Everything you need to know about the 83rd Strawberry Festival in Middle Tennessee
Ready for everything strawberry?
Despite violent weather and flooding across Middle Tennessee earlier this week, the 83rd annual Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival is set to return to downtown Portland with a jam-packed schedule that includes a Strawberry Jam Concert and Fireworks on Friday and main festival day on Saturday, organizers confirmed Thursday.
The Ultimate Garth Brooks Tribute, the festival's headliner, will perform at the Strawberry Jam Concert and Fireworks event off East Market Street in downtown Portland Friday.
No tickets are needed for the free concert, but chairs can be rented for $5 on a first come, first serve basis for the fireworks later that night. The Market Street area promises the best views, festival officials said, though the display can be seen from anywhere in the downtown Portland area.
Those attending the festival Saturday will have their choice of more than 250 vendors – many strawberry themed – multiple music stages, a kid’s area and magic stage and parade.
Each year the festival brings tens of thousands of people together to celebrate the town’s longstanding heritage in the strawberry industry, which dates back to the early 1900s.
Local strawberry farmers still supply the festival with fresh berries for purchase.
Fresh strawberries will be available this year from six farms beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Vendors are Kyle Templeton, Hancock Family Farm in Springfield, Oak Grove Farm in Gallatin, Stratton Strawberry Farms, The Strawberry Patch and WadeFarmz in Portland.
Strawberries often sell out very quickly, and organizers expect the same this year with more than 40,000 people expected to attend the festivities.
Here's everything you need to know about the event, from road closures to schedules, performers and more:
Events Schedule
Strawberry Jam Concert & Fireworks: E Market Street in Portland, 5-9 p.m., May 10
4:30-9:30 p.m. Free parking at Portland High School with shuttle service.
5 p.m. Vendors open, live music and classic car cruise-in.
5 p.m. Carnival at Richland Park begins. Armbands are $30.
6 p.m. Ultimate Garth Brooks Tribute performs
8:30 p.m Fireworks begin.
83rd Annual Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival: Downtown Portland, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., May 11
7-11 a.m. Grab breakfast at the Portland Rotary Pancake Breakfast at First Baptist Portland Gym. Cost is $8 for adults and $6 for kids ages six and younger.
8 a.m. Participate in the Strawberry Stride 5K Walk/Run at Portland High School.
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Shop from more than 250 vendors in six different vendor areas. Kids can play all day for $5 at KidTown USA, beside the Moye-Green house.
9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Live Music at the Moye-Green House with Billy Knight Music.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Musicians will perform live on two stages.
10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Where Are You From Booth & Souvenirs.
10 a.m. Fresh berries will be available for purchase from local strawberry farmers, while supplies last.
10 a.m. "I Love Strawberries" Author Shannon Anderson will be on the Magic Show Stage off North Russell.
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Robocars Demonstration.
11 a.m. Kids can catch one of three Magic Shows on the Russell stage.
1 p.m. Carnival at Richland Park.
1 p.m. Play a game of Bingo at the Russell Hospitality Suite.
1 p.m. Kids can catch one of three Magic Shows on the Russell stage.
3 p.m. Kids can catch one of three Magic Shows on the Russell stage.
4 p.m. "Boots & Berries" Parade.
Free parking and shuttle service will be available from 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Shuttle service will not be provided during the parade, beginning at 4 p.m., and does not extend to Richland Park for the carnival.
Service animals with proper identification will be allowed on shuttles.
The last shuttle will run at 6:30 p.m.
Music Schedule
Strawberry Jam Concert and Fireworks, May 10
5 p.m. Chloe Goss
5:45 p.m. Adam & Amy Pope
6:30 p.m. Ultimate Garth Brooks Tribute
8:30 p.m. Fireworks
Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival, May 11
Main Stage: Located off East Market Street
10 a.m. Incognito Cartel
11 a.m. Stoney Creek Band
1 p.m. Mikki Zip
2 p.m. Chad Williams
3 p.m. The Fortunate Sons
Acoustic Stage: Located off East McGlothlin Street
10 a.m. Danny McCorkle
11 a.m. McCaslin Blue
12 p.m. Chloe Goss
1 p.m. Jak Fiddler
2 p.m. Mattie Taylor
3 p.m. Ariela Aspen
Road Closures
May 10, 8 a.m.-May 11, 7 p.m.
North Russell from South Russell to Wheeler Street
Gazebo parking lot off East Market Street
Sumner Employment parking lot off East Market Street
May 10, noon-May 11, 7 p.m.
Main Street
May 10, 1 p.m.-May 11, 7 p.m.
East Market Street
Food Lion access road
May 10, 4 p.m.-May 11, 7 p.m.
City lot off West Market Street
May 11, 8-9 a.m.
Highway 52 from Lyon Drive to Searcy Lane
Searcy Lane from Hwy 52 to College Street
College Street from Searcy Lane to Lyon Drive
May 11, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
West Market Street from Highway 109 to Portland General Baptist Church
West McGlothlin Street from Highway 109 to Reed Street
Leona Street
Reed Street from College Street to West McGlothlin Street
High Street at North Russell Street
East McGlothlin Street to North Russell Street
North Russell Street from Wheeler Street to Victor Reiter Pkwy to thru traffic
Wheeler Street from North Russell to High Street
Church Street from Highway 109 to Leona Street
May 11, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Highway 109 from College Street to Highway 52
Jackson Road from Highway 52 to Highway 109
May 11, 1-5 p.m.
Victor Reiter Parkway from Highway 109 to Freedom Drive
Freedom Drive from Highway 109 to Victor Reiter Parkway
May 11, 4-5:30 p.m.
Highway 109 from Freedom Drive to Portland East Middle School
Festival officials recommend using Waze, an app that provides users with driving directions, a live traffic map and road alerts, to get around town on May 11. Road closures will be updated in the app, they said.
For vendor lists, registration forms and more, visit middletennesseestrawberryfestival.net.
Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 83rd Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival in Portland kicks off Friday