Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival returns for 80th anniversary following pandemic This year's 80th Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival features 175 vendors, live music, fireworks, a parade and more in Portland. and last updated 2021-05-07 23:54:18-04 PORTLAND, Tenn. (WTVF) â A middle Tennessee tradition turns 80. âStrawberries here, grown here, are the best strawberries anywhere in the world,â said Portland mayor, Mike Callis. The 80th Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival celebrates what was once Portland's most well-known product. âIt became one of the biggest producing areas for strawberries and right across the road where we used to have the railroad tracks, they would come, they would load up to 30 railroad cars a day of strawberries,â said Callis.