Florida Keys Seafood Festival Cancelled Due to Covid

The Board of Directors of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen has voted unanimously to cancel their only fundraiser. The 11th Annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival was scheduled for January 16-17, 2021 (Martin Luther King weekend) at the Truman Waterfront in Key West.

Executive Director, Captain Bill Kelly said the primary concern is protecting the health and welfare of the fishermen and their families who catch, clean, cook and serve the food, the guests, patrons and all others connected with the event. In addition, the City of Key West has canceled all events originally scheduled through the end of this year and is currently not accepting permit applications for any events to be hosted on city property in 2021. Captain Kelly explained of the difficult decision, “Large-scale, food events of this type require plenty of lead time, food ordering, advance deposits and countless hours of preparation. Therefore, in the best interests of all, the January event is officially canceled.” He is cautiously hopeful a seafood celebration could still take place in 2021.  “As fishermen, we are forever optimistic and hope the pandemic will run its course in due time”, he said. ” Should that happen, we will consider conducting a seafood festival later in the year.” 

Proceeds from the festival benefit the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association important work in supporting sustainable fishing programs, marine restoration projects, consumer education and scholarships for college-bound students from Key Largo to Key West. For more information or to make a donation visit https://www.fkcfa.org/

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