CORTEZ – The stone crab harvest season was celebrated under sunny skies at the two-day 11th Annual Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival.
Held on Nov. 11-12 at the Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar parking area, the festival typically draws more than 5,000 attendees with more than 2,000 pounds of stone crab consumed.
Live music, local seafood, crafts and a kid’s zone were featured.
“The festival celebrates the heritage of Cortez and the kickoff to stone crab season,” said Adam Sears, general manager of Swordfish Grill.
This year’s theme was “Crack a Cold One” since stone crab claws are served cracked and cold.
Stone crab season runs from Oct. 15 to May 1. Stone crabs are harvested for their claws and then returned to the water, where the claws will regenerate.
The festival was the brainchild of John Banyas, a fourth-generation fisherman from Cortez and owner of the Swordfish Grill, Cortez Kitchen, Cortez Bait and Seafood Inc., and N.E. Taylor Boatworks – named for Banyas’ grandfather.
The Cortez Kitchen is closed for renovations and is expected to be open around the end of November, but during the festival, the space was used for festivalgoers to enjoy Rum Nuts coconut-filled rum drinks.
Saturday’s music lineup on the festival main stage was Mikey Silbaugh of Concrete Edgar, Mushroom Soup, Uncle John’s Band and Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones. On the Swordfish Grill Tiki Deck, the Saturday music line-up was Ted Stevens, the Stockton Brothers and Tim Chandler.
The festival’s main stage music lineup on Sunday was Ted Stevens and the Doo-Shots, Berry Oakley and Friends, Twinkle and Rock Soul Radio and Trever Bystrom’s RX featuring Zion Albert. On Sunday, playing at the Swordfish Grill Tiki Deck were Taylor Opie, the Billy Rice Trio and Steel Vibes.
The festival has a charitable component. All proceeds from draft beer sales will benefit the non-profit Blessing Bags Project. The Bradenton-based organization is dedicated to providing basic critical needs to the homeless and less fortunate. Blessing Bags volunteers manned the draft beer area.
“Big Storm Brewery is graciously donating the beer trailer,” Sears said.
Parking was available at the FISH (Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage) Preserve, adjacent to the festival and was manned by FISH volunteers. Parking proceeds benefited the non-profit FISH.
Festival sponsors were Anna Maria Banana Boat Rides, A. Shadow Designs, Big Storm Brewery, Blenker Boat Works and Marina, Cortez Bait and Seafood, Florida Fishing Fleet, Fun Boat Tours, Visit Gulf Islands of Manatee County, N.E. Taylor Boatworks, The Suncoast Post, Sande Caplin and Associates, Swordfish Grill, The Anchor Inn, Wieffenbach and Reinhart Law, Wine Bow, Ameris Bank, Anderson Dock and Seawall, Duncan Real Estate, Junk-it-away, Spectrum Reach and Taylor High Pressure Washing
