PORT SAINT JOE, Fla. (WMBB) – It’s the peak of scallop season over in Gulf County, and what better way to celebrate than with the 16th annual Scallop Festival.
Over a thousand people showed up to enjoy the live music, many vendors, and of course scallops.
The height of scallop season is always a cause for celebration over in Gulf County.
The 2023 Florida Scallop, Music, and Arts Festival is a two-day event held at George Core Park that always draws a crowd.
Only $20 for a two-day pass gives you access to tons of vendors and live music.
“We are here celebrating the fact that we actually can harvest the scallops out of our bay and actually consume them. So that’s really why we have this festival,” said Gulf County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Joe Whitmer.
Whitmer estimates that over 3,000 people will be attending the festival.
It rained during day one of the festival on Saturday, so more people decided to attend the second day.
“We’ve just been visiting the area, enjoying the festival. And we knew it rained yesterday, so we definitely want to support him today,” said Attendee Peggy Neff.
Many of the people who attended the 16th annual festival are returners and plan on coming back for next year.
They say it’s gotten a lot bigger, and the weather has been much better since last year.
“It’s definitely grown and it’s cooler. Last year was really hot, so. Yeah, I’m appreciating that. So it’s fun, though. Get the weather right. You’re good to go,” said Neff.
The event director says that this year’s scallop festival was quite a success and he’s looking forward to next year.
“This event is put on by the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce. And we want to thank all of our sponsors that put this event on and thank everyone for coming out,” said Whitmer.
The 17th annual Florida Scallop, Music and Arts Festival will be held at the same time next year during Labor Day weekend.
