Plant City, FL – It’s the 75th Anniversary of Florida Strawberry Festival and it will take place March 4 through March 14. There is free entertainment included with gate admission, such as numerous stage shows, exhibits of agriculture, horticulture, commerce, fine arts, homemade goods and crafts, and livestock competitions. Monday March 8 will be Grand Parade Day, sponsored by the United States Marine Corps. The parade will start in downtown Plant City at 1 p.m. and pass by the Florida Strawberry Festival grounds around 2 p.m. the parade will feature floats and marching bands.

Wednesday, March 10 will be American Heroes Day at this year’s Florida Strawberry Festival, sponsored by FOX13 CareForce. Active, Active Reserve and Retired military, along with Law Enforcement, First Responders (EMS & Fire Fighters) with valid I.D. will be admitted free all day at any gate. Plant City’s Florida Strawberry Festival ranked #35 on the list of Top 50 North American Fairs for 2008.

Once again this year the Jason Young Band will be performing rock n’ roll and oldies in the Cool Whip Whipped Topping Strawberry Tent, and the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show sponsored by Home Depot will also be returning. In the lumberjack show the audience will interact with world champion lumberjacks who chop and saw with axes and chainsaws in several shows throughout the day. Longtime favorites Dennis Lee, Southern Star Bluegrass Band, Runa Pacha and Granpa Cratchet all perform several shows that day too. New entertainment this year includes Rosaire’s Racing Pigs, the Galaxy Girl, a trapeze gymnast, and the Galaxy Globe of Death which is precision motorcycle stunts and maneuvers done inside the motorcycle globe; these two Galaxy shows are going to be performed at the Armory.

The Neighborhood Village, sponsored by Kitchen Craft, will be in a new location this year; the Armory Building. These exhibits are dedicated to the homemade and handcrafted items created by people from the local community and will be on display all 11 days of the Festival. Exhibits have been judged and will include baking, cake decorating, food preservation, home décor, jewelry and beading, knitting, crocheting and tatting, needlepoint and needlework, quilts, scrapbooking and more. There certainly will be something for everyone to enjoy.

Florida Strawberry Festival Music

The 2010 Florida Strawberry Festival’s 75th Anniversary means nonstop live entertainment in 23 concerts over 11 days. Tickets go on sale Dec. 7 promptly at 8:00 a.m. The varied lineup of talent performing on the Florida Strawberry Festival GTE Federal Credit Union Soundstage Mar. 4 through March 14, 2010 offers something for seniors, families, baby boomers and the younger set.

Thursday – March 4
10:30 am – Jimmy Sturr & Orchestra
3:30 pm – Roy Clark
7:30 pm – Billy Currington

Friday – March 5
3:30 pm – Bobby Bare
7:30 pm – Julianne Hough

Saturday – March 6
1:00 pm – Suite Caroline
3:30 pm – Switchfoot/One Republic
7:30 pm – Michael W. Smith

Sunday – March 7
3:30 pm – Heidi Newfield
7:30 pm – Darius Rucker

Monday – March 8
3:30 pm – Mel Tillis
7:30 pm – Bill Engvall

Tuesday – March 9
3:30 pm – Debbie Reynolds
7:30 pm – Josh Turner

Wednesday – March 10
3:30 pm – Aaron Tippin
7:30 pm – Bill Medley/Sam Moore

Thursday – March 11
10:30 am – The Guy Lombardo Band
3:30 pm – The Oak Ridge Boys
7:30 pm – REO Speedwagon

Friday – March 12
3:30 pm – Smothers Brothers
7:30 pm – Tracy Lawrence

Saturday – March 13
3:30 pm – Clay Walker/Lee Brice
7:30 pm – Patty Loveless

Sunday – March 14
3:30 pm – Sara Evans
7:30 pm – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Plant City Strawberry Festival

The 2010 Florida Strawberry Festival is March 4-14. Tickets are on sale now at www.flstrawberryfestival.com.

Daytona Beach, FL – Bike Week 2010 is here, Main Street bars will feature Live Music, Wet T-shirt Babes and tons of bikes. Outside of Daytona Beach, The Cabbage Patch will feature its World Famous Cole Slaw Wrestling, Live Music and much more. Bike Week runs Feb 26 to Mar 8.

Bike Week at Daytona International Speedway

Daytona International Speedway will host the Daytona 200 and the AMA Flat Track Motorcycle Races. The speedway will also feature vendors, autograph sessions, the XDL Championship Series and top it off with the annual Hooters Bikini Contest.

