FERNANDINA CELEBRATES
ITS ROOTS WITH
shrimp festival
by KELLY H. MCDERMOTT
All photos by Kimberly Kappel
There’s nothing fishy about the huge economic impact of the
annual Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival at Fernandina Beach.
The 51st annual event was held this year on May 1 through 3.
The festival started as an annual spring shrimp boat race and
has grown to a regional event including food, a parade, a pirate
invasion, entertainment, arts and crafts and — of course —
shrimp boats.
This year’s event included a lively “Fresh from Florida” and
“Georgia Grown” cooking demonstration with celebrity chefs
22 June - July 2015 | First Coast Register
Justin Timineri and Holly Chute, and plenty of food vendors
showing off a variety of ways to prepare and serve fresh local
seafood.
Events this year also included a Miss Shrimp Festival 2015
Scholarship Pageant, a community pirate parade, the 48th
annual Topsy Smith Memorial Beard Contest, best pirate
contest, Cold Stone Creamery ice cream eating contest and
fireworks.
For more, visit www.shrimpfestival.com