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Strawberry Queen

2007 Strawberry Festival Queen Summer Pippin will crown her successor tonight at the annual pageant at Tomlin Middle School in Plant City

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By DAVE NICHOLSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 2, 2008

PLANT CITY - Summer Pippin's reign as Florida Strawberry Festival queen is drawing to a close.

On Saturday, she will crown one of 25 young women who are competing for the title coveted by many girls who grow up in the Plant City area.

Pippin, who turns 19 on Feb. 26, said her time as festival royalty has been a wonderful experience.

"It's sad," she said. "I'm going to miss it." But she takes with her a lifetime of memories, she added.

Pippin has enjoyed befriending her court members, first maid Allie Watkins, MacKenzie Clark, Kyndle Hampton and Tara Parker. She liked her role at the 2007 festival, where she helped introduce headline acts and mingled with the crowds.

"People come from all over the world. You never know who you might meet," she said.

The festival queen serves as a goodwill ambassador for Plant City and its famous strawberry crop. She rides in parades and is on hand for ceremonies.

Pippin said she occasionally is recognized when she's at a restaurant or at her job at a day spa, where she does manicures, pedicures and facials.

"They say, 'Oh my God, you're the strawberry queen,'" she said.

Pippin, who has a license in cosmetology, plans to enter Hillsborough Community College's dental hygienist program in the summer. She would like to become a Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleader and she has had a couple of modeling offers. She's not sure whether she will enter more pageants.

The pageant is one of the major events leading up to the festival, which is Feb. 28-March 9. The pageant and festival trace their roots to 1930 and the Plant City Lions Club's efforts to promote the city and its strawberries.

With the exception of a few years during and after World War II, a queen has been selected each year.

This year's pageant will be competitive, said Jodi Smith, spokeswoman for the pageant and a Lions Club member.

"It's going to be awesome. We have a lot of great girls going out for it," Smith said.

The pageant is open to young women 16 to 20 who live in the Plant City area.

The winner will be selected by a panel of five judges, all from out of town. The candidates are scored on such factors as poise, personal interview and evening gown and swimsuit competition. A winner, first maid and court members receive prizes that include scholarships.

This year's pageant will include a tribute to the first queen, Charlotte Rosenberg, who died Oct. 17. Rosenberg was 16 when she won the pageant in March 1930.

There will be a couple of changes this year, raising the minimum grade-point average for candidates from 2.5 to 2.75 and standardization of the swimsuits.

The minimum grade-point average was raised to help ensure that the queen, who misses some school days with her duties, is academically strong enough to keep up with her studies.

The swimsuit rules were changed after complaints that some contestants have worn swimwear that showed too much skin; this year, the candidates can select from four styles.

One thing that won't change this year: If you want a seat at the pageant, you better buy your ticket in advance. The pageant frequently sells out its 1,100 seats in Tomlin Middle School's auditorium.

Tickets go on sale at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Tomlin. Typically, they are all sold that day, Smith said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Florida Strawberry Festival queen's pageant

WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Tomlin Middle School auditorium, 501 N. Woodrow Wilson St., Plant City

TICKETS: Tickets are $10 each and go on sale at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Tomlin Middle School or, if available, at the door the night of the pageant.

Reporter Dave Nicholson can be reached at (813) 865-4432 or dnicholson@tampatrib.com.

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