Bike Week Events on Main Street

Boot Hill Saloon will feature the AC/DC tribute band Highway to Hell and Carnival of Crue, a Motley Crue tribute band. Other bands include Unchained Chaos, Whiskey Basin, Big Engine, Evil Monkeys, Jimmy Graves and Supernatural plus many more.

Dirty Harry’s will be the central location on Main Street in Daytona with classic rock and Wet T-Shirt Contests 2:00, 3:30, 5:00, 6:30 and 8:00 pm daily. Cash prizes of $100 First Place and $50 Second Place to Wet T-Shirt contest winners. The final day of Bike Week, Mar 6 will feature an Ultimate Babe Contest 8:00 pm – sponsored by Wild Turkey. Cash prizes of $1000 First Place and $500 Second Place to Ultimate Babe winners.

The Bank & Blues Club and Full Moon Saloon will both feature live music and drink specials.

Bike Week Events Around Daytona

Destination Daytona will have plenty of specials and events planned during Bike Week. Just of I-95 at exit 273, Legendary Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson dealership is always worth visiting.

The Legendary Broken Spoke Saloon is just south of Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach and is featuring music by Jasmine Cain, the Rolling Stone tribute band Satisfaction, Cycle of Pain, The Atlanta Rhythm Section and the comedian Gallagher. Other features include “Allen’s Original Redwood Loghouse” A fully furnished three room house handcarved inside a 1900 year old giant California redwood tree and axe throwing demonstrations and instruction.

Iron Horse Saloon also in Ormond Beach will feature country music legend David Allen Coe.

Cole Slaw Wrestling

Cabbage Patch is preferred by many bikers as it’s located outside the Daytona Beach city limits, so things get much wilder than on Main Street. The party starts Friday the events continue all week with Bike Games, T-Back Pull, Bikini Contests, Wet T-Shirt Contests, Live Music and Hot Buns Contests. The Cole Slaw Wrestling will be Wednesday, Mar 3 and Saturday, Mar 6 at noon.

The Daytona Antique and Classic Motorcycle Auction will take place Sat. Mar 6 at 9am.

There will be over 100 arts and crafts exhibited, continuous live entertainment and seafood, seafood, seafood. They’ll also be selling t-shirts and other souvenirs.

Some of the succulent seafood that will be served this year by the all volunteer staff includes fried shrimp, steamed clams & tuna kabobs, both Manhattan & New England clam chowder, raw, steamed and fried oysters, linguine with clam sauce, deviled crabs, and lobster bisque. There will also be hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken tenders served for the non-seafood lovers.

Pets and coolers are not allowed but this year they will be accepting credit and debit cards. All proceeds from the Grant Seafood Festival are put back into the community of Grant, including a Scholarship Fund, the Grant Library, and the Grant Historical House.

Parking and admission are free but it fills up fast so be sure to get there early.

For more information about the Grant Seafood Festival go to www.grantseafoodfestival.com. The Grant Seafood Festival is located at 4580 1st Street, Grant, Florida south of Melbourne.

Florida is a great place for a Valentine weekend getaway with your Sweetie. There are many romantic cities that offer carriage rides through them, day or night, many have very romantic Bed and Breakfast Inns or five star resort spas where you can enough a nice couples massage or other pampering treatment. There are also many islands dotted along both of Florida’s coasts, some very secluded and private. No matter what you’re looking for or what you have in mind as quality time you’ll find it here in warm, sunny Florida.

St. Augustine Carriage Ride

What could be better than spending Valentines Day in a city that offers year round horse drawn Carriage rides? St. Augustine is America’s oldest city and has many romantic sights to see. Take your carriage ride through the Historic Downtown St. Augustine, past Flagler College and past the old Fort Castillo De San Marcos. At then end of your day spend the night at one of the many romantic Bed and Breakfast Inn that St. Augustine is so famous for or one of their many riverfront hotels. The Monterey Inn Bayfront faces Matanzas Bay; Casa de Solana is a Bed & Breakfast with an enclosed courtyard, a great place for a romantic little wedding. The Casa Monica is a restored Moorish castle, what could be romantic than spending Valentines night in a real castle?
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Mallory Square Sunset in Key West

