Seafood lovers can stuff themselves to the gills this fall at 11 food festivals taking place across the 227-mile coastline, where chefs will be cooking up everything from the region’s famous Apalachicola oysters and Florida hopper shrimp to mouth-watering barbecue and German sausages. Historically, year after year starting in late September and continuing through the month of November, thousands of visitors come to these sugar-sand shores for great food, fine wine and live music.
This year’s special events range from casual wine and food tastings to blockbuster concerts with renowned performers. Some festivals, such as the Destin Seafood Festival, coincide with other events in the area like the Destin Fishing Rodeo and the Destin Seafood Festival Golf Classic, providing visitors with an even wider range of activities.
Others offer competitions among the best local cooks or give area restaurants the chance to create delicious recipes or bring out some of their tried and true favorites. So grab a handful of napkins, check out the menu and dig into fall food festivals.
32nd Annual Pensacola Seafood Festival — Sept. 25-27
Seville Square in downtown Pensacola, (850) 433-6512
www.fiestaoffiveflags.org/SeafoodFestival or www.visitpensacola.com
Presented by the Fiesta of Five Flags, the Pensacola Seafood Festival is one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s “Top 20 Events in the Southeast,” and one of the largest events in Florida, with more 100,000 in attendance. Area chefs offer selections that include fried grouper, and Pensacola crab ball, while festival goers enjoy the arts and crafts of over 175 vendors. Live music by a dozen local bands. Admission is free.
31st Annual Destin Seafood Festival — Oct. 2-4,
HarborWalk Village on the Destin Harbor, (850) 837-2711 www.destin-fwb.com
Also listed in the Southeast Tourism Society’s “Top 20 Events in the Southeast,” the Destin Seafood Festival offers fresh seafood prepared by some of the area’s most popular restaurants. This year’s headliners are Survivor and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
St. George Island Oyster Spat Festival — October 9-10
St. George Island on the beach, (850) 653-8678 (Franklin County TDC) ; www. oysterspat.com
Oysters reign supreme at this festival on St. George Island that includes a parade, a treasure hunt, live music and a 5K race. Festival goers can attach themselves to plates of oysters and other seafood at this two-day festival on the beach.
Panama City Beach Seafood, Wine & Music Festival — Oct. 9-11
Frank Brown Park on Highway 98 (Back Beach Road) across from Pier Park, Panama City Beach; www. panamacitybeachfest.com
Combining three ever popular activities into one huge event, the Panama City Beach Seafood, Wine & Music Festival pairs daily wine tastings with celebrity chef exhibitions and nationally known performers in jazz, rock, reggae and country music. The 2009 stars include, Grand Funk Railroad, Julianne Hough, John Anderson, and STYX. Advanced tickets start at $15 per person per day. Children 12 and under are free. Parking is $5 per car per day.
33rd Annual Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival — Oct. 16–18
Mullet Festival Grounds, State Road 85 North at College Blvd., Niceville
http://mulletfestival.com
The main attractions for this fishy weekend are mullet and music, especially fried mullet, and country music by this year’s headliners, Blake Shelton, Chuck Wicks and Billy Ray Cyrus. Named after the mullet, a fish found in abundance in the local waters, the Boggy Bayou Mullet festival features an arts and crafts show, a juried art show and handmade and decorated clothing in the Boutique area. Additionally, more than 40,000 hungry mullet fans will consume up to 10 tons of this humble fish during the three-day festival. Admission is $10 per person
46th Annual Florida Seafood Festival — Nov. 6-7
Battery Park, downtown Apalachicola, (888) 653-8011; www.floridaseafoodfestival.com
Florida’s first and oldest seafood festival, established in 1963, the Florida Seafood Festival takes place in downtown historic Apalachicola at the mouth of the Apalachicola River. The highlight of the two-day event is the Oyster Shucking Contest followed by the Oyster Eating Contest.Mounds of seafood prepared by local residents, arts and crafts, live music, blue crab races, a parade, the blessing of the fleet, and the crowning of Miss Florida Seafood Festival, make this piece of forgotten Florida a don’t-miss event.
