TAMPA BAY, Fla. (FNN) – March. Quite possibly one of the best months in Florida: Spring Training baseball; the golf world takes center stage with events like the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the Valspar Championship; and for those who love food, fun, and strawberry delights, there is no better event than the Florida Strawberry Festival.

The 11-day community event, which celebrates the local strawberry harvest, kicks off Thursday March 2nd and runs through March 12th in Plant City.

Each year, the event draws in nearly 500,000 visitors who come to enjoy the headline entertainment which features such acts as Willie Nelson and Family, Ludacris, Chris Young, For King + Country, Train, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The Florida Strawberry Festival features dozens of rides for kids of all ages at the Belle City Midway in addition to youth livestock shows, and of course the world’s best strawberry shortcake!

“We Have a Winner” is the theme for the 88th annual event.

“It points to the recent win we achieved in naming strawberry shortcake as Florida’s official dessert as we’re a little partial to the berry,” said President Paul Davis in a recent press release. “We’re excited about this year’s event and look forward to sharing in the celebration of the shortcake dessert that has come to make us so successful!”

Just how big of a deal is the berry in these parts of town?

“The strawberry industry has an economic impact of more than a billion dollars in the state of Florida,” added Davis. “Plant City is home to roughly 12,000 acres of strawberries and the Festival serves just about 200,000 shortcakes each year. We’re proud of our city and the Florida strawberry.”

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – Source: Universal Orlando Resort // Guests of Universal Orlando Resort’s eight spectacular hotels can keep the Mardi Gras party going with themed food and beverage options at select restaurants and bars throughout the properties – allowing them to enjoy additional mouthwatering flavors outside of the in-park festivities taking place at Universal’s Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval. Here is a look at what guests can enjoy at each hotel throughout the remainder of the Mardi Gras season, which continues through April 16:

Mardi Gras Meals & Drinks

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

• Trattoria del Porto
  • Cajun Jambalaya Pasta – Shrimp, Smoke Sausage, Chicken, Onions, Peppers and Mushrooms in a Creole Sauce with Fettuccine Pasta
  • Masquerade Cannoli – Mixed Berry Insalada
• The Thirsty Fish
  • Boulevardier – Bourbon, Italian Liqueur, Fortified Wine
• Splendido Bar & Grill
  • Mojito Lemonade – Vodka, Black Raspberry Liqueur, Simple Syrup, Raspberry, Mint

Hard Rock Hotel

• The Kitchen
  • Bourbon Street Beignets – Bourbon Caramel Sauce, Powdered Sugar
  • French 75 – Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Sugar, Champagne
• Velvet Bar
  • N’awlins Po’ Boy Sliders – Smoked Andouille Sausage, Sauteed Peppers and Onions, Cajun Remoulade, Toasted French Bread
  • French 75 – Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Sugar, Champagne
• beachclub
  • Hurricane – Rum, Grenadine, Pineapple and Orange Juice

Loews Royal Pacific Resort

• Islands Dining Room
  • King Cake Pancakes – Lemon and Powdered Sugar Glaze, Spiced Walnuts
• Orchid Court Lounge & Sushi Bar
  • Orchid – Gin, Elderflower Liqueur, Crème de Violet, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Pea Flower Float
• Tuk Tuk Market
  • Chocolate Bomb – Choose from: Chocolate and Caramel with Spiced Pecan with Mardi Gras Purple, Green and Gold Décor, S’mores or Cookies and Cream

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort

• Amatista Cookhouse
  • Shrimp & Andouille Sausage Gumbo Pot Pie – Vegetables and Okra
• Strong Water Tavern
  • Cucumber Hurricane Twist – Light Rum, Lime Juice, Midori, Sliced Cucumber
• New Dutch Trading Co.
  • Traditional King Cake

Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort

• Galaxy Bowl
  • Shrimp Po’ Boy with Zapps Chips – Crispy Cajun Fried Shrimp on a French Baguette, Topped with Creole Inspired Creamy Remoulade Sauce
  • Laissez les bons temps Rouler Hurricane – Light Rum, Rum, Passionfruit Liqueur, Orange Juice, Lemon Juice, Grenadine; Served in a light-up souvenir Galaxy Bowl tumblr with straw. Refills will be $22 with the cup on Mardi Gras cocktail only.

