Florida’s oldest maritime event is making a comeback. The 58th annual Florida Seafood Festival will begin this Friday in Apalachicola, in nearby Franklin County.
The festival is back in full gear after being canceled last year due to COVID-19.
The 2021 Miss Florida Seafood Festival, Jadyn Luberto, recorded a commercial promoting the festival, telling visitors what they can expect this year.
“It will be a fun time for the whole family,” Luberto said. “Including the blessing of the fleet, the annual parade down Highway 98, arts and crafts, and musical entertainment.”
Luberto is not the only one who is ecstatic abut this weekend’s celebration.
Takiah Ford, a resident of Apalachicola, is excited that the festival is happening this year.
“I grew up coming to this festival so it’s only right that I go,” Ford said. “I think we all needed this after the past year we had.”
Ford said she’s proud of the festival’s board of directors for actively working to bring back an event that brings so much joy to Franklin County.
The board already announced the entertainment headliners for this year. Christian singer Dante Bowe will perform Friday night and country music star Drew Parker will sing at the concert on Saturday.
Along with the concerts, the community can participate in an oyster eating and shucking contest, a crab race, a redfish run and more.
The board is also seeking more sponsorships as the festival is put on by a non-profit organization.
According to the festival’s Facebook page, “We are in need of more sponsorships due to [the] COVID 19 rise in the cost of pricing and not having the festival last year.”
More sponsorships make it possible for the festival to include a carnival. This is a huge attraction, especially for the community since there is no fair that comes to town.
Kids can ride bumper cars and also play competitive games such as balloon popping.
Another big aspect of the three-day event is, of course, the food. Everything from seafood gumbo to funnel cake will be available.
“I am a huge foodie,” Ford said. “I love how there are so many different seafood dishes for us to try.”
Local and out of town food vendors will give everyone something to choose from.
To add to all of the festivities taking place, the official festival t-shirts will be available for purchase.
For more information about the Florida Seafood Festival, visit floridaseafoodfestival.com