Strawberry Festival, Plant City Florida, Complaints

So, every year we say we are NEVER going to the SF again! Why? Well... where do I begin? In no particular order since these will just pop into my head...

- online ticketing system SUCKS. A few years in a row we had issues both over the phone and online with buying show tickets. One year I rcvd duplicate tickets for shows. So, this year Joni and I decided to go to the ticket office the day the tickets went on sale. It was sub-zero (yes Maria!) but we braved the temps and headed to Plant City. When we arrived there was a long line and the box office wasn't scheduled to open for an hour. Some of those folks must have camped there. One lady had a heater attached to a propane gas tank like you use for your gas grill. Seriously. We waited in line for a while and eventually they distributed clipboards and ticket order forms so we would be ready when we finally arrived at the window. We completed the form and eventually the line started moving. Joni decided to see if John (DH) could go online while we were standing in line and try to buy tickets. To save you the reading and me the typing... John purchased all of our tickets before we moved 10 feet. Ridiculous. Next year we will use online only... between us we have 4-5 computers.. Oh yeah, I forgot. We AREN'T going next year.
- ticket pricing. For years the show tickets have been 5-20 dollars. This year Taylor Swift (WHO?) performed and her tickets were 45.00. Yes. FORTY FIVE DOLLARS. Usually the shows last about an hour which isn't too bad for the price. But 45?? C'mon. I think we paid an average 15 for the shows this year.
- gate tickets. 10 dollars. yes, TEN dollars just to walk thru the gate to get to the concert. The tickets are $8 if you buy them ahead of time. Well, I guess they can be 9.50. Read on.
- this is the kicker to all of the above.... Service Charges... there is a minimum 1.50 charge per ticket - even the gate ticket. I noticed on the 20.00 show they charged 2.00. So, I guess the charge increases based on ticket price. Ok, you are thinking 'everyone charges some sort of fee' and you are correct. However, those other places that charge... don't they provide the ticket? The SF charges you and then you have to print your own ticket and when you print the ticket it is in full color and takes two pages. So, let's allow the English major do a little math.... Say you want to go to 6 shows and there are 2 peeps per show. That is 12 tickets. If you bought gate tickets too (8.00 plus 1.50 service charge, a whopping fifty cents savings) those have to be printed as well. So I think I'm up to at the minimum of 30 pages you need to print. I don't have a color printer at home but I know many do... isn't printing 30 pages in color a little pricey? I'm such a cry baby, huh. LOL We did learn that you can buy tickets at a local market for 8.00 so we did that this year vs. buying them online and wasting paper/ink. I'm thinking that if I have to print them myself...why in the hell do I need to pay the SF a fee? Especially if I am buying online... very little overhead there, right? I know you are thinking (if you've read this far) please shelley, get over it. LOL
- dry show. Yes, the festival is totally dry. 'nuff said
- 2.00 water/soda/etc. I bypassed this fee this year by walking in with water bottle. Not a word was said so I will continue to bring my own drinks...well, if I continue to attend. LOL Thank goodness vodka is clear.

The other irritants all have to do with the 'security' inside the show.
- line nazis (don't step out of line, stay over there, etc.)
- camera nazis (don't stand up to take a picture, etc.)
- video nazis (don't bring a video camera - even tho everyone - including me -is shooting video on their digital camera)
- rail nazis (don't place even a fingertip on the wood rail that is four feet from the stage)
- sit your ass down nazis (these shows are all sitting shows. if you make the fatal mistake of standing for more than 3 seconds you will be told to SIT DOWN)
- no-smoking nazis (I guess this one is OK..but..it is an OUTSIDE show)
- take your seat nazis (no loitering, even if you stop for just a minute to get something out of your pocket. Keep moving missy)

I wonder why they don't frisk us or make us walk thru a metal detector to get into the stadium?

I sound bitter but even with all of the above I do have a good time. I'm flexible and understand that rules are required, over-pricing occurs, and some people have control issues.
Fav things about SF:
- strawberry shortcake
- blue ribbons
- alessi strawberry shortcake
- livestock
- strawberry shortcake
- dancing heads
- strawberry shortcake

I bet I will be at the SF again next year.