The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival’s Kids Shrimp Run takes off this Saturday on the beach near Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. File photo
The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival gets going this Saturday with the annual one-mile kids shrimp run on the beach.
The race will take place on the beach behind Crescent Beach Family Park beginning at 8:30 a.m. Registration is free and starts at 7 a.m.
The one-mile race starts near Crescent Beach Family Park, with runners heading a half-mile south and then returning back for the finish.
Online registration and more information about the race is available at https://fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com/event/kids-shrimp-run/.
The first 100 runners who sign up will get a free T-shirt and a free lunch at the awards ceremony that follows. The awards ceremony will follow the race at 10 a.m. at the Sunset Terrace, at Margaritaville Beach Resort nearby. The Bird Gardens of Naples and the Suncoast Pirates will be providing entertainment. Lunch will be provided at 11 a.m. to participants.
The kids shrimp run is the preamble to the main event the following weekend when the shrimp festival 5K, parade, shrimp boil, queen’s pageant and shrimp-eating contest all take place.
5K
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.
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 supplier Erickson & Jensen netted more than 400 pounds of shrimp dinner sales. 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.
Fort Myers Beach Lions Club President Drew Yelle said “we were impressed” with the sales last year, though they 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.
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.
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 https://fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com/event/shrimp-eating-contest/
Where the money goes
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.
“It’s a labor of love,” Yelle said. “It’s a source of pride.”