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.
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.
More than 2,000 pounds of stone crab claws are sold at the Cortez Stone Crab Festival each year. – Leslie Lake | SunThis youngster rode the shark at the Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival. – Leslie Lake | Sun
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.
The 11th Annual Cortez Stone Crab Festival theme was “Crack A Cold One.” – Leslie Lake | SunLance Plowman prepares coconuts for the Cortez Curse Rum Nuts drinks. – Leslie Lake | Sun
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.
Fresh stone crabs were the stars of the Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival. – Joe Hendricks | SunJosh Calvert cracked and served the fresh stone crabs, as he’s done at every Cortez Stone Crab Festival since the festival began. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
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.
Cortez Kitchen is scheduled to reopen soon. The space was used at the Cortez Stone Crab Festival to serve Cortez Curse Rum Nuts rum coconut drinks. – Leslie Lake | SunJeff and Summer served “Rum Nuts” cocktails inside the renovated Cortez Kitchen. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
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.
RJ Howson played with Berry Oakley & Friends. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
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.
Folks stood in line Sunday afternoon to get a serving of fresh stone crabs. – Joe Hendricks | SunA large tent provided attendees with a shaded area to eat, drink and listen to the live music. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
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.
Shoppers perused the arts and crafts offerings at the Cortez Stone Crab Festival. – Leslie Lake | SunArtist Mike Parrott displays his paintings for sale at the Cortez Stone Crab Festival. – Leslie Lake | Sun
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