Universal’s Aventura Hotel

• Bar 17 Bistro
  • Crawfish Etouffee – Crawfish, Onions, Celery, Bell Peppers, Rice
• Urban Pantry
  • Muffuletta Sandwich – Genoa Salami, Mortadella, Ham, Provolone and Swiss Cheese, Olive Salad
• Bar 17 Bistro & barVentura
  • Hurricane – Dark Rum, Passion Fruit, Tropical Juices
  • Sazerac – Rye Whiskey, Absinthe, Simple Syrup, Bitters

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort: Surfside Inn and Suites

• Beach Break Café
  • New Orleans BBQ Shrimp & Dirty Rice – Sauteed Shrimp, Worcestershire Sauce, Cajun Spiced Rice, Andouille Sauce
• Sand Bar
  • The Endless Carnaval – Silver Rum, Spiced Rum, Passionfruit Liqueur, Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice, Dried Blackberries, Pineapple Wedge, Green Sugar Rim

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort: Dockside Inn and Suites

• Pier 8 Market
  • New Orleans Cajun Roasted Chicken & Dirty Rice – Cajun Spiced Oven Roasted Half Chicken, Creole Rice, Andouille Sausage, Sweet Candied Bacon
• Sunset Lounge, The Oasis Beach Bar & The Wave Maker’s Pool Bar
  • The Endless Carnaval – Silver Rum, Spiced Rum, Passionfruit Liqueur, Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice, Dried Blackberries, Pineapple Wedge, Green Sugar Rim

Universal Orlando Resort guests can party beyond the bayou during Universal’s Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval through April 16. The fan-favorite event takes place at Universal Studios Florida and features a dazzling parade, mouthwatering cuisine inspired by global Carnaval celebrations and star-studded live concerts on select nights.

For more information about Universal’s Mardi Gras, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com/MardiGras.

Save $650 on a Five-Night Hotel and Ticket Vacation Package at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort
When guests book their next vacation, they can take advantage of exclusive savings at Universal Orlando hotels by booking vacation packages. Right now, guests can save $650 on a five-night hotel and ticket package at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Additional hotels and savings are available. This limited-time offer is valid for booking from March 1 through May 3, and travel from March 2 through December 14. Click here to learn more.

Guests staying at a Universal Orlando hotel can take advantage of exclusive benefits – including Early Park Admission, allowing guests to access one of the three amazing theme parks up to an hour before park opening, complimentary transportation to and from the parks, resort-wide charging privileges, and more. Plus, guests staying at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Royal Pacific Resort receive free Universal Express Unlimited ride access to skip the regular lines at participating rides and attractions in Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

For more information on the “Save $650” vacation package and Universal Orlando hotels, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Universal Orlando Resort plans to raise its starting minimum wage by $2 to $17 an hour, becoming the wage leader among the big theme parks in central Florida, just as its crosstown rival, Walt Disney World, is in contract talks with service worker unions who are pushing to increase the starting hourly wage from $15 to $18.

The new wage structure, which includes raising pay for other workers based on the new rates and their time with the company, goes into effect in June, Universal Orlando Resort President and Chief Operating Officer Karen Irwin said in a letter Tuesday to the resort’s 25,000 workers.

The starting hourly wage hike is part of a larger effort aimed at improving worker benefits in a tight labor market that includes increasing 401(k) matches and tuition reimbursement, adding compassionate leave, doubling the amount of parental leave and upgrading behind-the-scenes areas for workers like break rooms and bathrooms, park officials said.

“But it doesn’t stop there, our culture seeks to create a path forward that supports our Team Members, gives them an opportunity to grow and fosters a real sense of purpose and belonging,” Irwin said in the letter.

Universal Orlando currently is recruiting for 2,500 positions across the resort. It also is gearing up toward opening a new park, Epic Universe, in 2025. The resort’s workers aren’t unionized.

At crosstown rival Walt Disney World, union members voted down a contract proposal covering 45,000 service workers earlier this month, saying it didn’t go far enough toward helping employees face cost-of-living hikes in housing and other expenses in central Florida. The company and unions plan to return to the negotiating table.

Disney World service workers who are in the six unions that make up the Service Trades Council Union coalition had been demanding a starting minimum wage jump to at least $18 an hour in the first year of the contract, up from the starting minimum wage of $15 an hour won in the previous contract.

The rejected proposal would have raised the starting minimum wage to $20 an hour for all service workers by the last year of the five-year contract, an increase of $1 each year for a majority of the workers it covered. Certain positions, like housekeepers, bus drivers and culinary jobs, would start immediately at a minimum of $20 under the proposal.