Gabriela Hagman was crowned queen of the 90th Florida Strawberry Festival during the annual pageant held on the festival grounds in January. Gabriela was selected from a competitive field of 26 contestants. Macey Faith Riley was named first maid, with court members Makinley Jensen, Olivia Paige Lawton and Abigail Lee Mullis rounding out the royal court.
“I feel so overwhelmed. I’m so honored to be given this opportunity,” said Gabriela. “I just feel so grateful that I have been given this moment, and it still doesn’t feel real, if I’m being completely transparent. I feel like I’m in someone else’s body right now, but I’m just so grateful, and I’m so ready.”
Gabriela is the daughter of Christopher and Jacqueline Hagman. She is a senior at Durant High.
School and serves as a member of the orchestra, chamber orchestra, chorus, show choir and is the vice president of both the Choral Department and Durant Theatre Company, Troupe 5444. She is also a senior youth advisor at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church. Gabriela plans to pursue a career in multimedia journalism and become a news anchor.
The Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s Competition is organized by the Plant City Lions Club and includes five main components: a personal interview, onstage speaking, casual wear, evening wear and an impromptu question.
“We are so proud of this year’s pageant and want to thank the Plant City Lions Club for their unwavering dedication to making this event a success,” said Florida Strawberry Festival Chairman Danny Coton. “All the contestants demonstrated incredible effort and commitment, and I have no doubt the queen and her court will represent the festival and the community with great pride and enthusiasm.”
Throughout the year, the queen and her court will make over 80 appearances, representing the Florida Strawberry Festival and the Plant City community at various local and regional events.
Coton added, “Celebrating our 90th year is a huge milestone for the festival, and we’re looking forward to seeing the entire community come together. We’re expecting over 600,000 visitors to join us, and we can’t wait for everyone to enjoy the great entertainment, delicious food and, of course, our famous strawberry shortcake.”
The 2025 Florida Strawberry Festival will take place from Thursday, February 27, to Sunday, March 9, in Plant City. Festival hours are 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, featuring a wide range of activities, entertainment and exhibits. Visitors can look forward to livestock shows, midway rides, food, games and headline performances by artists like Reba McEntire, Whiskey Myers, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nelly, The Beach Boys and much more.
About the Florida Strawberry Festival
The Florida Strawberry Festival attracts over 600,000 visitors to Plant City for 11 days of fun, food and entertainment. Visit https://flstrawberryfestival.com/, and follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok (#BerryFest25).
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