Key West Florida Weekly

Seafood festival rescheduled to April


Participants line up for stone crab claws and other delicacies during a past Florida Keys Seafood Festival. COURTESY PHOTO

Participants line up for stone crab claws and other delicacies during a past Florida Keys Seafood Festival. COURTESY PHOTO

The Florida Keys Seafood Festival, originally set for Jan. 15-16, has been rescheduled.

The Florida Keys Fishermen’s Association board of directors voted to postpone the Florida Keys Seafood Festival fundraiser out of “an abundance of caution with new COVID outbreaks and the resulting lack of volunteers to successfully operate a festival meeting our highest level of standards,” the group wrote in an email.

The 16th annual festival now is set for Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3, at Key West’s Bayview Park, at Truman Avenue and Jose Marti Drive, pending Key West City Commission approval.

Presented by the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association, the gathering was conceived to showcase regional seafood and generate awareness about the history and significance of the Keys’ commercial fishing industry.

Attendees can buy and feast on offerings that typically include grilled Florida spiny lobster, fried fish baskets or platters, stone crab claws, smoked fish dip, peel-and-eat Key West pink shrimp and more — all caught, prepared and served by Keys commercial fishermen and their families.

The menu also includes such favorite dishes as conch chowder, ceviche and fritters, as well as traditional flan and Key lime pie. Soft drinks, beer, wine and other libations are to be available for purchase as well.

In addition to the seafood, attendees can expect nonstop entertainment by regional musicians and bands, arts and crafts booths showcasing handcrafted wares, raffles and Keys conservation organizations displaying education and marine life exhibits.

Proceeds from the festival benefit the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association, its sustainable fisheries management efforts and scholarships for college-bound students from Key Largo to Key West.

Info: www.floridakeysseafoodfestival.com. ¦

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