Shrimp Festival extravaganza returns this weekend to Fort Myers Beach
Lions Club bringing back parade, 5K run, pageant, shrimp eating contest, arts fair and shrimp boil
The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival takes off this weekend as it expands from the shrimp crawl phase of shrimp specials at more than a dozen restaurants into a weekend-long shrimp boil along with a parade, 5K run, pageant and arts and crafts fair this Saturday. The festivities continue Sunday with a blessing of the shrimp fleet at Erickson and Jensen off Shrimp Boat Lane, an arts and crafts fair, the continuation of the shrimp boil and shrimp crawl, and then closes out with a shrimp eating contest.
It’s all part of a celebration of the crustacean that has been going on for more than 70 years to recognize the local shrimp industry that fueled the growth of Fort Myers Beach. The festival dates back to the 1950’s.
For the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club that puts on the event each year, this weekend’s festivities will help support its community efforts that include scholarships, providing leader dogs for the blind, supporting local food banks and providing free eye exams to Lee County students and vouchers for glasses.
“The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival is the primary fundraiser for our club,” said Fort Myers Beach Lions Club President Drew Yelle.
“All the money raised in the event goes back into the community, supporting our charitable giving. Lions International challenges each club to focus on vision, diabetes, childhood cancer, environment, hunger and local youth. Our Fort Myers Beach club is aligned with those goals,” Yelle said.
The Matanzas Pass Bridge will close from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday to make way for the 5K run and shrimp festival parade.
The 5K run will start at 9 a.m. from in front of Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille and the course will take runners up the Matanzas Pass Bridge and onto Estero Boulevard past Key Estero Shops and back again.
The parade will follow at 10 a.m. from the Fort Myers Beach Elementary School to the base of the Matanzas Pass Bridge. The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club is still looking to add floats for those interested in participating in the parade. For more information on how to participate and partake in this year’s Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival Parade, 5K Run or shrimp-eating contest, visit https://fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com/.
A shrimp boil will follow the parade off Old San Carlos Boulevard. The shrimp boil will be repeated on Sunday starting at noon until the shrimp runs out. This is the first time the shrimp boil is taking place since 2022, before Hurricane Ian.
The Queen’s Pageant will take place Saturday at the Bayside Veterans Park from 1-2 p.m.
An arts and crafts fair will be held on both Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Old San Carlos Blvd. and between First Street and Third Street.
On Sunday, March 9, the blessing of the fleet begins at 11 a.m. at the shrimp docks on Main Street on San Carlos Island following a 10 a.m. church service.
The festival will culminate with a shrimp-eating contest Sunday, March 9 at The Whale at 2 p.m. A closing ceremony and free concert will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Bayside Veterans Park.
The restaurants participating in this year’s shrimp crawl with shrimp specials are DiamondHead Beach Resort, The Island’s Pancake House, Hurricane Tina’s, Lah de Dah at Margaritaville, Lani Kai Island Resort, La Ola’s, License to Chill at Margaritaville, Nervous Nellie’s, Parrot Key Caribbean Grill, Petey’s Upper Deck, The Rude Shrimp, Sandy’s Bottom’s Bar & Grill, Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant, Smokin’ Oyster Brewery and Wahoo Willies.
Wahoo Willies is also opening an hour early on Saturday for a special brunch from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
For a full festival schedule, visit https://fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com/schedule/
For a full list of the restaurants participating in the shrimp crawl with shrimp specials and their addresses visit https://fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com/event/shrimp-crawl/.
“We are proud to be a part of our wonderful local community and very much appreciate the generosity of our friends and neighbors across the country that feel the connection to Fort Myers Beach,” Yelle said.