Be a Pirate at the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival

The Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival is one of many shrimp festivals in the area of northeast Florida and southeast Georgia - but it is one not to be missed! Formally entitled the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival, you'll feel more like a local if you just stick to calling it the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival. Either way, you'll enjoy it.

Mark Your Calendar for the Shrimp Festival

You can mark your calendar early for the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival. It is always held on the first weekend of May each year. A three day event, the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival offers something for everyone.

Where is Fernandina Beach, Florida?

Fernandina Beach, Florida is located on Amelia Island in northeastern Florida, just north of Jacksonville and just south of the Georgia border. Fernandina Beach is a quaint little town of Victorian houses, interesting shops, and good restaurants. It is a great place to visit any time of the year, but if you can plan a trip during the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival, all the better.

Pirates and Treasure and Shrimp, Oh My!

One thing you should be aware of when coming to the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival, the pirates and art show treasures outdo the shrimp. If you enjoy a fine art and craft show where over 300 vendors have been "juried in" to the festival, you will love the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival.

The variety and quality of the art and crafts will not disappoint. The Island Art Association organizes the arts and crafts for the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival and they do an excellent job. Sculpture, painting, jewelry, and ceramics are highlights of the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival but you can also be sure that crafts to delight the kids will have been handmade with loving care.

The arts and crafts are available for viewing on Saturday and Sunday and line the main street of Fernandina Beach as well as many of the downtown side streets. Don't be surprised to run into a plundering pirate or two while wandering the arts and crafts booths. The pirates are a great part of the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival and after invading Fernandina Beach on Friday evening, the pirates turn friendly and wander the town in full costume during the remainder of the shrimp festival - to the delight of tourists and locals alike.

Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival Food

Yes, this is the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival but, to be honest, the shrimp take a back seat to the arts and crafts and other activities. IF fried shrimp is your favorite, you will have many variations to select. Most food booths are run by local charities or sports and band boosters, so select your favorite program to support. There are other selections, such as fried fish, gumbo, hamburgers, and the usual funnel cake festival fare to choose from, as well.

Up to now, the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival hasn't provided much unusual or different to choose from in the food department. And as you walk the festival looking at the quality of the arts and crafts and the general beauty of the downtown and waterfront, you will find yourself wondering if the food vendor offerings couldn't be just a little more "up-scale." Hopefully, the food offerings will eventually include more inventive seafood dishes. In the meantime, if none of the street vendors tempt you, the fine restaurants of the Fernandina Beach downtown area remain open during the festival, too.

Other Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival Activities

In addition to the food and arts and crafts, you can catch the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival parade on Thursday evening, the invasion of the pirates and fireworks on Friday evening, and a Blessing of the Fleet and a watercraft parade on Sunday afternoon.

For the kids, the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival includes a family activity area, a touch tank and shrimp aquarium, and an excellent tour of a shrimp boat provided by the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service.

There is also musical entertainment along the waterfront (especially notable in recent years have been Instant Groove, Rock and Pop Masters, and the Swinging Medallions), and an area of antiques in additional to the arts and crafts.

Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival Tips

Before you arrive at the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival, just like the pirates, you should plan your attack. Study the festival schedule to determine what you are interested in doing. People roll in early for the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival. If you don't want to sit in traffic on Saturday morning, plan to arrive at least an hour before the craft show begins at 9 a.m. You can have breakfast at St. Peter's Episcopal Church while you wait for the craft booths to open.

If you are unfamiliar with Fernandina Beach, print and study the map of downtown and the parking maps available on the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival web page. You need to decide whether you wish to park in a walking lot or a lot with a shuttle. There is a charge for most of the parking.

If you aren't interested in the arts and crafts, look for a parking lot that is closest to the waterfront where the musical entertainment and most of the food vendors are located.

If you want to party with the pirates and enjoy the food vendors you have to do it on Friday evening. The food vendors for the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival are only open during the evening on Friday night (6-10 p.m.).

The Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival does not have any planned activities after 7 p.m. on Saturday evening. You'll have to party with the pirates in one of the many Fernandina Beach bars and restaurants on Saturday.

If you visit the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival during the day, you might want to carry water with you. It can get very hot, and there is not a lot of shade available near the music or food vendors. Wear a hat, cool clothing, and use sunscreen!

Above all, feel free to dress like a pirate. You'll have plenty of company!

Comparing the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival

The Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival is different from the other large shrimp festival in the area, the Darien, Georgia Blessing of the Fleet. The Darien Blessing of the Fleet has a much more small town feel to it. There is more emphasis on the food, the music, and the blessing of the fleet at the Darien festival. The Darien Blessing of the Fleet has a small area of around 30 excellent arts and craft vendors but they are not a primary focus of the festival. The Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival places a much larger focus on the artists.

Both the Darien Blessing of the Fleet (in April) and the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival in May are local festivals that you should make an effort to attend.

The Fernandina Beach Shrimp Festival is definitely the premier event for May.