The Florida Food Festivals You Can’t Miss And What To Eat There
Florida knows how to turn a weekend into a celebration.
Here, food is never just food, it is an event.
Across the state, festivals transform small towns and waterfront parks into open-air kitchens.
Strawberry shortcakes, fresh seafood, and local favorites take over entire streets.
Crowds gather, music plays, and the atmosphere feels impossible to rush through.
These Florida food festivals turn ordinary weekends into memories people plan their year around.
1. South Beach Seafood Festival
Ocean Drive meets culinary excellence when South Beach hosts its famous seafood celebration at Ocean Drive & 11400 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139, The festival turns one of America’s most iconic beachfront strips into an open-air dining experience where the ocean breeze carries the scent of grilled fish and sizzling shellfish. Palm trees sway overhead while visitors stroll from booth to booth, building their perfect seafood feast one plate at a time.
Lobster rolls command serious attention here, with chunks of tender lobster meat tucked into buttery toasted buns that drip with flavor. Fish tacos arrive bursting with fresh catches, topped with tangy slaw and creamy sauces that perfectly complement the flaky fish.
Baskets of fried shrimp come golden and crispy, with cocktail sauce on the side for dipping.
The setting makes every bite taste even better—eating world-class seafood while watching waves roll onto shore creates memories that last long after the festival ends. Locals and tourists mingle in the crowd, united by their love of fresh seafood and beautiful weather.
South Beach knows how to party, and this festival showcases the neighborhood at its absolute finest.
2. Florida Strawberry Festival
Plant City transforms into the sweetest destination in Florida every spring when strawberry season hits its peak. The Florida Strawberry Festival at 2209 N Park Rd, Plant City, FL 33563 has been drawing crowds for decades with its legendary celebration of the ruby-red berry.
Visitors walk through gates into a world where strawberries reign supreme, and the air smells like sugar, sunshine, and pure happiness.
The star attraction? Strawberry shortcake served in portions so generous you’ll need both hands to hold it.
Fresh berries get piled onto fluffy cake and topped with mountains of whipped cream that threaten to topple over with every bite. Chocolate-dipped strawberries offer a fancier take, with thick coatings of milk, dark, or white chocolate that snap satisfyingly when you bite through.
Don’t leave without grabbing a strawberry milkshake—thick, creamy, and bursting with real fruit flavor that puts grocery store versions to shame. Lines form early at the most popular booths, but the wait is always worth it.
Families return year after year, making it a tradition that spans generations. The festival proves that sometimes the simplest ingredients create the most memorable moments.
3. St. Augustine Food + Culture Festival
History meets flavor in America’s oldest city when the St. Augustine Food + Culture Festival takes over Historic Downtown St. Augustine, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Cobblestone streets and centuries-old architecture create the perfect backdrop for a celebration that honors both tradition and innovation.
Local restaurants bring their signature dishes to the streets, turning the historic downtown into a massive outdoor dining room where past and present deliciously collide.
Shrimp and grits steal the show, with creamy grits topped with plump Gulf shrimp in rich, savory sauces that warm you from the inside out. Fresh-caught fish arrives grilled, blackened, or fried—each preparation highlighting the quality of Florida’s coastal waters.
Southern comfort dishes round out the menu, with mac and cheese, collard greens, and cornbread that taste like they came straight from grandma’s kitchen.
Walking through the festival feels like stepping back in time while eating cutting-edge cuisine—a combination only St. Augustine can pull off. The city’s Spanish colonial buildings frame every food booth, creating photo opportunities that make your friends jealous on social media.
Chefs chat with guests between orders, sharing stories about their recipes and ingredients with genuine warmth and pride.
4. Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival
Centennial Park at 2000 W 1st St, Fort Myers, FL 33901 becomes the epicenter of coastal flavor when this lively festival rolls into town. The waterfront location puts you right on the Caloosahatchee River, where boats drift by and seagulls circle overhead hoping for dropped french fries.
Live music fills the air while cooking aromas from dozens of vendors create an irresistible invitation to eat your way through Southwest Florida’s best seafood offerings.
Crab cakes arrive golden-brown and packed with jumbo lump crabmeat that needs minimal filler—just pure, sweet crab flavor held together with just enough breadcrumb to keep things together. Fried clams come crispy on the outside and tender within, served with tartar sauce that adds tang without overpowering the delicate shellfish.
Classic fish sandwiches feature flaky white fish on soft buns with lettuce, tomato, and a squeeze of lemon that brightens every bite.
Families spread blankets on the grass between meals, letting kids run around while parents relax and enjoy the waterfront views. The combination of great food and laid-back atmosphere makes this festival feel more like a neighborhood party than a formal event.
Fort Myers knows its seafood, and this festival proudly showcases everything that makes Gulf Coast cuisine special.
