Empty Bowls Moves to Sunset, and Plant City's November Lines Up Around It

Last November, the soup started at 10 a.m. As the Plant City Observer reported, the 15th annual Empty Bowls Project filled the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A $10 ticket covered tastes of 28 soups and chilis from 25 chefs and a keepsake bowl made by local students. The lineup included the Fire Rescue's chorizo soup and the Police Department's specialty chili.

This year United Food Bank of Plant City moves it to late afternoon. The 16th annual event is now called Soups at Sunset. It runs Saturday, Nov. 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the same museum on North Palmer Street. With that change, each of Plant City's November community events now has its own part of the day. Doxapalooza takes a Saturday from morning through afternoon. Empty Bowls takes the hours around dusk. Pig Jam starts on a Friday night. Thanksgiving starts at 7 a.m. with a run. Most of them also fall on different weekends. Pig Jam and the downtown Cruise-In share Nov. 21, and even then, Pig Jam's long hours leave room for both.

The Month at a Glance

The City of Plant City's events page says its listings may update late when an event is canceled or its time changes. Confirm with each organizer before you go.

Nov. 7: Doxapalooza Gets the Daytime Hours

The month opens at Keel Farms. Dachshund Adoption Rescue & Education, known as DARE, holds the 20th anniversary of Doxapalooza there on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. According to the Plant City Observer, more than 2,000 people came in 2025, which made it the largest single-day dachshund gathering in Florida.

This year's theme is "Red, White & Rescued," built around original artwork by illustrator Kay Hilde. The usual draws are back: wiener dog races, lure course races, a costume contest, live and silent auctions, a blessing of the animals, DARE's Doxie Market, and vendors and food trucks. Nashville recording artist Brittany Moore performs. DARE president Alicia Duval told the Observer that "every wiener race, every raffle ticket, every vendor booth is what lets us keep doing this work."

Parking is where you might get caught out. DARE's venue page saves the onsite lot at 5202 Thonotosassa Road for handicap parking. Everyone else is sent to the Berry and Wine lots at 3205 N. Forbes Road. Keel Farms has hosted the event since 2024, when the Observer announced it as the new location. Pre-registration is open at doxapalooza.org.

Doxapalooza wraps up at 4 p.m. on Nov. 7. One week later, Empty Bowls starts at that same hour.

Nov. 14: Soup Downtown in the Late Afternoon

At its new time, Empty Bowls runs through early evening downtown. United Food Bank's ticket page lists signature soups from local restaurant partners, live music, local artists, interactive experiences, and a bowl made by local students for each guest to take home. The Plant City Chamber's listing also includes family activities and auctions.

Tickets and sponsorships are sold through that Givebutter page. Check the 2026 price there, since last year's $10 ticket was for the morning event. The 2025 event set the tone for the new time slot. The Observer's account lists the Plant City Community Chorale, the Plant City High School Jazz Band, Ace Jackson & the Jump Kings, and a Kids Zone run with the YMCA. Nine artists painted bowls at Red Calliope Gallery on Evers Street to be auctioned.

The museum also sits at the start of Plant City Main Street's Henry's Hidden Train Hunt. The city lists that as a daily downtown activity based at the same 102 N. Palmer St. address. If you arrive early, it's something to do before the soup starts at 4.

Nov. 20 and 21: Two Things at Once on the Third Weekend

The third weekend is the only one with two events overlapping. The 23rd annual Plant City Pig Jam opens Friday, Nov. 20, from 5 to 10 p.m. and runs Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is held at the Randy Larson Softball Fourplex, 1401 Gordon Food Service Drive, the same complex the Plant City Observer placed it in last year.

Pig Jam's own site explains how the food side works. The cook-off is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, with professional and amateur teams competing in ribs, pork, brisket and chicken. Admission is $5, and children 6 and younger get in free. At the gate, you swap cash for Pig Bucks, the festival's own currency, and spend them with the competition teams. Those food sales support local high school senior scholarships. Parking is free. Pig Jam's site also lists a rock climbing wall, moonwalks, vendors and live music.

On Saturday afternoon, the Strawberry Classic Cruise-In runs from 3 to 6 p.m. in Historic Downtown Plant City, as it does every third Saturday. Pig Jam's Saturday hours cover that whole window and run two hours past it. That leaves room for two plans:

1. Spend the middle of the day at Pig Jam, then head downtown for the Cruise-In before it ends at 6.
2. Go to the Cruise-In first, then spend Pig Jam's last two hours eating barbecue until 8 p.m.

If Saturday is already full, Friday night works too. Pig Jam's first night gives you five hours of evening, from 5 to 10 p.m.

Thanksgiving Week: The Earliest Start and the Latest Finish

The month's earliest start comes on Thanksgiving. The 8th Annual Cinnamon Roll Run 5K begins at 7 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26, at Ellis Methvin Park, 2601 E. Cherry St. It is run in partnership with the Plant City Running Club. Entry is $25 on RunSignup. The race is staying at Ellis Methvin Park because of its paved routes and restrooms. At 7 a.m., you can finish and be home in time to start cooking.

The next evening, Nov. 27, is Last Friday downtown, from 5 to 9 p.m. Plant City Main Street fills the historic district with vendors and food trucks. Main Street says the Last Friday lineup rotates artists and makers selling handmade goods, jewelry, art and woodwork. It falls the day after Thanksgiving, which gives out-of-town guests something to do downtown.

October's Last Friday is Oct. 30, in the same historic district with the same 5 to 9 p.m. hours.

Planning the Month by Time of Day

With Empty Bowls in the late afternoon, November's main events cover almost every part of the day:

• Early morning: the Cinnamon Roll Run, 7 a.m. Thanksgiving Day.
• Daytime: Doxapalooza, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 7, and Pig Jam's Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Late afternoon: the Cruise-In, 3 to 6 p.m. on Nov. 21.
• Late afternoon into evening: Empty Bowls, 4 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 14.
• Night: Pig Jam's Friday, 5 to 10 p.m., and Last Friday, 5 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 27.

The causes stay local too. Doxapalooza funds DARE's foster-based rescue work, Empty Bowls funds United Food Bank of Plant City, and Pig Jam's food sales go to scholarships for local high school seniors. The Railroad Museum, Keel Farms, the Randy Larson Fourplex and Ellis Methvin Park are in different parts of town. Plan the drives with the clock in mind and you can fit more than one event into a weekend.

At Palm & Pine Realty Group, we keep track of Plant City's calendar the same way we keep track of its market. If you have family coming for Thanksgiving week and want help planning which events fit around the drive between Keel Farms and downtown, let's connect.