Here are all the freebies, deals, & discounts available for the 2023 Florida Strawberry Festival

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash.

With costs across the country on the rise, many may find themselves searching for deals and discounts on everything from eggs to concert tickets. Spending hours scouring a list of particularly unhelpful sources on your preferred search engine to only turn up empty handed would be enough to make almost anyone say "forget it" and throw in the towel. In some cases it may even make you want to cancel your plans all together. If you're considering skipping out on an upcoming festival for one specific plump red berry for this very reason, you'll be happy to know that there are some good Florida Strawberry Festival ticket discounts and deals available this year.

Those looking to save a little extra cash attending the 2023 iteration of the fest may be surprised to find that they actually have quite a few different options available to them. From the start of the festival on March 2 through March 12, the Florida Strawberry Festival offers an array of added perks and deals that change depending on the day you decide to go.
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Whether you're looking to attend for free, cut a couple bucks off admission, or save a killing thrill-seeking on fluctuating ride costs, we have the whole list of available deals, discounts, and special daily perks available to festival-goers. Read on to find out all the different ways you can save some change hitting up this year's Florida Strawberry Festival.

Now through Monday, March 13

• Publix Discounted Admission Tickets — 245 participating Publix locations across 15 central Florida counties have tickets for sale offering $2 off the standard $10 admission price for adults, as well as $1 off tickets for children aged 6 to 12. To see the full list of participating Publix stores, click here.

Thursday, March 2 through Sunday, March 12

• Free Polar Pop from Circle K — Every wristband purchase at Midway booths will include a Circle K voucher for one free Polar Pop. Just ask once you've purchased your wristband to make sure you get yours!

Thursday, March 2

• Senior Citizens Day — Patrons aged 60 or older will also have a $2 ticket discount at the gate available to them when visiting this day. If the discount wasn't already enough to entice the oldies but goldies, a prize will also be given away at 11:45 am following the show on the Wish Farms Soundstage. Tickets for the drawing will be available to seniors at the stadium. The lucky senior whose ticket is drawn from the barrel must be present at the Senior Citizens Program in order to win.
• O'Reilly Ride-A-Thon Day — Participating O'Reilly Auto Parts stores will be handing out vouchers from February 2 through March 9. Present the voucher at the Midway Ticket Booth to receive $5 off your wristband purchase and ride most mechanical rides all day from noon to 11 pm for only $20. Click here for the full list of O'Reilly Auto Parts locations handing out vouchers.

Friday, March 3

• Food and Fun Friday — Show up with any Publix or GreenWise branded non-perishable to donate to local families in need and receive a voucher that will knock $5 off the $30 wristband, entitling wearers to rides on most mechanical rides for one $25 price point from noon to 11 pm.
• Special Smiles Day — Sponsored by Rotary Club of Plant City, individuals of all ages with special needs can get into the festival from 9 am to noon completely free, along with one free adult companion, for a special sensory-considerate day. Click here for more details, terms, and conditions about Special Smiles Day.

Saturday, March 4

• Mid-Florida Credit Union FREE Kids Day — Got high school aged kids wanting to go to the festival? All high-schoolers can get in this day completely free of charge. Just stop by any festival ticket booth to receive the complimentary voucher, courtesy of Mid-Florida Credit Union
• Super Saturday Wristband Day — Thrill-seekers who happen to have a recent Circle K receipt can save $5 off the $35 ride wristband to ride most mechanical rides for only $30 from 10 am to 11 pm when presenting the receipt at time of purchase.

Sunday, March 5

• Family Day — Sponsored by Florida Strawberry Festival, Belle City Amusements Midway, and Coca-Cola, present any empty Coca-Cola brand can or plastic bottle product at the gate and receive a $5 off voucher for the $30 ride wristband to ride all day from 10 am to 11 pm for one price. Only one can or bottle can be presented per person, and is not valid for discounts on gate admission.

