Carnival & Fair News

Growth and tradition highlighted this year's Florida Strawberry Festival. While a stretch of un-Florida-like weather reduced overall year-to-year attendance, the Festival's 2026 edition featured record-setting days, a reimagined children's midway, and sold-out concerts.

Tradition, an essential part of the Berry Fest's appeal, celebrates not only the titular fruit and the industry and jobs it supports, but also the family fun and community that have sustained the festival for 96 years. Growth is also evident in 2026. The fair continues to maintain strong attendance and a loyal following, while also expanding its footprint. More than eight acres were added to the fairgrounds, along with agreements with adjacent properties that significantly increased parking capacity.

This year marked the beginning of the Florida Strawberry Festival's expansion efforts. “We added five more parking lots, which contributed to our revenue increase. Some of the lots were churches staffed by volunteers, allowing those churches to raise funds,” said Kyle Robinson, president of the Florida Strawberry Festival. The additional eight acres of fairground space have already been acquired. “We are looking to buy more property. The fairgrounds are currently 140 acres, and we want to expand because more surrounding property is becoming available. This will allow us to increase the number of events we can host each year,” Robinson said.

Bigger Berries

The Florida Strawberry Festival is the only single-crop event ranked among the top 40 fairs in North America, placing number 29 in 2025. It is also Florida's largest fair. Maintaining that tradition has helped fuel its continued growth.

“We had a great Florida Strawberry Festival, a family-friendly event that offered strong value,” Robinson said. “We faced some weather challenges, but attendance continues to grow because people have a deep connection to this fair. They grew up with it, and now they bring their children. Our job is to never lose sight of that. We are fortunate to continue the tradition of the down-home Southern hospitality we are known for.”

Attendance reached more than 537,000 in 2026, down from last year's record of 651,647, largely due to weather conditions. “Rain and the threat of rain hurt afternoon attendance,” Robinson said. “We also had thunderstorms, lightning, and wind delays that affected shows and midway operations.”

He added, “I am very pleased with the turnout. Our grounds were near capacity on Saturdays and Sundays, and we had three record attendance days. We are still growing, which is why we are expanding the fairgrounds.”

The fair also introduced a new grandstand, adding 400 VIP pit seats. Performances by Ty Meyers and Forest Frank sold out, while other shows were near or at capacity. Additional headliners included The Oak Ridge Boys, Alabama, Jo Dee Messina, Lonestar, Lauren Daigle, The Marshall Tucker Band, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.

“We have focused on improving the grandstand,” Robinson said. “We replaced the old stage with a state-of-the-art structure because today's artists require larger stages for more complex productions. We are also expanding the pit area in front of the stage. These upgrades allow us to book larger and more expensive acts.”

Still Growing

The festival's marketing team embraced the theme “Still Growing,” reflecting both its trajectory and its future ambitions.

“Our staff developed the theme here in the office,” Robinson said. “It resonated well. If we can communicate to the community that strong attendance supports local property acquisition, it helps us expand the fairgrounds. ‘Still Growing' reflects not only our agricultural heritage but also our commitment to improving the festival for future generations.”

The marketing budget was approximately $560,000, with media allocation divided as follows: 10 percent print, 34 percent television, 28 percent radio, and 26 percent digital, including a strong presence on Spotify and YouTube.

Robinson noted that the shift toward digital and targeted advertising expanded the festival's reach. “We have a strong presence in the Tampa area, but we are now advertising more in Orlando and Sarasota, and we are seeing increased attendance from those markets.”

Supporting these efforts was an expanded pre-festival promotional tour by the 2026 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen, Layla Rothman, and her four courtiers. The festival continues to maintain one of the most successful fair queen programs among the top 50 fairs. The coronation takes place in January, followed by a promotional tour leading up to opening day.

“The live appearances before the fair were tremendous,” Robinson said. “We had more live broadcasts this year. One program even broadcast its entire one-hour show from the fairgrounds. The queen and her court are excellent ambassadors. While this has always been a tradition, this year we appeared on more shows and saw greater interest. People appreciate that we preserve traditions, especially in contrast to what they see on social media and the news.”

The festival's social media strategy focused on consistency and timeliness. “We emphasized frequent posting to keep content fresh,” Robinson said. “We shared clips, went live, and posted daily recaps. We respond quickly to engagement, repost user content, and encourage tagging. Our social media reflects the fun of the fair, and our team did an excellent job capturing that.”

Although inflation did not significantly affect spending, Robinson noted a shift in consumer behavior. “Spending was similar to or higher than last year, but we are seeing a higher percentage of credit card transactions. That may be something to watch moving forward.”

Midway and Food

This marked the second year with Deggeller Attractions as the midway provider, featuring 42 rides. The expanded children's area, now called the Berry Patch, included 28 rides in its first year. The new name replaces Kiddie Korral and better aligns with the festival's strawberry theme.

“All the rides are new, and guests love them,” Robinson said. “Deggeller has been an outstanding partner. Their management is excellent, and the transition has been seamless.”

The festival hosted approximately 200 food vendors, with strawberry-themed items taking center stage. New award-winning additions included Strawberry Crunch Funnel Cake with Lemon Frosting, Strawberry Campfire Crunch Melt, Dubai Strawberry Chocolate Cups, Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Slush, and Strawberry BBQ Egg Roll.

Despite weather challenges, the Florida Strawberry Festival lived up to its “Still Growing” theme. “Like all outdoor events, we cannot control the weather, but attendance is only one measure of success,” Robinson said. “Concert ticket sales increased. We have found the right balance between preserving traditions, like the Queen and the Baby Parade, and staying relevant to today's audiences. Some traditions are reaching entirely new audiences.”

Congratulations to the winners of the Deep Fried Strawberry Shortcake On A Stick Eating Contest - Joy Davis, Skyer Brown, Stanley Arbogast, and Kasadee Arbogast. The Deep Fried Strawberry Shortcake On A Stick Eating Contest is sponsored by George's Fun Foods in the Stingray Chevrolet Entertainment Pavilion.