudly walked many miles around the Strawberry Festival grounds and watched many Festival parades pass by. I’ve participated in the parades and shoe box float contests, volunteered in the Information Booth, and even churned homemade butter alongside my fellow Brownies to hand out to passersby. I have watched many babies crowned King and Queen of the Baby Parade. I have eaten corndogs, French fries, cotton candy, candy apples, roasted corn, hamburgers, popcorn, fudge, mile-high apple pie, fried cheese, funnel cakes, taffy, boiled peanuts, roasted peanuts, and the WORLD’S BEST STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, and have loved EVERY bite! I have watched dancers dance and heard singers sing, and watched stars entertain audiences on stage before they were celebrities. I’ve also watched many beautiful young ladies walk across the stage in hopes of becoming the next Strawberry Festival Queen.

I find it hard to believe our once little Strawberry Festival has grown from a few little acres of land near Jackson Elementary to a 100acre site that welcomes over 500,000 guests annually.

Well, our little Festival may be growing bigger than our wildest dreams, but there is nothing better than walking around the fair eating all the yummy food, visiting with old friends, and watching the luckiest girl in Plant City be crowned Strawberry Festival Queen.

Along with several hundred excited and nervous people a few weeks ago, I watched the 2017 Florida Strawberry Queen’s Pageant. The top finalists were asked the question: “If the Royal Family visited the Florida Strawberry Festival, what is the first thing you would take them to see?” Most answers focused on taking them to eat a certain food or to see a certain show. Their responses made me think back to how the Festival has changed over the years.

When I was a little girl back in the ‘60s and ‘70’s, the most popular event was the crowning of the Strawberry Festival Queen. I can remember how exciting it was to be bundled up in the grandstand watching the contestants walk across the stage one by one, smelling all the yummy food in the air, looking to the left and watching the Ferris Wheel go ‘round and ‘round, hearing the faint screams of people on rides, and the sky-- there was always the most beautiful sky, filled with stars. I can remember how the finalists who made the court would walk out on stage with their beautiful white gowns flowing in the wind, their shoulder length white gloves, and their dramatic hair.

In 1977, my sister, Karen Ann Owens, was chosen Queen of the 42nd Annual Strawberry Festival and Hillsborough County Fair. The theme was “Green and Growing” and was run by Mrs. Louise Gibbs, who was the General Manager and Mr. E.O.”DAVVY” Davenport, who served as Assistant-Manager. The Officers were: Jack Dempsey-President, Mac Smith-Vice President, Jim Redman-Secretary, and Mac Hooper-Treasurer. The pageant was held in the Tomlin Jr. High School auditorium, where the contestants were narrowed down to the top 10 finalists. The final selection was done at 7:00 p.m. on the Festival’s opening night, during which time the girls competed in evening gowns, swimsuits, talent, and interview competitions. When it was time for the crowning, all 10 finalists stood together on stage in their evening gowns. The Master of Ceremonies was Mr. Bob Lastinger (there were no crown bearers or any children in the program. That had been discontinued and I suppose that was just not in style anymore.) The girls’ names were called in order of their place in the court. Fifth runnerup was Julie Wills; Fourth runner-up, Barbara Fulford, Third runner-up, Amy Carpenter; First runner up, Molly Dull, and then they called out the name of the new 1977 Strawberry Festival Queen: Karen Ann Owens! “Hip-Hip-Hooray!” my sister was queen. I watched along with my parents as the 1976 Queen Martha Lastinger placed the shiny crown on my sister’s head. Now, for our family, that was an unforgettable year.

I looked at the program from my sister’s reign to see how things have changed over the years. A few of the sponsors were: Parkecrest

Restaurant, The Other Brother, Gino’s Pizza, Jack Ramsey Motors, Edgar Hull Jewelers, Tatum & Johnson’s, Elston Insurance Agency, Jack Camp Realtor, Powell’s Buick and Pontiac, and McGinnes Lumber Company.

The Entertainment for the 1977 event was: Bobby Goldsboro, Doug Kershaw, Dusty Rhodes, Mel Tillis, Barbara Mandrell, and the FSU Flying Circus. There was also the Strawberry Recipe Cook-Off at the Arthur Boring Building with a chance to win the Grand Prize: a frost-free Freezer or Micro-Wave Oven. Phrases to promote programs that year included: Blue Grass shows nightly, Continuous Demonstrations and Contests in the Neighborhood Village, Fresh Strawberry Show and Auction Daily, the Petting Zoo, Show Tent around the clock entertainment, and “Don’t leave until you meet Mr. Strawberry.” General Admission was $2.00 and gates opened daily at 11:00 a.m., except Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

It’s hard to believe another Strawberry Festival is here. The 88TH Annual Strawberry Festival that is. What I find harder to believe is that back in 1930, that tiny committee and that little piece of land dedicated to the glorification of the strawberry would grow into something that would bring so much happiness and change to so many people’s lives forever. People have come from miles around to our beloved festival and had their first date, their first kiss, tasted their first Strawberry Shortcake, won their first blue ribbon, seen their first star performance, and been turned from an everyday ordinary person into a genuine Strawberry Queen. Plant City may be a small town on the map, but we sure have some smart people with some life changing ideas.

And just for the record, if I had gone out for Strawberry Queen, and I was asked: “If the Royal Family visited the Florida Strawberry Festival, what is the first thing you’d take them to see?” My response would be: “I’d take them all bundled up to the grandstand at night, have them turn their heads to the left and watch the Ferris Wheel go ‘round and ‘round, smell all the yummy food in the air, listen to the faint screams of people on rides, and look up at the sky, the most beautiful sky just filled with stars, and I would say, “This is Plant City, my home!”

COME HELP ST. CLEMENT

CELEBRATE 49 YEARS OF “MAKE YOUR OWN” STRAWBERRY