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The shrimp boil returns to the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival this weekend. File photo
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A Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival Parade float from the Lions Club heads down Estero Boulevard. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival Parade. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club reported serving 600 pounds of shrimp at the shrimp festival shrimp boil. The locally caught pink gold Gulf shrimp was supplied by Fort Myers Beach shrimp king Erickson & Jensen. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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One of the biggest weekends of the year is on the way for Fort Myers Beach as the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival returns in a big way this Saturday and Sunday with a parade, shrimp boil, 5K run, Queen’s pageant and shrimp-eating contest, among other events.
“It’s a labor of love,” Fort Myers Beach Lions Club President Drew Yelle said. “It’s a source of pride.”
The festival dates back to the 1950’s and aside from some interruptions from covid and Hurricane Ian, has managed to continue on decade after decade. Last year’s festival was the first since before Hurricane Ian in 2022.
This weekend’s festivities will begin at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille with the Yo! Taco Shrimp Run Presented by the Cypress Lake Athletic Department at 9 a.m. Runners will gather in the parking lot of the famed restaurant and then take off up the Matanzas Pass Bridge down Estero Boulevard before turning back around heading back down the bridge to the finish.
The Matanzas Pass Bridge will be closed from 9 a.m. to noon to motorists for the 5K and for the shrimp festival parade which will follow.
The parade starts at 10 a.m. beginning at the Fort Myers Beach Library at 2755 Estero Boulevard and proceed down to the base of the Matanzas Pass Bridge.
“We have a VIP tent at the start of the parade for some of our sponsors,” Yelle said.
After the parade, the action will move downtown to Old San Carlos Boulevard, where the shrimp boil will take place, with half-pound containers of shrimp going for $20 to support the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club, their scholarships and other charitable activities.
The shrimp will be served from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday along Old San Carlos Boulevard and Third Street. An arts and crafts fair of vendors will be going on at those same times nearby out of a parking lot.
The proceeds from the festival go to benefit the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club and their charitable efforts, including college scholarships, vision screenings and surgeries. They also donate to the Dead & Hard of Hearing Services in Florida.
“All of our proceeds goes to the local, state and national charities that we give to,” Yelle said.
Yelle said a big part of the funds raised goes to scholarships. Those looking to apply for a scholarship, have until May 31 to do so through the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club.
“Last year we gave out $15,000 in $1,000 scholarships,” Yelle said. “We hope to give at least this year. Maybe we can double it. We’ll see what we can do.”
The following is a summary of all the events scheduled to take place this Saturday and Sunday.
5K Shrimp Run
The Yo! Taco Shrimp Run 5K presented by Cypress Lake Athletic is scheduled for Saturday, March 7 and will start at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille beginning at 9 a.m.
Runners dressed in shrimp costumes run back up the Matanzas Pass Bridge for the stretch run of the Yo! Taco Shrimp Run 5K presented by the Cypress Lake Athletic Department at the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
The cost to register for the race is $35 in advance or $40 on the day of the event. For complete information on participating in the shrimp run, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/FortMyersBeach/ShrimpRun5kpresentedbyCypressLakeAthleticDepartment.
Parade
The shrimp festival parade gets going at 10 a.m. but if you want to be there and see it you are going to want to get on the island before 9 a.m. The Matanzas Pass Bridge closes at 9 a.m. for the shrimp run and will stay closed until noon when the parade ends. The parade annually features local organizations and businesses, and the shrimp festival princesses ride along on Corvettes. To apply to participate in the parade with a float or with a group, visit https://fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com/event/parade/.
Pink Gold Shrimp Boil
Last year’s boil of wild-caught Gulf shrimp from local shrimp boats and supplier Erickson & Jensen netted more than 400 pounds of shrimp dinner sales, or 800 shrimp boxes. This year, the half-pound shrimp boil dinners will cost $20 and will be served off Old San Carlos Boulevard. They will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club reported serving 600 pounds of shrimp at the shrimp festival shrimp boil. The locally caught pink gold Gulf shrimp was supplied by Fort Myers Beach shrimp king Erickson & Jensen. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
Shrimp boil will be off Old San Carlos Boulevard near Third Street. Shrimp supplied by local shrimp boaters and suppliers Erickson & Jensen. The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club is planning to purchase 800 pounds of shrimp to be served. There will be a beer tent and merchandise being sold. There will be a guide from the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club for the festival with a schedule of events, with a history of the event.
