March in the Keys: The Marathon Seafood Festival Turns 50

Every March, the Middle Keys throw the party that the rest of the island chain drives to. This year is a big one: the Marathon Seafood Festival turns 50. Half a century of fishermen cooking what they caught that week.

March is also, no exaggeration, the best weather month of the year down here. Dry season peak, water warming back up, and just enough events to fill every weekend. Here is the plan.

1. 50th Annual Marathon Seafood Festival (Mar 14 to 15)

Marathon Community Park, MM 49. Saturday 10am to 9pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm. Five bucks, kids under 12 free.

This one funds Keys Rotary and a pile of community nonprofits, which is part of why locals treat it as ours. Lobster, stone crab, mahi, conch, all prepared by people who actually know what they are doing, plus 200+ vendors and live music all weekend.

• Local Tip: Go Saturday. The stone crab claws and lobster dishes start selling out by mid-afternoon Sunday, and they do not restock. Park across US-1 and walk over, or ride bikes. The Community Park lot is a mess by noon.
• Bring cash for the food lines. Some booths take cards, some do not, and the ATM line is where good moods go to die.

2. Island Fest in Islamorada (Mar 28 to 29)

Founders Park, MM 87, 10am to 5pm both days. Juried art show, local food booths, live music. All fine. But the real reason to go is the "What Floats Your Boat?" race: homemade vessels of questionable engineering racing across the Founders Park basin. Some float. Some do not. Both outcomes are entertaining.

• Local Tip: Get a spot on the marina seawall before the heats start. The vendor tents are skippable; the art show is not.

3. The Conch Honk (Mar 7)

The 63rd Annual Conch Shell Blowing Contest at the Oldest House Museum gardens, 322 Duval, 10:30am to 2pm. Free, all ages, and exactly what it sounds like: people of all skill levels attempting to coax music out of a conch shell. Kids' categories, group performances, at least one rendition of "Tequila."

It is one of the few Duval-area events that never feels overrun. Bring the grandkids.

4. Taste of Key West (Mon, Mar 23)

Dozens of local restaurants serving small plates with wine and craft beer at Truman Waterfront Park, 6 to 9pm. Note it is a Monday, on purpose, so restaurant staff can actually attend. That is why it feels like an industry night out, and it benefits AH Monroe.

• Local Tip: Eat light beforehand and walk to the far end of the park first. The entrance booths back up fast. And yes, free parking at Truman Waterfront. In Key West. Cherish it.

The March Short List

• Key West Artisan Market at Higgs Beach (Sundays, Mar 15 and 22, 10am to 2pm). Go at 10, then swim after.
• Morada Way Art Walk (Thu, Mar 19, 6 to 9pm). The one weeknight Islamorada reliably feels alive.
• Lobster season ends March 31. This is your last month for fresh-caught lobster until the July mini-season. The seafood festivals know it. Act accordingly.
• Bahia Honda warning: on pretty weekends the park hits capacity and closes its gates by mid-morning. Go early or go weekday.

See you in the stone crab line.