Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival this weekend in Downtown Fort Myers
Seafood lovers rejoice – a new fest has been added to the local events queue.
Paragon Festivals has partnered with the River District Alliance for the first time to offer the inaugural Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival this weekend in Downtown Fort Myers.
Event organizer Bill Kenney said they began holding seafood festivals in various cites throughout Florida three years ago. There are now 14 of these festivals all over the state of Florida.
“Fort Myers is a great market close to the beach. We can draw from other markets – Port Charlotte, Naples and Bonita Springs. It’s perfectly located and the demographics are great,” he said. “It’s right there on the river, which makes it great.”
The festival, which has free general admission, kicks off tonight at 4 p.m. and runs through 10 p.m. It continues Saturday, Jan. 5, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and concludes Sunday, Jan. 6, from 11 a.m. to 6 pm.
Food and drinks are available for purchase.
There will be a VIP tent, $75 tent admission, that can be purchased at the gate, which includes an open bar in a private tent with a dedicated service staff.
Kenney said it’s primarily a seafood and music festival with an art element. He said they will have some Local restaurants will provide the seafood, as well as food purveyors.
“The seafood is indigenous that is sustainable,” he said.
Kenney said the festival also includes different genres of music and some of the best cover bands in the state.
On Friday, the Freecoasters (reggae-soul) will perform from 4:30 to 6 p.m.; Sarasota Steel Pan Band (Caribbean) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and the Shindigs (Beach Boys Tribute Band) will perform from 8:30 to 10 p.m.
On Saturday, Kettle of Fish (rock, blues and reggae) will perform from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., CeCe Teneal & Soul Kamotion (blues, soul, roots) will take the stage from 1:30 to 3 p.m., JP Soars & The Red Hots (blues) will perform from 3:30 to 5 p.m.; Bob Marley Tribute Band featuring Yvad (reggae) will perform from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. followed by the Caribbean Chillers (Jimmy Buffet Tribute Band) from 8 to 10 p.m.
The final day of the festival, Sunday, will feature Twinkle & Rock Soul Radio (rock, soul) from 12:30 to 2 p.m., Billy Rice Band (country rock) from 2:30 to 4 p.m. and U.S. Stones (Rolling Stones Tribute Band) from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
The festival will also include a full bar for alcoholic, non-alcoholic and fruit drinks. Attendees will also have the opportunity to take a walk through a marketplace of crafts, arts, select food items and specialty products.
“It’s a phenomenal event. Whereever we have done it before, these events have now become the signature events of the various cities,” Kenney said. “We now have people following us. They support your local community.”
He said they see increases ranging from 15 to 150 percent for local businesses in close proximity to the event.
For more information, visit www.fortmyers-sanibel.com/event/fort-myers-seafood-music-festival-2019/65525.