Bacon, Beer and Seafood Fest in Islamorada Sunday, March 1

Craig McBay welcomed crowds to Florida Keys Brewing Co. in Islamorada on Sunday, March 1, when the brewery and the Islamorada Moose Lodge teamed up to stage a one-day Bacon, Beer & Seafood Fest from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participating vendors came from across the Upper Keys and organizers offered a mini beer fest with more than 30 Florida brews.

Organizers set a suggested entry donation of $5 and provided free parking; a special VIP tasting wristband was available for $40. The festival program included a bacon-eating contest, a cocktail contest and a fish dip contest, and daylong entertainment by the Lower Mat Cats, Coconut Cowboy and the Junkanoo Band. Families attended a slate of activities arranged at the brewery’s beer garden and stage.

The event was presented at the Florida Keys Brewing Co. tap room and beer garden, the venue Craig and Cheryl McBay expanded after Hurricane Irma in 2017 and the pandemic. The McBays bought a new building in 2018 and built a tap room that can double as a concert set, with an outside beer garden and stage that hosts musicians; the brewery employs a staff of 24 and provides work to local performers.

Craig McBay, who serves as president of the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce, framed the festival as part of the brewery’s community role. "We have something so special here, something you can’t get at any other place in town," McBay said about the business and its gatherings. The McBays — Craig, who was born in Burlington, Ontario, and Cheryl, a Conch — also use the brewery platform to support the local economy and cultural life.

Proceeds from the March 1 festival were designated to support local charities and scholarships, organizers said, with the Islamorada Moose Lodge and local chapters and community groups partnering on fundraising. Vendors and brewers from the Upper Keys staffed tasting tables and food booths throughout the day, highlighting bacon-themed dishes and fresh seafood alongside the Florida beer selections.

The Bacon, Beer & Seafood Fest underscored the brewery’s recovery and growth since 2017 and its community focus heading into the spring season. With Craig McBay planning advocacy work in Washington on behalf of the Florida Keys and a continuing schedule of live music and local events at the tap room, the festival served both as a fundraiser and a showcase for Upper Keys makers, bands and small businesses.