[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H1242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

  (Mr. SPANO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SPANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to proudly announce 
that today marks the start of the 2020 Strawberry Festival in Plant 
City, Florida, which celebrates the strawberry harvest of eastern 
Hillsborough County. This community-oriented event began back in 1930 
and has become one of the top 40 fairs in North America.
  My district has grown to be one of the largest agricultural districts 
in the Nation with Plant City known as the winter strawberry capital of 
the world.
  As a near billion-dollar industry, we love our strawberries, we love 
those who grow and pick them, and we love the culture surrounding them.
  The festival has a wide range of entertainment, including livestock 
shows, rides, live music, and the Florida Strawberry Festival Queens 
Pageant that collectively bring in over one-half million attendees 
annually and serves to unite our community.
  The festival also has strawberry shortcake, and lots of it. This is 
the Strawberry Festival's 85th year, and we anticipate many more to 
come. I can't wait to be back home this weekend to enjoy the festival 
with my family and the families of District 15.

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