Every January I start getting calls from folks who waited too long — “Hey, I need something for Strawberry Fest, you still have anything?” By then my calendar for RV rental Florida Strawberry Festival weekend is almost gone. The festival runs eleven days in late February into early March out at the Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds in Plant City, and the drive from our Longwood base out I-4 West is roughly 45 minutes depending on where you catch it. That’s close enough that I can get a rig to you, but festival weekend hotel rooms from here to Lakeland are gone or priced through the roof — and that’s exactly why a delivered RV changes the whole trip.

Why an RV Makes Sense for the Florida Strawberry Festival

Plant City in February is genuinely one of the best weekends in Central Florida. The weather is usually cooperating — lows in the mid-50s, highs in the low 70s, dry enough that you’re not fighting summer humidity — and the grounds draw serious crowds for the midway, the entertainment lineup, and obviously the strawberry shortcake lines that wrap around the block. What it doesn’t have is unlimited nearby lodging at a reasonable price. That’s the problem I solve.

When you rent from Fireside RV Rental in Longwood, I deliver the unit to a campground that works for your group, get it leveled and set up before you arrive, and pick it up when you’re done. You show up to a ready rig, spend your days at the festival, come back to your own space at night. No hotel checkout times. No cramming a family into one room. No 45-minute Uber from the closest available hotel.

Plant City Strawberry Festival RV Camping: Where I Send People

I want to be straight with you here: the festival grounds themselves do not have overnight RV camping for general attendees. When people call me asking about Florida Strawberry Festival RV parking on-site, I tell them the same thing every year — you’ll want a campground within a reasonable drive of Plant City and plan to shuttle or drive in each day.

The option I steer people toward most often is Sanlan RV & Golf Resort in Lakeland. It’s roughly 20 minutes west of the festival grounds on I-4 and SR-33, it’s a proper full-hookup park, and it doesn’t fill as chaotically as some closer options. I’ve delivered rigs there during festival week and the pull-through sites on the east side of the property give me enough room to maneuver a larger trailer without drama.

If your group wants to combine the festival with some natural Florida, I’ve also set up rigs for customers who base out of Wekiwa Springs State Park Campground in Apopka — that’s about 50 minutes from Plant City on a straightforward I-4 East run. Loop A at Wekiwa has longer back-in sites that can handle a mid-size travel trailer, but you’ll need to book those sites months ahead, especially for a February weekend. The park itself is stunning — spring-fed swimming, paddling on Rock Springs Run — so families often split their days between the festival and the park.

For groups coming from the east side of the metro — Oviedo, Winter Springs, Sanford, Lake Mary — I sometimes suggest Moss Park in Orange County as a staging point if the festival is just part of a longer trip. It’s not the closest to Plant City, but it’s quiet, affordable, and I know the loop access well enough to place a trailer without issues.

Whatever campground you’re eyeing, confirm your reservation directly with the park before you call me — I can get you the rig, but I can’t hold your site.

How RV Delivery to Plant City Works

The delivery run from Longwood to the Plant City / Lakeland corridor is one I do regularly. West on I-4, exit around Branch Forbes Road or SR-39 depending on the campground, and I’ve got the rig rolling in plenty of time to set up before you need to be anywhere. Total haul is usually under an hour from my location.

Here’s how the process works when you book with me:

• You lock in your campground site first — I need a confirmed address and site number to schedule delivery.
• I deliver and set up the rig — leveled, connected to hookups where available, walk-through complete before I leave.
• You use it — festival days, evenings back at the site, however the trip works for your family or group.
• I pick it up — you don’t tow anything, you don’t need a hitch, you don’t need to worry about backing a trailer out of a campground loop at checkout time.

Get the full breakdown of how delivery is handled on our RV delivery page.

What Rig Works Best for a Festival Trip

Most of my Strawberry Festival customers are families of three to five, or a couple groups of friends splitting costs. For that size, a mid-range travel trailer is usually the right call — enough sleeping space, a functional kitchen so you’re not eating every meal out, and easy enough for me to place in standard campground sites around the Plant City area.

I’ve had larger groups — extended families, friend groups of eight or more — who want two units side by side. That works fine at Sanlan where the sites have room. If that’s your situation, tell me upfront so I can coordinate both deliveries and make sure the campground can accommodate you.

Specific rig configurations, sleeping capacity, and what’s included vary by unit. Contact me directly and I’ll match you to what’s actually available for your festival dates rather than giving you a generic spec sheet that may not reflect current inventory.

When to Book Your Festival RV Rental

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: if you’re reading this in January and the festival is in late February, you’re already in the window where I’d want to hear from you this week, not next month. The eleven-day run of the Florida Strawberry Festival means the weekend dates — especially the first and last weekends — go fast on both the campground and rental sides.

If you’re planning ahead (and you should be), reach out in November or December for February festival dates. I can hold a rig for you, you lock in your campground site, and you show up in February with nothing to stress about on the logistics side.

Customers coming in from Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Kissimmee, or anywhere else in the Greater Orlando corridor — the I-4 corridor makes this trip straightforward. You don’t need to drive your own tow vehicle out there. That’s the whole point.

Get Your Florida Strawberry Festival RV Rental Locked In

I’m Chris Jackson, your local Fireside RV Rental operator in Longwood. Call or text me at 407-801-2546 to check availability for your festival dates, or shoot me an email at [email protected]. Tell me your dates, your campground if you’ve already booked one, and your group size — I’ll come back to you with what I have available and what makes sense for your trip.

This is a trip worth doing right. The festival is genuinely one of the best annual events in Central Florida, and having your own space to come back to at the end of a long day on the grounds makes the whole thing better. Let’s get you set up.

Frequently Asked Questions — Florida Strawberry Festival RV Rental

Can you park an RV overnight at the Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds?

General overnight RV camping is not available at the festival grounds for attendees. You’ll need to stay at a nearby campground — Sanlan RV & Golf Resort in Lakeland is the one I most often recommend for its proximity and availability during festival week. Plan on a short drive in each day.

How far is the drive from Longwood to Plant City?

From Longwood it’s roughly 45 minutes west on I-4 in normal traffic. Festival weekend traffic on I-4 can add time, especially on Saturdays — I usually factor that in when I’m scheduling my delivery window.

Do I need a special license or towing setup to rent?

No. Because I deliver and pick up the unit, you never tow anything. A standard driver’s license is all you need on your end.

How early should I book for the Strawberry Festival?

The festival runs eleven days in late February through early March and the weekend dates fill fastest. I’d say reach out by December at the latest for February dates — earlier if your group is larger or you want a specific rig size.

What campgrounds near Plant City do you deliver to?

Sanlan RV & Golf Resort in Lakeland is my primary recommendation for festival trips. I also deliver to Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka and Moss Park in Orange County for customers who want to combine the festival with a broader Central Florida trip. If you have another campground in mind, contact me — I cover the full I-4 corridor from Longwood west to Plant City and Lakeland regularly.