5 Ways To Get In Cheap or Free to the 2024 Florida Strawberry Festival

Want a little extra money to spend on strawberry shortcake? There are some deals if you plan ahead before you drive to Plant City for the 2024 Florida Strawberry Festival. There are discounts and even a few free admission days for some.

This year's Florida Strawberry Festival runs February 29 through March 10. The standard admission to the Florida Strawberry Festival for 2024 is $15 for anyone 13 or older. Kids get in for $5. Little ones 5 and under get in free with a paying adult.

The Florida Strawberry Festival offers discounted and sometimes even no cost tickets for seniors, those with special needs, students, first responders, the military and law enforcement. You just need to know the right day to go to get in cheap... or for free!

This is the discount anyone can get. You just need to make a stop on your way to Plant City first. Until March 10, you can get a discount admission ticket at Publix. Discounted tickets for 13 and up sell for $10. Kids 6 to 12 are $4. Little ones under 6 get in free with paid adult admission. That saves you $5 on adult admission and $1 for kids.

Farm Worker Appreciation Day is Saturday, March 9. Get a voucher to get in free from Astin Farms.

American Heroes Day is Wednesday, March 6. All active, reserve, and retired military veterans, law enforcement, first responders and healthcare professionals are admitted free with valid ID. So be sure not to leave it at home.

Kids up through high school age get in free Saturday, March 2 with a Circle K register receipt. Or kids under 18 can get in free with a paying adult on Tuesday, March 5. Rides will be discounted to $2 that day too.

The best day to go is Thursday for those 60 and up. The midweek crowds are smaller and parking is easier. Plus on opening day (Thursday, February 29) and Thursday, March 7, those 60 and older get in for $10. Win / win!

Special Smiles attendees get in with a companion for free at the Gate 5 entrance on Friday, March 1. This unique event is reserved for celebrating and serving our most treasured guests in a safe, fun and sensory considerate environment.

What's the best place to park? When's the best time to visit to avoid the crowds? How can you still watch concerts for free? How can you get in without paying admission? What's the best thing to eat? As a guy who's done that drive through horrible I-4 traffic countless times to Plant City, let me help. I've learned a lot over the years doing that long drive to the Florida Strawberry Festival from our studios in Pinellas.

Here are my 10 best pro tips from my many visits over the years to the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City. Feel free to leave yours on my Facebook page and I'll add them below.

If there's a sold out concert, that means thousands of extra cars in those parking lots and bodies creating long lines for rides and food. Pick a night when the headliner won't draw the enormous crowds. Usually the last day of the festival is particularly busy. Weeknights are usually your best bet. The toughest day to visit is usually the last day of the Florida Strawberry Festival. You have the weekend crowds combined with usually the biggest concert headliner on Sunday. The backups on I-4 can get crazy getting in and out of the festival.

Afternoon rush hour traffic combined with Florida Strawberry Festival congestion is a nightmare this time of year on I-4. The earlier you get to Plant City, the better. And definitely launch the Waze app on your cell phone before you head out. It will direct you around the traffic if I-4 is backed up. Often taking the side roads through Brandon can save you some time when the Interstate is jammed up.

Lines always form at the ticket booth. Instead, grab tickets in advance if you're at Publix. You'll save a few bucks too. Regular adult admission is $15 at the gate, but $10 at Publix. Keep an eye on Publix's social media. They usually announce it there when they've got the Florida Strawberry Festival tickets in stock.

There are days when kids get in free. There are days when military and first reponders get in free. Other daily promotions will score you a discount. Check the Strawberry Festival website to see when you might be able to avoid paying admission. Here's this year's calendar.

Opening weekend and closing weekends are when you'll see the biggest crowds. If you can plan your visit midweek in the early afternoon, you'll have plenty of space and short lines to wait in. Everyone wants to be the first to snap that selfie for Instagram with some strawberry shortcake. Instead go on day 2 or a weekday after opening weekend.

I'm not joking. You're going to be overwhelmed. Many go to the festival every year just for the fair foods. Instead of buying the first thing you see, check out what's new this year... or my top 10 picks. You'll run out of room fast if you fill up on boring stuff like cotton candy and hot dogs. You can get those anywhere... the Florida Strawberry Festival is known for creative wild stuff.  Definitely seek out the Amish doughnuts, Smitty's corndog and Carnival Eats legend Mama Jane's creations you've seen on The Cooking Channel.  Who has the best strawberry shortcake? I say ask for directions to the St. Clement's make your own tent!

Use apps on your phone like Waze or Google Maps to see how the back roads are doing for traffic. When I-4 is backed up, you can often avoid the congestion by taking the back roads into Plant City. Rush hour traffic during the week on I-4 and Strawberry Festival traffic on the weekend is no joke. Make sure your cell is charged up too. With all the people using the same cell towers in a small town, your phone has to work hard to stay connected. Coverage can be spotty and with no WiFi, you'll see your battery power go fast - especially if you are the type that likes to take a lot of photos or post video to social media.

The food will be fresher, everyone will be a little perkier since they just woke up and the lines will be short. The festival opens daily at 10am, but few get there until late in the afternoon. Once people get out of work and load the kids in the car, the crowds at the festival grow. Longer lines and congestion isn't fun. If you can get there around lunchtime, you'll have the festival all to yourself!

You used to be able to get in free to the big headliner shows, but that's in the past. There's that big brand new concert stadium and it wasn't cheap to build. Not only that... this is how bands pay the bills now. Music acts used to tour to promote their new music. But since the internet came along, that money has gone away. Now bands make their money on ticket sales and merch. So the days of free concerts are a thing of the past. All seats in the new concert venue require a separate ticket. But there ARE free local acts performing around the festival. And they'd love your support so one day they can play the big stage too.

There are 3 major lots on Ritter Street, off highway 92 and 574. Don't worry if you're not close to the action. There is a tram that'll take you to the gates. You can also find spots at Bryan Elementary School and Tomlin Middle School. If you like to bargain, many area homeowners offer spots on their lawn for extra cash.