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Who's playing the festival
By GINA VIVINETTO
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 1, 2001
 If you can't get your country music groove on at the Strawberry Fest, then you've got no groove to get on, darlin'. It's as plain as that.
Who will be there? Shoot, who won't be there?
TODAY: George Jones, that rascally old Possum, the Rolls Royce of country singers, still possesses one of the genre's most distinctive and, yes, classy voices.
Jones is a major influence on Nashville's young whippersnappers. Such folks as Travis Tritt and Clay Davidson worship the man. But do yourself a favor; go see the real thing. At 69, Jones looks great, sounds great and still lives life with the same gusto that seasons his music.
[Times files]
George Jones performs at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. today.
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And his hair. Jones' hair alone is a living legend.
FRIDAY: Body builder and singer of blue-collar woes Aaron Tippin takes the stage.
SATURDAY: Ricky Van Shelton's latest album shares its name with a fair favorite:Fried Green Tomatoes.
SUNDAY: The first country artist to go multi-platinum, some credit (blame?) Randy Travis for paving the way for crossover acts. He's lately been recording religious songs.
MONDAY: Country music pioneer and breaker of racial barriers Charley Pride.
TUESDAY: Hee Haw favorite Roy Clark.
WEDNESDAY: Neal McCoy, born in Texas to Irish-Filipino parents (got that?) hit No. 1 for the first time in 1994 with No Doubt About It.
MARCH 8: Queen of Country Music Loretta Lynn came onstage at the Florida State Fair last year wearing a pink taffeta Glinda the Good Witch gown and proceeded to knock the socks off the crowd.
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All this, and strawberries, too
Royalty on parade, country music, animals, contests -- entertainment of all kinds helps Plant City pay homage to its favorite fruit.
Eat it up with a spoon
If it's March in Plant City, then it's Strawberry Festival time. Bring on the shortcake, music, midway and pig races.
Strawberry Festival event calendar
The Strawberry Festival remains true to its agricultural roots. Featured events include cook-offs, a dairy show, animal exhibits, milking contests and more. |
Lynn got her start on Music Row decades ago, went on to have her life chronicled in Coal Miner's Daughter and won the hearts of honkytonkers around the world. Lynn's a classic, but she's also a rabble rouser. Don't forget it was Lynn who wrote the 1960s feminist anthems The Pill and Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind.)
MARCH 9: The Oak Ridge Boys -- come on now, everybody, giddy up, a oom papa oom papa mow mow.
MARCH 10: Lee "God Bless the USA" Greenwood.
MARCH 11: Country rockers Alabama helped make country music cool again in the '70s, and have been at it ever since.
DETAILS: Each act performs at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Limited free seats are available for each show. Reserved seat tickets are available at the festival box office, ranging from $5-$10 depending on the show and seat location.
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