Monday, March 6

• Ace Hardware Grand Parade Day — Starting at 1 pm, a free parade will march through downtown at Evers and Renfro street will head Northward through Plant City before winding West toward the festival grounds on Reynolds Street. The procession is set to reach the festival grounds at approximately 2 pm. The parade will feature marching bands, churches, FFA chapters, businesses, dance groups, and more.
• Chick-fil-a Ride-A-Thon Day — Been to Chick-fil-a recently and still have a register receipt in your wallet? Present it when purchasing the $25 wristband to ride most mechanical rides from 10 am to 11 pm for only $20.

Tuesday, March 7

• Florida Peanut Federation TWOSDAY | FREE Kids Day — All kids 17 or younger get in free of charge with a paid adult. They'll also be able to ride any single ride for only $2, or can ride almost everything all day with a $25 wristband purchase. Yes, even though the kiddos got in free, the one free polar pop with wristband purchase deal still applies.

Wednesday, March 8

• Grow Financial Federal Credit Union American Heroes Day — With a valid ID, all active, reserve, and retired military veterans, as well as law enforcement, first responders, and healthcare professionals will be admitted into the festival for free thanks to sponsorship from Grow Financial Credit Union.
• Ride-A-Thon Day — From noon to 11 pm, wristbands purchased at the Midway booths for $25 will entitle riders to board most mechanical rides for a single price.

Thursday, March 9

• Senior Citizens Day — A repeat of March 2, seniors 60 and up get into the festival for $2 off the standard $10 gate admission. A prize will be given away at 11:45 am following the show on the Wish Farms Soundstage. Tickets for the drawing will be available to seniors at the stadium. The lucky senior whose ticket is drawn from the barrel must be present at the Senior Citizens Program in order to win.
• O'Reilly Ride-A-Thon Day — Another deal repeat from March 2, present a voucher received from participating O'Reilly Auto Parts stores when purchasing a $25 ride wristband and get $5 off. Ride most mechanical rides all day from noon to 11 pm for one price.

Friday, March 10

• Tampa Bay Times Day on the Midway — Between Sunday March 5 and Wednesday March 8, scour the pages of a Tampa Bay Times newspaper for a coupon that will offer $5 towards your purchase of a $20 Fun Pack Ride Coupon Book. According to the Florida Strawberry Festival, the coupon must be a printed hardcopy, as no electronic versions will be accepted. The coupon is only redeemable on Friday, March 10. No wristbands will be available for purchase until 10 pm.
• Moonlight Magic Night — While no wristbands will be available until 10 pm, patrons wanting to party after the sun's gone down and all the casual festival goers have started to file out will have a special opportunity to enjoy the rides under the magic of moonlight. Visitors will be required to purchase a $30 wristband to enter the Midway, but will not have to pay gate admission when showing up after 10 pm. Wristband wearers will be entitled to ride the rest of the evening from 10 pm to 2 am for the single-flat-rate.

Saturday, March 11

• Farm Worker Appreciation Day Sponsored By: Astin Farms — Have or work on a farm? All farmworkers can snag a voucher from Astin Farms and receive free admission all day Saturday, March 11.
• Circle K Super Saturday Wristband Day — Another day to save on your wristband purchase, present a recent Circle K register receipt when purchasing a $35 wristband and get $5 off. Ride most mechanical rides from 10 am to 11 pm for only $30.

Sunday, March 12

• Family Day — A repeat of March 5's deal sponsored by Florida Strawberry Festival, Belle City Amusements Midway, and Coca-Cola, patrons can present any empty Coca-Cola can or plastic bottle at the entry gate for a $5 off the $30 wristband voucher. Ride most mechanical rides from 10 am to 11 pm for only $25. The empty can or bottle cannot be used for discount on gate admission.

The Florida Strawberry Festival will be located at 303 BerryFest Place in Plant City Florida, from March 2 through March 13, starting at 10 am and running to 10 pm daily. The fest will feature performances from over 20 headlining musical artists, including some notable names like Lynard Skynard, Halestorm, Ludacris, Willie Nelson, The Jacksons, The Isley Brothers, and more. You can check out the full line-up of headliners here.
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In addition to musical entertainment, a vast array of attractions, exhibitions, rides, concessions, and additional free entertainment will also be available throughout the festival grounds. To learn more about what the festival has to offer for 2023, as well as purchase tickets online, head over to the Florida Strawberry Festival's website here.
Article by Rachael Volpe