Skip to main content

Tag: Cortez festival

Cortez Fishing Festival details forthcoming

Cortez Fishing Festival details forthcoming

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Entertainment, Festivals.

CORTEZ – Mindful of residents’ concerns following damage from hurricanes, FISH board members asked the Cortez community for input before scheduling the February 2025 Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival.

At a Nov. 11 meeting at Star Fish Co. with Cortez residents, the consensus of residents and Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage members was that the annual festival should be held. The two-day festival features music, arts and crafts, fresh seafood and educational activities.

Discussions centered around the impact on the community versus the uplifting effect a festival would have on a community that’s been rebuilding from damage since Hurricane Helene in September.

“There were concerns that the neighborhood might be too overwhelmed, or that it’s too close and there might not be time,” FISH member Karen Bell said. “The thoughts against so far were there’s too much going on right now.”

Some suggested possibly scaling back the festival or changing its configuration to lessen the impact on neighbors.

The two-day festival was rained out for one day in 2024 and was canceled altogether in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival is a fundraiser for maintenance of the FISH Preserve, as well as for multiple community projects.

Details about the size and configuration of the festival will be announced at the FISH board meeting scheduled on Monday, Dec. 2.

Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival canceled

Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival canceled

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Entertainment, Featured, Festivals.

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.