Organizers have unveiled the headline entertainment for the 92nd annual Florida Strawberry Festival, scheduled for March 4 through March 14, 2027, in Plant City. The 11-day event will bring generational music icons and modern chart-toppers to the Wish Farms Soundstage, with two shows on most dates spanning classic rock, country, gospel and pop.
The festival opens Thursday, March 4, with the Oak Ridge Boys at 3:30 p.m. followed by Styx at 7:30 p.m. Tommy James and The Shondells and Josiah Queen perform March 5, and March 6 features Shaboozey in the afternoon and Max McNown in the evening. Hudson Westbrook, joined by McCoy Moore, plays a single 6:30 p.m. show on Sunday, March 7.
The middle stretch leans heavily on country and classic rock. Tanya Tucker and Maverick City share the bill March 8, while March 9 pairs Roots & Boots, featuring Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye and Aaron Tippin, with Travis Tritt. Micky Dolenz presents 60 Years of The Monkees ahead of 38 Special on March 10, and Grand Funk Railroad and Charlie Wilson perform March 11. Lorrie Morgan and Becky G take the stage March 12, Jamey Johnson headlines March 13, and Train closes out the festival March 14. Unless otherwise noted, shows begin at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The 2027 festival carries the theme "A Timeless Tradition," which organizers say celebrates nostalgia, Americana and family fun. The fair also honors the agricultural workers behind the region's berry industry with a dedicated Farm Worker Appreciation Day and mock strawberry fields on the grounds.
Returning staples include the Youth Livestock Shows, the Strawberry Queen's Scholarship Pageant and the festival's famous make-your-own strawberry shortcake. Organizers credit a large corps of local volunteers with keeping the massive gathering feeling like a small-town event each year.
Festival President Kyle Robinson said the theme reflects the event's multi-generational pull. "Every year, the Florida Strawberry Festival brings people together through the traditions, memories and experiences that make this community so special," Robinson said. "From longtime favorites to some of today's most exciting artists, there is something for everyone to enjoy."
Festival Director Rhett Rollyson said the entertainment has grown beyond the event's country roots based on feedback from attendees. "It used to be country music, but we've evolved, and we've listened to our customers," he said, pointing to gospel performers such as Maverick City and Josiah Queen, rock bookings like Styx and 38 Special, established country acts and contemporary pop like Train.
The festival, which celebrates the strawberry harvest of Eastern Hillsborough County, draws more than 600,000 visitors annually for its headline concerts, youth livestock shows, commercial exhibits and strawberry shortcake. "Think about 575,000, and we've had as many as 650,000 come to Plant City over a 10-day period," Rollyson said. "It takes a collective group effort to make that happen."
Officials have not yet released individual ticket prices or seating charts for the Wish Farms Soundstage performances. Organizers also have not confirmed whether additional acts will be added to the afternoon slots on March 7, March 13 or March 14.
Advance tickets for gate admission and headline entertainment go on sale Thursday, Dec. 10, at 8 a.m. EST. Purchases can be made in person at the Amscot Main Ticket Office, located at 2209 W. Oak Ave. in Plant City, as well as online, through the festival's app or by calling 813-754-1996.
