47th annual Destin Seafood Festival is Sept. 26-28 on Destin harbor
Last year it was almost interrupted by a hurricane, but the Destin Seafood Festival went on as planned.
And plans have been in the works for months for the 47th annual festival set for Sept. 26-28 along Destin harbor.
In years past, the seafood festival was held the first weekend of October to help kick off the Destin Fishing Rodeo.
The festival still helps to kick off the Rodeo, but just a few days earlier.
More than 35,000 people came out over the weekend for the 46th annual Destin Seafood Festival. The weather was perfect for all three days of the event that stretched from HarborWalk Village all the way to Heron Harbor.
“We kept it at the end of September because of the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the fishing industry, specifically the charter boat captains who directly benefit from the Destin Seafood Festival,” event director Cali Hlavac said.
The seafood festival has always been a fundraiser for the Destin Charter Boat Association.
“As soon as the Rodeo starts on Oct. 1, those captains are out on the water fishing. They are rarely able to truly attend and enjoy the festival,” she said.
Last year, several captains were spotted at the festival with their families.
“We even had several volunteer their time to help with set up and tear down,” Hlavac said.
The festival, which is free, kicks off Friday as usual from 4 to 10 p.m., then runs from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturday, and wraps up on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
The festival covers about a mile stretch along the harbor from HarborWalk Village on the west end to Heron Harbor on the east.
Food and merchandise vendors will be spread out from one end to the other for the festival.
“We have almost 100 vendors secured, and have room for just a handful more,” Hlavac said.
Vendors range from food trucks and tents, to sunglasses, apparel, artists, jewelry, E-bikes and more.
“There will be so many cool things happening at this year’s event,” Hlavac said.
Although entry into the festival is free, attendees do need a ticket to get into the VIP area.
The VIP area is a smaller area located in the East Pass Marina parking lot between Brotula’s and The Boathouse.
It is described on the festival website as a “local seafood festival inside the larger Destin Seafood Festival.”
In the VIP area, local chefs/restaurants will prepare signature dishes for the attendees to sample.
Eliza Atwell of Destin gives the hula hoop a try in the Kids Zone at the Destin Seafood Festival on Sunday afternoon.
Right now, they have 10 local restaurants participating. The chefs will compete for a $2,500 cash prize and attendees will get a chance to sample and vote on their favorites.
The VIP gates are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 27 and Sept. 28.
Tickets are $65 for adults on Saturday, $75 for adults on Sunday, $20 for kids. The tickets are valid for “in and out entry” from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
“This year we also have TikTok influencer and Cajun TwoStep founder Stalekracker joining us on the VIP stage where he will cook live like he is known for," Hlavac said, noting he will stick around for a meet and greet on Sunday.
There will also be music played on nearly a half dozen stages throughout the festival area, such as HarborWalk Village, The Boathouse Oyster Bar, The Skybar at The Edge and Heron Harbor.
Parking will be available across from Destin harbor at the Marler Street Parking Lot, or next to Harbor Tavern in the Heron Harbor parking lot or at HarborWalk Village.
The festival also offers a free shuttle service from the Morgan Sports Complex to the harbor each day of the festival. The shuttle will run from 5:45 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. on Sept. 26; noon to 10:45 p.m. on Sept. 27; and noon to 6:45 p.m. on Sept. 28.
