Everglades Seafood Festival underway in Everglades City

The Everglades Seafood Festival is kicking off in Everglades City. The best part is that all of the money raised goes right back into the community.

The funds will be used to support commercial fishers as that industry continues to struggle. Another portion of the funds will go to schools to pay for books and uniforms.

And all of the seafood served is local straight from the gulf. There’s shrimp, crab cakes and stone crabs, or anything else you can think of.

The estimated population of Everglades City is 500 people. Many just drive by on their way to or as they get back from Miami. But, from February 11-13, Everglades City is the destination.

Holly Dudley is one of the directors of the Florida Stone Crab Association and the Everglades City Seafood Festival. “A good year, we usually have 60,000,” said Dudley.

Carrie Doxsee is another Florida Stone Crab Association director and the Everglades City Seafood Festival. “Stone crabbing actually started in Everglades City, so that’s why it’s the self-proclaimed stone crabbing capital of the world,” said Doxsee.

This year the Florida Stone Crabber’s Association took over the festival to bring the emphasis back to being local.

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