“We’ve partnered with Noble Worldwide out of Winter Haven for fresh fruits, we offer wine classes in the Party Barn, where a wine expert can tell you what you’re tasting. We’ve got blueberry bread in partnership with Alessi Bakery in Tampa…” said Keel. When asked how guests can best consume their farm-fresh blueberries, Keel had a few suggestions: “They could make blueberry pie, or add blueberries to their cereal or yogurt- that’s how I like to eat them with yogurt- or even make blueberry ice cream.”
BLUEBERRY U-PICK
Attendees explored 15 acres of lush blueberry bushes in search of the ripe blues. Among those was Amy Pouget and her daughters, Avalyn and Alana, of Ruskin. The family, like many others, enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine among the 5-foot blueberry bushes. “We look forward to the Blueberry Festival, this is way more interactive for the girls,” said Amy. Six-year-old Avalyn searched high and low for the perfectly ripe berries, excited to find some rather plump blueberries. “I am having fun picking the best blueberries,” said Avalyn. “We are going to make Blueberry Cinnamon Waffles.” Sara Arias-Steele of Westchase, brought her daughters, Nia and Jordana, to the Tampa Bay Blueberry Festival to immerse the twins in the agricultural experience. Each with a bucket in tow, the twins scoured the heavily-laden trees, getting up close and personal with the local fruit. Each excited to announce they had found a beautiful blue before moving onto the next row. “We look forward to the annual festival every year,” said Sara. “They are so excited to pick their own blueberries.”
FAMILY-FUN
Ask folks what their favorite element of the blueberry festival comprises, next to the u-pick, they say the interactive games and activities for children. In the Kids’ Zone, children could enjoy face painting, bouncy houses, inflatable slides as well as other games and activities. Skylar Black of Auburndale enjoyed getting her photo taken on top of an antique tractor and with a blueberry billboard with a face cut-out. The four-year-old is a blueberry-lover, noting that they are one of her favorite fruits. The farm area, neighboring the slides, allowed children to meet Keel Farm animals, including a donkey, cows, goats and chickens. On the patio of Keel and Curley’s tasting room, games were set up for even more family-fun. From an oversized chest game to a toddler-friendly Connect Four, the festival’s youngest guests- most under 3 years oldwere able to join in the fun. Two-year-old Kassidy Spivey was amused by the ring toss game. Her mother, Katelyn Spivey, said they are new to Plant City and it’s nice to have events Kassidy can participate in, as well. “Plant City is smaller than Tampa, but there’s still things to do,” said Katelyn. “We went to strawberry festival, now we are here. Kassidy loved doing down the slide… And she loved the blueberry u-pick. Of course, I had to tell her what to pick.” PAGE
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Avalyn Pouget, 6, said her favorite part of the Tampa Bay Blueberry Festival was picking the best blueberries. She said her and her family plan to make Blueberry Cinnamon Waffles with their fresh blueberries.
VENDORS GALORE
Over 100 vendors were set up across the property. From nonprofit organizations, to cosmetics, and food vendors, there was something for everyone at the Tampa Bay Blueberry Festival. A crowd favorite was The Snow Kone Factory, a food truck selling oversized snow cones and guests could choose their own syrup flavor combinations that suit their palette. Among other food and drink vendors were The Tea Jug and Dee’s Nuts, where attendees could purchase flavored tea and lemonades or flavored peanuts, respectively. Another crowd pleaser was the Southwest Great Dane Rescue and Mastiff Rescue of Florida; visitors got a one-on-one experience with each breed. The organizations spoke to guests about their missions: placing these gentle giants within forever homes. Plant City resident, Brandi Kirkpatrick, was in attendance as a vendor with Headbands of Hope. The company creates one-of-a-kind headbands and with every purchase, donates a headband to a child battling cancer. Headbands of Hope has donated over 300,000 headbands worldwide. Kirkpatrick says she likes participating in local events like the Tampa Bay Blueberry Festival because of the atmosphere. “I like to do things locally as far as events go… it’s great to see familiar faces and meet new ones,” said Kirkpatrick. “Everyone is happy, enjoying themselves, there is a great turn out for this event.”
WINE, CIDER and BEER
Across the property, Two Henry’s Brewing Company and Keel and Curley Winery, both subsidiaries of Keel Farms, set up stations where guests 21+ could enjoy their beverage of choice from the beer, wine and cider offerings. As blueberry producers, the Keel family began winemaking with the cull berries in 2003. Today, Keel and Curley’s Sweet, Dry and Semi-Dry Blueberry wines continue to be the most popular variety. Five years ago, the vintners began incorporating the fruit into beer and hard ciders, including a Blueberry Hard Cider, Blueberry Vanilla Wheat, Roasted Jalapeno Blueberry Porter, and Blueberry Lager.