March 10 Florida Strawberry Festival Spotlight: Doobie Brothers, Skip Holtz, Ride-A-Thon and More

Skip Holtz is set to pen autographs tonight, March 10, at the 2011 Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City. The head football coach of the University of South Florida Bulls will be found in the TECO Expo Hall, at the Northern Sports Booth, from 5 to 6 p.m.

The Doobie Brothers mark tonight’s , starting at 7:30 p.m. on the Wish Farm Soundstage. Tickets are available at the Stadium Ticket Office or the Main Ticket Office at Gate 1. Cost is $25 to $30. As with every headliner show, a few thousand free seats are available on a first- come, first-served basis, with seating in the adjacent Direct Auto Insurance Free Grandstands.

March 10 is the final of two Senior Day programs at the 13-day festival, which ends March 13. Guests 60 years and over save $2 off the regular gate admission of $10.

But it also is another Ride-A-Thon Night, from 3 to 11 p.m. Purchase a wristband for $19 to ride most mechanical rides for as many times as you want at the Bell City Amusements Midway. The $19 wristband is in addition to the $10 gate admission, which on every festival day is a cost in addition to midway rides and headliner entertainment.

Also at the festival tonight:

• Brady Goss, sponsored by Florida Technical College, takes to the stage at 7 p.m. in the Cool Whip Strawberry Tent.

• Also in the Cool Whip Strawberry Tent, the Turkey Creek Assembly of God Strawberry Shortcake Booth and a host of other exhibitors for shopping, eating and entertainment.

• The Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, featuring world-champion lumberjacks in action, gets underway at 5:30 p.m.

• The Pirates of the Colombian Caribbean, with a show that takes place 28 feet in the air, above a huge pirate ship, can be seen tonight at 8 p.m.

• The 9-foot-tall Rock-It-The-Robot covers the dance floor with moves that range from country to hip-hop with a show that starts at 7 p.m.

• Rosaires’s Racing Pig Show has two time slots tonight: 6 and 8 p.m. This “action-packed cascade of squealing adventure” requires audience participation.

• Granpa Cratchet through jokes and stories builds a case for working together. He’ll be on stage tonight at 7:30 p.m., with a mobile show at 5:30 p.m.

• Runa Pacha performs throughout the day in the gazebo. Features native wind pipes and flutes combined with string instruments and modern electric effects. Sounds from the hills of South America.

• Explore Neighborhood Village, which features handcrafted goods and artistic cakes. Taste a sampling of Vermont’s famous Cabot cheese.

• Sign up for a chance to win a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS, with proceeds benefitting the non-profit Unity in the Community organization in Plant City and the Bubba The Love Sponge (BTLS) Foundation in Tampa. The Stingray Chevrolet Give-A-Way winner will be announced March 13 at 5 p.m. The winner does not need to be present to win.

RELATED COVERAGE: