Shrimp, boiled, fried or blackened; oysters fresh from the bay; crab, amberjack and grouper; they can all be found on the menu at the many and varied seafood festivals taking place in the fall on the Northwest Florida gulf coast. From September to November, fresh seafood is featured along with entertainment and family activities at the coastal towns of Pensacola, Destin, Panama City Beach, Apalachicola and St. George Island.
Gulf coast residents have long had ties to the surrounding waters and their bounty. Many towns and villages were founded by fishermen and fresh fish is regular fare year round. The cooler months give rise to celebrations of crustaceans, mollusks and fish and area chefs compete for the best recipes for preparing the critters. Along with the mounds of seafood to be consumed, there are lots of fun activities to keep festival goers entertained.
Pensacola and Destin Seafood Festivals in September
Pensacola Seafood Festival - Kicking off the food festival season each year is one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events in the Southeast and one of the largest events in Florida, with over 100,000 in attendance. Area chefs offer selections that include coconut shrimp, blackened mahi mahi, and green tomato gumbo among others. Over 175 arts and crafts vendors, live music by local bands, cooking demonstrations, a 5K walk/run, a Splash Dog competition and children’s activities make this two-day event an area favorite.
Destin Seafood Festival - Also listed in “Top 20 Events in the Southeast,” the Destin Seafood Festival offers fresh seafood prepared by some of the area’s most popular restaurants, while local bands share the stage with top national music makers. Children’s activities and arts and crafts booths overlook the Destin Harbor where the month-long Destin Fishing Rodeo takes place each October. Festival goers can watch the afternoon weigh-ins on the docks as anglers compete for cash and prizes.
October Seafood Festivals in Northwest Florida
Seafood, Wine & Music Festival - Combining three ever popular items into one festival, Panama City Beach pairs daily wine tastings with celebrity chef exhibitions and live jazz, rock, reggae and country music. This celebration of seafood also hosts a classic car show, antiques vendors, arts and crafts, and features wine from local and nationally recognized vineyards.
St. George Island Oyster Spat Festival - An oyster spat is a baby oyster that has just passed the larva stage and has attached itself to its home base. This and many other oyster facts can be learned at the Oyster Spat Festival which honors the humble mollusk. 90% of Florida oysters come from the Apalachicola Bay and area residents are proud of their long oystering, fishing and shrimping traditions. The festival takes place on St. George Island and has a 5K race, a parade, a treasure hunt and live music.
Northwest Florida Food Festivals in November
Taste of THE Beach - The newest of the Northwest Florida food festivals, Taste of THE Beach is like a progressive dinner, stretching through three gulf coast counties over a four day period. This culinary and cultural charity fund raiser offers wine dinners and walk-about food events in various locations. Also included as one of the featured events is the Telluride MountainFilm on Tour festival at Watercolor.
Florida Seafood Festival - Established in 1963, this is the oldest seafood festival in the state and takes place in Apalachicola. The highlight of the two-day festival is the Oyster Shucking Contest followed by the Oyster Eating Contest. Some participants have been known to eat as many as 300 oysters in the allotted 15 minutes of time. Mounds of seafood prepared by local residents, arts and crafts, live music, blue crab races, a parade and the crowing of Miss Florida Seafood Festival, make this festival piece of forgotten Florida.
Pamela Watson - I first hit the road at the tender age of three weeks when my career-Army dad packed up my mom and me and moved us from Indiana to New ...
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