CORTEZ – The 12th annual Cortez Stone Crab & Music Festival is canceled this year due to the impacts of recent hurricanes.
The festival was scheduled for Nov. 9 and 10. It’s a Cortez tradition that celebrates the start of the stone crab harvest season. It typically draws more than 5,000 attendees to the Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar parking area and features live music, crafts and local seafood.
The cancelation was announced in an Oct. 14 post on The Cortez Stone Crab & Music Festival Facebook page.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Stone Crab & Music Festival due to the impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. After assessing the damage and prioritizing the safety and recovery of our community, we realized this was the best course of action.”
Cortez homes flooded during the storm surge from Hurricane Helene and many suffered further damage from the high winds of Hurricane Milton.
The organizers said the decision was not made lightly.
“We appreciate the understanding and support of our loyal attendees, vendors and sponsors during this challenging time,” the post stated.
Emails have been sent to art, food and beverage vendors.
“Thank you for your continued support of the Cortez community. We look forward to bringing back the festival better and stronger next year,” according to the Facebook post.