Key West is always a romantic place to be, Mallory Square sunsets, sidewalk cafés and miles of beautiful sandy beaches. The history of the Hemmingway House and the bars and shopping on world famous Duval Street are great way to spend Valentines Day or for the whole weekend. Key West has great resort hotels and quaint little B&B’s, here are some to choose from: Southernmost Hotel Is located across from you own private beach and within one-quarter mile of the Southernmost Point and Hemingway House, it’s also only a mile from Mallory Square. The Heron House Bed & Breakfast is tucked into a tropical garden on beautiful landscaped grounds in the Historic District just blocks from Duval Street, the Key West Aquarium and the Hemingway House.
Key West Hotel Deals »

Lovers Key – Florida’s Most Romantic Beach

On the west coast of Florida near Fort Myers is a place that exudes romance called Lovers Key State Park. Lovers Key State Park is a pristine barrier island and for years the only way to get there was by boat. The island hasn’t been developed, which gives it solitary beaches and long nature trails so there are still a lot of secluded romantic places to relax and unwind, for just the two of you. Here are some suggestions of places you might like to stay. Lovers Key Resort by JE Hotels and Resorts Inc this place is perfect for a very romantic getaway they have a heated pool with a water fall and the outdoor Jacuzzi. From your private balcony you can watch the manatee and dolphin or take a walk on the private beach and watch the sunset. The Gullwing Beach Resort in Fort Myers Beach is right on the beach. They have a heated beachfront pool and a large outdoor spa, very romantic. Trianon Bonita Bay in Bonita Springs is just over 5 miles from Lovers Key. It has an open-air Lake House Bar and Grill with a nightly social hour, if you and your Sweetie feel like socializing, be sure to ask for a romantic room with a balcony, terrace or view of the Bay.
Fort Myers Hotel Deals »

Ybor City, Tampa’s Latin Quarter

On the west coast Tampa has a great little historic section called Ybor City. This is a very romantic area situated near downtown Tampa. Ybor City is known for its Latin flare and has great sidewalk cafes, unique shops, bars and clubs and of course hand rolled cigars. It’s a great place to spend a few days with your Valentine; here are some places you might like to stay. The Hilton Garden Inn here in the Historic Ybor District is a block of the main street of the city and just a trolley car ride away from Channelside, the port of Tampa. The Hampton Inn & Suites Ybor City has 138 Mediterranean-style guestrooms and 42 suites. This hotel is very centrally located too; it’s a mile from the Ybor entertainment district and channel side and is minutes from the St. Pete Times Forum Arena and the Hard Rock Casino. The Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina has 719 renovated guest rooms and suites offering city or bay view balconies and 32 full service slips. They have a full-service Spa for you and your Sweetie to pamper yourselves and three on site restaurants for a nice romantic dinner without ever having to the hotel.
Tampa Hotel Deals »

Rev Your Motor in Daytona Beach

Do you and your sweetie love the NASCAR? Then what could be better than combining The Great American Race, the Daytona 500 and Valentines Day, it just so happens that they’re the same day this year and Daytona Beach is a great place to be on Valentine’s Day. They have a great boardwalk and you can drive on the beach in some areas there, what could be more romantic than that? But the rooms may be hard for race weekend.
Daytona Beach Hotel Deals »

No matter what you have planned, Valentines Day is the perfect time to tell the one you love just how much you love them and do something special for each other.

It’s time to break out the beads again and party Mardi Gras is here once more. Before the somber celebration of Easter and before Lent begins it’s time for a little fun and frivolity, here are of few places other than New Orleans where you can don a mask and cut loose.

Orlando Mardi Gras Party at Universal Studios

Guests will experience the spirit of Bourbon St. in the heart of Universal Studios in Orlando, with festivities including live concerts by artists like Flo Rida, Sheryl Crow and Chicago, authentic Cajun cuisine, a spectacular parade and tons of beads.

From hip-hop to pop, country to rock, and R&B to disco, there will be something for everyone. Along with Flo Rida, Sheryl Crow and Chicago, Mardi Gras guests will enjoy live performances by headliners like “The Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin, country sensation Dierks Bentley, hip-hop artist Akon, multi-platinum selling rock band 3 Doors Down and the No. 1 selling American band of all time, Beach Boys.
Mardi Gras at Universal Studios »