The shrimp boxes include coleslaw and cocktail sauce.
Yelle said the club hopes they will sell more shrimp this year.
Yelle said “we were impressed” with the sales last year, given that it was the first shrimp boil since before Hurricane Ian. Yelle said shrimp sales were about half of what sales were during the festival’s pre-Hurricane Ian peak. Yelle said peak sales used to bring in sales of about 1,000 pounds of shrimp, when the boil was held at Lynn Hall Memorial Park before Hurricane Ian.. Last year’s shrimp boil was the first since before Hurricane Ian in 2022. The shrimp boil was canceled in 2020 due to covid.
Yelle said the Lions Club hopes the shrimp boil can get closer to the levels seen before Hurricane Ian. “We’re hopeful,” Yelle said.
Queen’s pageant
The Queen’s pageant will take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Bayside Veterans Park off Old San Carlos Boulevard and will feature shrimp princesses, sponsored by local businesses, competing for title of shrimp festival queen.
After the pageant, there will be music at Bayside Veterans Park until sunset, Yelle said.
The 2026 Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Queens Pageant princesses are Miss La Ola Lakyn Tilley (left to right), Miss The Whale Kayden Reilly, Miss Wahoo Willie’s Susan Apiricio, Miss Pelican Bay Charters Delayna Jones, 2025 pageant Queen Gracie Stam, Miss Best Western Elora Bays, Miss Erickson & Jensen Olivia Bays, Miss Sea Gypsy Audrina Westland, and Miss LMCU Ava Dadekow. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
The pageant contest got a start this past weekend with the kids shrimp run, in which the pageant contestants attended and assisted with the event. Some of the pageants ran along with some of the children, helping them to the finish line.
Arts and crafts fair
An arts and crafts fair will be held on Saturday and Sunday along Old San Carlos Boulevard from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between First Street and Third Street. Handmade goods, coastal art, beach décor, jewelry, artisan treasures, local creations and shirts will be for sale.
Blessing of the church fleet
The annual tradition of the blessing of the church fleet will take place beginning at 10 a.m. at 1100 Shrimp Boat Lane on San Carlos Island. A church service will start at 10 a.m. followed by the blessing of the fleet at 11 a.m. The Fort Myers Beach shrimp boat fleet was hit hard by Hurricane Ian and is still recovering. Much of the dockage for the shrimp boats was damaged.
Shrimp-eating contest
Closing out the festival will be the shrimp-eating contest sponsored, prepared & hosted by Sandy Bottom’s Bar & Grill. Yelle said there are 10 sponsored contestants lined up to take part in the contest, which starts art 2 p.m.
The cost to enter requires a $500 sponsorship. Applications can be found at
What to know:
Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival schedule of events:
Saturday, March 7
9 a.m. – noon: Matanzas Pass Bridge closed for 5K run and parade
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.: Yo! Taco Shrimp Run presented by Cypress Lake Athletic Department 5K run starts at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, up Matanzas Pass Bridge and along Estero Boulevard
10 a.m. – noon: Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival Parade begins at Fort Myers Beach Library and proceeds along Estero Boulevard down to base of Matanzas Pass Bridge
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Pink golf shrimp boil, $20 for a half-pound of shrimp, at Old San Carlos Boulevard and Third St.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Arts and crafts fair at Old San Carlos Boulevard between First St. and Third St.
1 p.m.: Queens pageant at Bayside Veterans Park, followed by live music to sunset
Sunday, March 8
10 a.m.: Blessing of the shrimp fleet at 1100 Shrimp Boat Lane
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Pink golf shrimp boil, $20 for a half-pound of shrimp, at Old San Carlos Boulevard and Third St.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Arts and crafts fair at Old San Carlos Boulevard between First St. and Third St.
2 p.m. Shrimp-eating contest at Bayside Veterans Park off Old San Carlos Boulevard
For more information on this weekend’s festivities and on how to register for the 5K, visit https://fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com.
Fort Myers Beach Observer Editor Nathan Mayberg can be reached at NMayberg@breezenewspapers.com