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Florida Strawberry Festival To Crown New Queen

Tribune file photo by JASON BEHNKEN

Kristen Smith said she's sad to see her time as queen come to an end but she's looking forward to getting back to a more normal schedule. The year has been a whirlwind of activities.

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By DAVE NICHOLSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 5, 2009

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

She crowns the 2009 queen at a Jan. 17 pageant.

Smith said she's sad to see her time as queen come to an end but she's looking forward to getting back to a more normal schedule. The year has been a whirlwind of activities.

"It's a wonderful experience and a blessing," said Smith, 20, who is studying psychology with a minor in Spanish at Southeastern University.

Thirty-two young women - including Smith's twin sister Lauren - are scheduled to compete for the title in a pageant that starts at 6 p.m. at Tomlin Middle School, 501 N. Woodrow Wilson St., Plant City.

The pageant will have a couple of changes - one subtle, the other very apparent. This is the first competition since the pageant sponsor, the Plant City Lions Club, raised academic standards and abolished the swimsuit competition in favor of casual wear.

The decision has been well received in the community, said Charles Harris, chairman of the pageant for the Lions Club.

"I really haven't received any complaints about any of the changes," he said.

The club also raised academic standards, from a minimum 2.75 grade point average to 3.0 GPA
The pageant is for Plant City area women who are 16 and 20 years old.

Tickets, $10 each, go on sale 6 p.m. Jan. 16 at Tomlin. Any unsold tickets will be available for purchase at the pageant, which typically packs the auditorium's 1,100 seats.

Reporter Dave Nicholson can be reached at (813) 865-4432.

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