Panama City Beach – Party at the Beach Feb 5-6

This year’s event in Panama City Beach has been expanded to two days Friday and Saturday. Join the Krewe of Dominique Youx as they celebrate Mardi Gras at Pier Park. The celebration this year will include: A street dance with live bands, wonderful Cajun food featuring gumbo, & low country boils and various alcoholic drinks will be served. There will be tours of a Panama City Beach Mardi Gras float, classic cars on display. Merchants will have beads, trinkets, hats, t-shirts, and there will be plenty of beads and Krewe doubloons thrown to the crowd. The Krewe Kings & Queens will be there in costume. At 10 am on Saturday the kids parade will wind its way through Pier Park then at 2pm Panama City Beach Mardi Gras Parade will start.
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Pensacola Grand Mardi Gras Parade – Feb 13

Pensacola Grand Mardi Gras Parade will start at 2 pm. Come enjoy beads, floats, music and fun.
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Lake Wales Mardi Gras – Let the Good Times Roll! Feb 12-13 & 16

This year Lake Wales will be celebrating its 26th Mardi Gras with several events on several different days. Friday Feb 12 will start off the festivities with the Krewe of Pegasus Gala from 7pm-12am at the Lake Wales Country Club. Then on Sat Feb 13 several events are scheduled; the Festival of Food, Arts and Vendors will be held 9am -9pm, the Children’s Carnival will be going on 10am – 9pm, there will be a 5K walk/run at 8:30am at Kiwanis Park, registration will be at 7:30am, and a Mardi Gras Parade through downtown starting at 3:00pm. Then on Feb 16 the Krewe of Rex Masquerade Ball will be held from 7pm-12am at the Festival Steak & Seafood Restaurant to close out the celebration.
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Mardi Gras Downtown Dunedin – Feb 16

This event takes place on Main Street between Louden Avenue and Broadway from 5:00pm – 11:00pm with the parade set to start at 7:30pm. There will be live music featuring Lil’ Malcolm & the House Rockers and Waylon Thibodeaux. Food from local restaurants, beer and wine will be available. There will be art and craft vendors all along Main Street and souvenirs will be available for purchase. Admission is Free.
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Hollywood Beach – Fat Tuesday on Hollywood Beach Feb 16

The Hollywood Beach and Boardwalk celebration will take place from 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm and include entertainment a concert featuring IKO IKO and New Orleans singer and Creole-funk guitar wizard Marcel Anton.
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Leesburg Mardi Gras – Party in the Street! – Feb 19-20

Two days – Too much fun. Free Admission, Draft Beer & Wine, Margarita & Rum Runner Mixed Drinks, Cajun Food, Rain or Shine, Bands, Street Performers, Pet Parade, Costumes, Kids’ Parade, Beads-Beads-Beads!
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Space Coast Mardi Gras in Cocoa Village – Feb 25-28

This is a four day event will be held at the Cocoa Riverfront Park with loads of family fun including a major carnival by Swyear Amusements. The Riverfront Park Amphitheatre will feature free entertainment all week and the Central Brevard Humane Society will hold “Paws in the Park” on Sunday at from noon- 3pm. Cocoa Main Street will present The VIP Masquerade Party on Saturday night in the Cocoa Civic Center. Saturday night is the street party and a parade of floats there will also be three stages of live entertainment.
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Jupiter, FL – Florida’s premiere fine arts festival, ArtiGras, produced by the Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, was selected once again by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of the Top 20 Festivals in the Southeast. ArtiGras which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2010 will be returning to Abacoa in Jupiter during Presidents’ Day Weekend — February 13, 14, and 15.

ArtiGras, which started over two decades ago in the parking lot of the North Palm Beach Country Club, has grown to include over 300 artists and 150,000 patrons over the three-day holiday weekend. To be selected as one of the Top 20 festivals, Artigras had to compete again the best events across the Southeast. Through a nomination process, the Southeast Tourism Society selects the best festivals to receive the prestigious Top 20 Events designation.

The highlight of ArtiGras is the Fine Arts Area, which features gallery quality work from artists exhibiting a variety of styles in a multitude of different mediums including glass, photography, jewelry, painting, sculpture, wood, fiber, mixed media, ceramic and drawing. Winners of the juried exhibition receive over $22,000 in prize money. In addition to the fine art on display, patrons of ArtiGras also enjoy activities which include live entertainment, artist demonstrations, children’s interactive art activities, a celebrity art auction and a youth art competition.

ArtiGras Dates and Times

ArtiGras 2010 will be located in Abacoa on Central Boulevard in Jupiter, Fla. Festival hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, February 13; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, February 14; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, February 15.

Admission: $6 – Advance tickets, $10 – at the gate, children 12 and under free. Advance Tickets are available at The Gardens Mall information desk, the Maltz Jupiter Theater Box Office, National City Bank Branches and online at www.artigras.org. One dollar from each advance ticket goes towards the ArtiGras’ Art Education Fund which distributed money annually to local area schools to fund their art curriculum.

