September 2021
Brandon/Winthrop Edition
THE FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL IS #1 FOR FUN
The Florida Strawberry Festival, which will take place in Plant City in March 2022, released the theme for its 87th annual event last month, and it will be ‘#1 for FUN!’
One of area’s most beloved events recently announced its plans for 2022 and an exciting theme to go with it. The Florida Strawberry Festival, which will take place in Plant City in March 2022, released the theme for its 87th annual event last month, and it will be ‘#1 for FUN!’ “Our festival and the City of Plant City hold the strawberry in high regard,” said President Paul Davis. “We’re #1 for wholesome family fun and excitement.” A new theme is created for each year’s festival to offer patrons a glimpse of the experience they will have at the 11-day event. It also unifies vendors, FFA chapters, organizations, corporate partners and exhibi-
Page 3
TAMPA DOWNTOWN HOSTS FUN FOURTH FRIDAYS
Staff Report
Staff Report
tors who create parade floats and displays throughout the event, said Davis. The festival’s strawberry character featured in each year’s theme artwork is an iconic part of the event’s branding and advertising efforts. In this theme’s artwork, he wears a festival cap, waves a foam finger and holds a plate of strawberries. “We feel like this is a theme other fairs and festivals, in our profession, can relate to,” said Davis. “Like most fairs and festivals, the Florida Strawberry Festival represents a piece of Americana, a time in American history when events like ours brought communities together to celebrate the harvest, and that’s #1 in our book.” The Florida Strawberry Festival is an 11-day comm u n i t y event celebrating the strawberry harvest of Eastern Hillsborough County. Each year, n e a r l y 500,000 visitors enjoy the festival’s headline entertainment, youth livestock shows, exhibits of commerce and, of course, its strawberry shortcakes. The 2022 Florida Strawberry Festival takes place March 3-13, 2022 in Plant City and will be ‘#1 for FUN!’ For more information, visit www.flstrawberryfestival.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (#berryfest22).
Fourth Friday along the Tampa River- formation Hub’ at Curtis Hixon Park. walk is back. The arts and cultural crawl, Fourth Friday also includes food and which features live music drink specials from at Fourth Friday along participating downthe Tampa Riverwalk is town venues. As a back. The arts and cul‘Sip & Stroll’ event, tural crawl, which feaalcoholic consumption tures live music at mulis allowed along the tiple locations, resumed Riverwalk in speciallast month and will take ly approved vendor place again on Friday, cups when purchased September 24; Friday, at one of eight authoOctober 22; and Friday, rized Tampa RiverNovember 26. walk venues. “Fourth Friday is a per“Not only are there fect outdoor family event different entertainers showcasing some of the at each of our event area’s best musicians locations each month, and artists at some of Fourth Friday along the Tampa Riverwalk but our Information is back. our most popular cultural Hub in Curtis Hixon attractions,” said Tampa Downtown Part- Waterfront Park features local artists, nership President and CEO Lynda Remund. who not only perform on-site (whether its “Residents and downtown businesses have painting, dancing or playing music), but been asking when Fourth Friday would be also have the opportunity to sell their work returning, and we are excited to say the to the public,” said Caroline Keesler, digiwait is now over.” tal marketing coordinator with the Tampa Occurring on the fourth Friday of every Downtown Partnership. “In addition, as month, Fourth Friday runs from 5:30-7:30 an incentive to visit all of the participatp.m., except at the Henry B. Plant Muse- ing locations, if an attendee finishes their um, where activities run from 5-7 p.m. passport by getting a hole punch at each Organized by the Tampa Downtown location and returns it to us at the Hub, Partnership and sponsored by TECO, they are entered in a raffle for a downFourth Friday offers free musical perfor- town staycation. We encourage attendees mances and other activities at various to complete the passport multiple times, arts and cultural venues along the Tampa as each completed passport turned in to Riverwalk. Locations include Sparkman us is a chance to win the raffle. We are Wharf, the Sail Plaza, Henry B. Plant Mu- going to pull the first winner in January.” seum, the Florida Museum of PhotographFor more information, visit www.fourthic Arts (FMOPA), and the Straz Center. fridaytpa.com. You can also follow Fourth During the event, visitors can learn more Friday on Twitter @FourthFridayTPA or about the program and the Tampa Down- Facebook @TampasDowntown for contintown Partnership at the organization’s ‘In- uous updates.
