Cortez
The Cortez Fishing Festival takes place 16 – 17 February, in the historic fishing village of Cortez, located in the Bradenton Area on the Gulf Coast of Florida, adjacent to the Florida Maritime Museum. The two day seafood extravaganza includes live entertainment, folk music, boat rides, marine life exhibits, arts, crafts and of course seafood! www.BradentonGulfIslands.com
Fort Myers
The Fort Myers Shrimp Festival on Florida’s Gulf Coast started in 1959 to honour the annual shrimp harvest. This year’s celebration takes place 2, 9, 10 March. It is now a huge three day festival with the main attraction being huge boiling pots of pink shrimp, serving more than a 1000lbs of the fish using a secret recipe. There are hundreds of other seafood booths, a colourful parade, street stalls selling local crafts and even a shrimp queen. www.fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com
Marathon
The Original Marathon Seafood Festival takes place 9 – 10 March. Gourmet delicacies from the waters of the Florida Keys, live music, a kids’ play area and an array of vendors highlight this annual weekend event that generally attracts more than 15,000 seafood lovers and families to Marathon Community Park, MM 49 Oceanside. www.marathonseafoodfestival.com