Free Parking: Parking is close, safe and easy. There are parking areas designated near the Roger Dean Stadium, FAU, Dwyer High School, Lighthouse Elementary, and Jupiter Middle School. Each of these lots is accessible from Military Trail. Free Shuttle buses run every 5 minutes to and from the lots to the festival gates.

Charitable Affiliations: Schools and local charities benefit from ArtiGras. The 2010 beneficiaries include the Kiwanis Clubs, Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, Amara Shriners, and through the ArtiGras’ Art Education Fund over 30 local and private schools.

ArtiGras Attractions

Fine Arts Area: Showcases the talents of 350 national, regional and local fine artists. The show is noted for strong art sales and is rated “one of the top 50 shows in the nation” by Sunshine Artist Magazine. All artists are required to be present during the show allowing patrons to meet and personally get to know the artists. Artists compete for awards in the areas of paintings, drawing/graphics/printing, sculpture, wood, fiber, glass, photography, mixed media, jewelry, watercolor and ceramics.

Garden Art Area: Offers fine handmade craft items made with the outdoor garden in mind. Find unique items to useful home and garden accessories, the selection is varied including wood, glass, sculptures, fountains and furnishings.

Homegrown Art: For the third year in a row, ArtiGras is supporting a program for Emerging Artists called “Homegrown Art”. This program is an innovative and resourceful tool that mentors emerging artists, who reside within 200 miles of the show grounds, and teaches them the process of exhibiting. Artists in Homegrown Art have not established a record as a professional artist by showing their work in museums, art centers, major galleries or juried outdoor art exhibitions. In addition, Homegrown Artists must not have more than 25% of their total annual income derived from the sale of their artwork and must not be licensed professionally as a visual artist.

Music on the Main Stage: Varied musical entertainment will be featured on the Main Stage throughout the day including jazz, R&B, and island music. The Main Stage is located in the Food Court on University Boulevard. Look for the entertainment line-up online at artigras.org.

Celebrity Art Auction: Internationally known celebrities and sports figures donate doodles, autographed photographs and objects for a silent auction to benefit the Heath Evans Foundation and ArtiGras’ Art Education Fund. The Heath Evans Foundation is dedicated to fostering hope and healing in the lives of children and families affected by sexual abuse. Contributors to this year’s Celebrity Art Auction include Mario Andretti, Rodney/Elijah Atkins, Jim Belushi, Bobby Bowden, David Cassidy, David Copperfield, Dana Delany, Dom DeLuise, Jennie Finch, Steve Forbes, John Glenn, Amy Grant, Quincy Jones, Jay Leno, Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer, Richard Petty, Pat Riley, Pat Sajak and Willard Scott. Bids are accepted throughout the event and the highest offer by the close of ArtiGras on Monday wins. More than $70,000 has been raised for the charities over the last seven years.

Youth Art Competition: Local public and private schools, grades K-12, are invited to create art works and compete for $2,600 in savings bonds and $4,550 worth of ArtiBucks for their school’s art department. Seventy-eight finalists in this countywide competition will be on display at ArtiGras. The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday afternoon and the finalists will be on display the entire weekend. The talent of these young people will amaze you!

ArtiKids Area: Children are welcome to get their hands dirty and create their own masterpiece.. Children can help build a sculpture, sit at a pottery wheel, or make a piece of art from recycled materials to take home. Children can also help build ArtiTown, create the art wall, enjoy having their face painted, and more. Lighthouse Center for the Arts, Armory Arts Center and Resource Depot contribute to the creativity of this area.

Artist Demonstration Stage: Various participating artists from around the country will demonstrate their art technique. Attendees are invited to watch and ask questions of our resident experts. Look for schedule of artists in the festival program. Artists and instructors from Armory Art Center, Lighthouse Center for the Arts and festival artists will demonstrate in wood, glass, painting and drawing.

Tiny Treasures: Children ages 3 – 13 are invited to enter this exclusive “kids only” gallery where they can purchase artwork donated by the exhibiting artists. Children and their families can then visit and meet the artists on site. Tiny Treasures is a perfect introduction to the arts for these future art patrons. Students from the Palm Beach Community College Art Alliance assist to make this a great experience for the children.

More ArtiGras Information

For additional information, visit www.artigras.org or contact the Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce at (561) 748-3946.