Key West Hosts 20th Annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival Feb 14-15

The 20th Annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival opened Feb 14 at Truman Waterfront Park in Key West and runs through Feb 15, drawing crowds with $10 general admission for adults and free entry for children under 12. Festival organizers advertise two days of fresh, local seafood, live music and family activities, and the event page includes a chance to win “$250 worth of Florida Keys seafood shipped straight to your door.”

Vendors at the waterfront are serving a catalogue of Keys staples: fried fish and shrimp baskets, grilled spiny lobster platters, stone crab claws, peel-and-eat Key West pink shrimp, smoked fish dip, lobster bisque, Bahamian conch chowder, conch ceviche and conch fritters. The festival’s menu copy also notes hot dogs and hamburgers, a special Valentine’s Day dessert selection, and beverages including beer, wine, rumaritas, rum runners, frozen rum cocktails, soda, water and coffee.

Music and programming are staged “live from the waterfront,” with festival materials promising performances all day long and a mix of local bands, cultural acts and family-friendly shows. Children’s programming includes a hands-on Eco Discovery Zone where kids can explore environmental activities on site, and rows of vendor tents feature island-inspired art and unique island crafts for sale. The festival page invites visitors to “VIEW THE SCHEDULE” for daily performance times and additional programming details.

Proceeds from the event are directed to local industry and education efforts: the festival’s official materials state it “directly supports the mission of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association (FKCFA),” and regional promotion adds that “Best of all, every bite supports sustainable fisheries and youth scholarships in the Keys.” Organizers present the festival as both a showcase of locally caught seafood and a fundraiser for the Keys’ commercial fishing community.

The seafood festival sits amid a busy Key West winter festival season. The Key West Art & Craft Festival is scheduled for Feb 21–22 at Truman Waterfront Park and is associated with the Key West Art Center, while the Key West Museum of Art & History will open Celebrating Conch Cuisine with a free reception on Feb 27; that exhibit will remain on view through Jan 3, 2027 and is described as blending interactive displays, rare artifacts and immersive storytelling about Indigenous, Afro-Caribbean, Cuban, Bahamian and maritime influences. In the Upper Keys, the Tavernier Garden Walk runs Feb 28 with self-guided visits from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and an art show and garden market at the Francis Tracy Garden Center.

Tickets for the Seafood Festival are being sold through the event’s ticket portal and promotional pages, which display “BUY TICKETS” and schedule links; festival materials emphasize family access with the $10 adult admission and free entry for children under 12. For those who missed opening day, the second day of the 20th Annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival continues at Truman Waterfront Park today with music, seafood booths and the Eco Discovery Zone active on site.