FEBRUARY

The Florida Strawberry Festival, Feb. 28-March 10, Plant City. This food fest is the granddaddy of food festivals, dating back to 1930. It includes a midway, exhibits, competitions, livestock, games, and generally features daily entertainment by country music stars. There's also cook-off competitions, clogging and strawberry shortcake eating contests. At the Festival Grounds, 2209 W. Oak Ave., Plant City. Call 813-754-1996 or visit flstrawberryfestival.com.

MARCH

Safety Harbor Seafood Festival, March 2-3, Safety Harbor. A combination arts and crafts and seafood event, it features fresh seafood, 75 arts and crafts vendors who specialize in nautical themes, children's activities and free entertainment. The medium-size event runs 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on the first day and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. the second at The Pier at Marina Park, 151 S. Boulevard. Call 727-725-1562 or visit www.cityofsafetyharbor.com.

APRIL

Cajun Zydeco Crawfish Festival, April 12-14, St. Petersburg. The festival features live music, dancing, arts and crafts, and Cajun and Creole food. The music generally leans to Cajun, zydeco and swamp rock. One-day pass costs $10; three-day pass, $25, children admitted free with adult. Bayfront Center, 400 First St. S. Call 727-892-5767 or visit www.cajunconnection.org.

The Beach Goes Pops, April 19-20, Pass-a-Grille, St. Pete Beach. Many of the area's finest restaurants set up shop at this medium-size, beachside fest in Pass-a-Grille, one of the area's top tourist destinations. Enjoy samplings of house specialties along with music and other fun. 900 Gulf Way. Call 727-360-6957 or visit www.tampabaybeaches.com.

Taste of Tarpon Springs, April 27-28, Tarpon Springs. This moderately large event features two days of food, entertainment and arts and crafts. Several area restaurants provide authentic Greek food for this festival. Held at Craig Park, 105 Library Circle. For information, call the Sponge Docks Merchants' Assn. at 727-942-6381 or visit www.tarponsprings.com.

MAY

Ruskin Tomato Festival, May 4-5. This little festival celebrates the Ruskin tomato and includes The Great Tomato Cook-off, the crowning of the Ruskin Tomato Festival Queen and all-you-can-eat tomatoes. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., at E.G. Simmons Park, 2401 19th Ave. N.W. Call 813-645-3808.

Taste of Pinellas, May 31-June 2, St. Petersburg. Dozens of the area's finest restaurants set up shop during this big event to offer samplings of house specialties, along with music and other activities. Vinoy Park, Fifth to Seventh avenues on Bayshore Drive N.E. Call 727-892-4193.

JULY

Annual Gavel & Grapes Festival, date still pending, Tarpon Springs. Small event featuring a mix of auctions, food and drink and live jazz music. Tarpon Avenue between Ring Street and Pinellas Avenue. Call 727-937-6109.

SEPTEMBER

Taste of Clearwater, 5-8 p.m., Sept. 24, Clearwater. More than 50 area restaurants provide tasty treats during this medium-size event. The Harborview Center, 300 Cleveland St. Admission includes soft drinks and parking. 727-461-0011. www.clearwaterflorida.com.

Dunedin Wines the Blues, date still pending, Dunedin. This popular, small annual event takes place along the Main Street downtown area of Dunedin with plenty of live blues music, food, wine and entertainment. It generally runs from 5:30 p.m to 11 p.m and is free. Call 727-733-5886.

OCTOBER

Annual Florida Fiery Foods Show, Oct. 19-20, St. Petersburg. The largest collection of manufacturers of hot and spicy foods in the Eastern U.S. get hot together. More than 120 exhibitors, tastings, hot sauces, salsas, snacks, cooking demonstrations by noted chefs and amateur hot and spicy cooking contests. Bayfront Center, 400 First St. S. 727-892-5767. Ticket prices to be announced.

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Orlando. Continues almost a month, featuring culinary demonstrations, seminars, food samplings, wine tastings, special dinners, appearances of celebrities of the food and wine world and live entertainment. Epcot expects 200 sommeliers and more than 20 of the nation's most celebrated chefs. From Saturday, Oct. 20, through Sunday, Nov. 18. Epcot admission is free to those 3 and under; ages 3-9, $38; 10 and older, $48. Various special dinners cost $25-135 in addition to the price of Epcot admission. Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista. Reservations required; call 407-WDW-DINE.

The Colony Stone Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival, Longboat Key, Oct. 31- Nov. 3. This small, expensive and exclusive little festival kicks off stone crab season with events, cooking demonstrations and wine tastings. An impressive slate of chefs and vintners will host progressive learning lunches; tasting on the beach features a casual presentation of seafood dishes and wines, live music and mermaid entertainment; and the finale, chef's gala collaboration dinner, entails a seven-course, sit-down meal. At The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, 1620 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key. 941-383-6464; fax 941-383-4981. www.colonybeachresort.com.

NOVEMBER

Ruskin Seafood and Arts Festival, Nov. 2-3. The 13th annual festival features more than 20 vendors and restaurants, offering tastes of their specialties. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., E.G. Simmons Park, 2401 19th Ave., Ruskin. Call 813-645-3808.

Ribfest, Nov. 8-10. Presented by the Northeast Exchange Club of St. Petersburg, this shindig boasts ribs, live national music acts and fun for the whole family. Proceeds go to All Children's Hospital, child abuse prevention programs, college scholarships and other charities. Vinoy Park, Fifth to Seventh avenues on Bayshore Drive N.E., St. Petersburg. Send an e-mail to ddrews@lfrefc.com, or call 727-796-5554, ext. 122 or fax, 727-289-6880. Tickets available at various locations, or via Ticketmaster, 813-287-8844 or 727-898-2100, or at www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.lfrefc.com or www.ribfest.org.

A Taste of Sarasota, Nov. 10. Thirty restaurants, live music, arts and crafts, ice carving, cloggers and much more, benefiting All Faiths Foodbank, Philippi Estate Park and Mansion, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Admission $5. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Call Tonya Gowan at 941-921-9116.

Honeymoon Island Seafood Fest & Boat Show, Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Dunedin. The second annual festival will be held over Thanksgiving weekend with a variety of seafood, live entertainment, a children's area and guided walks of the trails at the park. Honeymoon Island, 1 Causeway Blvd. Call 727-733-3197.

JANUARY 2003

East Lake Woodlands Fine Wine & Food Festival, Jan. 28, Oldsmar. Festivalgoers have more than 60 different vintages from around the world to choose from, and more than a dozen of the area's top restaurants will also be on-hand, serving samples from their menus. There will also be a silent and live auction. Tickets, $25 in advance, $30 at the door. 5:30-8:30 p.m., East Lake Woodlands Country Club, 1055 East Lake Woodlands Pkwy. Call Brenda Robinson, Oldsmar Chamber of Commerce, at 813-855-4233.

FEBRUARY 2003

Fiesta Day, Feb. 8, Ybor City, Tampa. For more than 50 years, this free, multicultural festival has been celebrated with huge vats of Spanish bean soup and piles of Cuban bread given away on the street by the Columbia Restaurant, Florida's oldest Spanish restaurant. This year, it drew an estimated 50,000 people to nosh at restaurant booths, groove before five music stages, and enjoy street flamenco dancing. In 2003, it will include an arts and crafts show as well. On Seventh Avenue, from 13th Street through 20th streets, and Eighth and Ninth avenues. Call 813-248-3712.

Greek Fest, Tarpon Springs. Medium-size festival features Greek music, dancing, food, arts and crafts, and children's activities. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 36 N. Pinellas Ave. This year's event took place Feb. 22-24.

This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 5, 2002.