It's that time of the year. Strawberries are at their peak and Floridians are literally driving by the truckloads to the Strawberry Festival celebrated in Plant City annually. Currently a resident of the Sunshine State, I decided to do like the locals and check out the buzz sans a Chevy truck, of course.
A packed Mazda5, carrying 4 Cuban pure-breeds and 2 half-breeds, arrived at the festival grounds located approximately 30 minutes away from home. Parking was at your "own risk" as folks opened up their homes to anyone looking for a parking spot for a price. We quickly found one and made our way to the action.
Maneuvering through the crowds was a challenge, but we were able to accomplish two goals. The first was to taste the highly touted Strawberry Shortcake dessert and the second was to purchase massive amounts of strawberries at a really good price. After all, this is about strawberries; from how they are cultivated, harvested, and finally used to make products.
False advertising came to mind. I was a bit dissapointed with the dessert. For one, a larger serving of the shortcake would of been nice. The $3.50 charge was high for a bowl full of whipcream (I requested a hold-off on our servings), a thin slice of cake, and fresh strawberries soaked in sugar. Oh well. We did leave with a flat of strawberries to be used in making homemade milkshakes.
What was the highlight of my day? The pig races! Although I grew up with farm animals at a point in my life, they were there as a food source and not entertainement. These littles guys don't know how lucky they are having this daytime job.
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| G and Toddler S |
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Toddler S
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| G |
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| Strawberry Shortcake |
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| Approval |
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| Taste test |
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Pigs "regroup" |
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| Off they go |