5. Englewood Seafood & Music Festival
Small town, massive flavor—that’s the motto at the Englewood Seafood & Music Festival held at 300 N Indiana Ave, Englewood, FL 34223. This Gulf Coast gem punches way above its weight class when it comes to delivering outstanding seafood in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.
The festival takes over the heart of downtown, where local vendors set up shop and visitors discover why Englewood locals have been keeping this culinary secret to themselves for so long.
Coconut shrimp arrives as the perfect marriage of sweet and savory, with plump shrimp encased in crispy coconut breading that crunches with every bite. Grilled grouper showcases Florida’s most prized fish at its simple best—seasoned lightly and cooked to flaky perfection that needs no fancy sauce to shine.
Creamy clam chowder warms you up even on hot days, loaded with tender clams, potatoes, and herbs in a rich broth that begs for crusty bread.
The intimate size of Englewood means you’ll chat with booth owners who caught or cooked the food themselves that morning. No corporate vendors or mass-produced meals here—just honest, delicious seafood prepared by people who truly care about quality.
Visitors often say this smaller festival feels more authentic than the bigger-name events, with better food and friendlier faces at every turn.
6. Port St. Lucie Seafood Festival
The Riverwalk Boardwalk at 600 SE Navy Dr, Port St. Lucie, FL 34984 becomes seafood central during this family-friendly celebration of Florida’s coastal bounty. The festival stretches along the scenic boardwalk where water views enhance every meal and kids can watch boats glide past between bites.
Port St. Lucie designed this event with families in mind, offering plenty of space to spread out, reasonable prices, and menu options that please both adventurous eaters and picky kids alike.
Fish baskets deliver classic comfort food—crispy fried fish fillets served with fries and coleslaw that satisfy even the hungriest festival-goers. Lobster mac and cheese elevates a childhood favorite into something spectacular, with chunks of sweet lobster meat folded into creamy, cheesy pasta that makes adults and kids equally happy.
Fish tacos bring freshness and flavor, with grilled or fried fish tucked into soft tortillas and topped with cabbage, pico de gallo, and zesty sauces.
Stroller-friendly paths and shaded areas make this festival particularly appealing for parents with young children who want great food without the stress of navigating crowded, difficult spaces. The relaxed vibe encourages lingering—grab your food, find a bench overlooking the water, and soak in the Florida sunshine while savoring every delicious bite.
7. South Florida Garlic Fest
Forget vampires—garlic lovers rule at Village Park, 11700 Pierson Rd, Wellington, FL 33414 during the South Florida Garlic Fest. This celebration of the world’s most beloved bulb attracts thousands of people who appreciate bold flavors and aren’t afraid to smell like garlic for a day or two afterward.
Every dish features garlic in creative, delicious ways that prove this humble ingredient deserves its own festival and then some.
Garlic burgers arrive stacked high with patties seasoned inside and out with roasted garlic, topped with garlic aioli that adds creamy richness to every bite. Garlic fries come golden and crispy, tossed with minced garlic, parsley, and parmesan cheese that creates an addictive combination impossible to stop eating.
Garlic shrimp showcases how garlic enhances seafood, with plump shrimp sautéed in butter and enough garlic to make your taste buds dance.
The festival embraces its quirky theme wholeheartedly, with garlic-themed decorations, contests, and even garlic ice cream for the truly adventurous. Vendors experiment with garlic in unexpected ways—garlic bread pudding, garlic chocolate, garlic lemonade—proving that this aromatic ingredient has far more versatility than most people realize.
Wellington becomes garlic paradise for one incredible weekend, and fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
8. Florida Seafood Festival
Apalachicola becomes the heart of old-school Florida flavor when the Florida Seafood Festival takes over Battery Park at 56 12th St, Apalachicola, FL 32320. This is one of the oldest seafood festivals in the state, and it feels like stepping into a living postcard of coastal tradition where fishing boats, weathered docks, and family recipes come together in perfect harmony.
This is not a flashy, trendy event. It is a working-waterfront celebration where the food tells the real story of Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Oysters are the undisputed stars. Served raw, fried, or baked, they arrive impossibly fresh, tasting like pure sea air with every bite.
Locals swear by the fried oyster baskets, where plump oysters come lightly breaded and golden, never greasy, and finished with a squeeze of lemon.
Smoked mullet is another must-try. Rich, tender, and deeply flavorful, it reflects generations of Panhandle seafood tradition.
Shrimp gumbo, crab claws, and seafood chowder round out plates that feel more like home cooking than festival food.
The small-town setting makes everything more personal. Fishermen, cooks, and families mingle freely, and many vendors are serving recipes passed down through generations.
This festival is Florida seafood in its purest form, honest, fresh, and deeply rooted in place.