My Trip Down to the Fort Myers Seafood Festival
Okay, so I decided to head down to the Fort Myers Seafood Festival over the weekend. Heard about it from a buddy, figured it might be a decent way to spend a Saturday. Wasn’t expecting anything too crazy, just some sun and hopefully some good seafood.
Got in the car around mid-morning. The drive down wasn’t too bad, a little traffic getting closer to the downtown area, which you kind of expect. Finding parking, though? That took a bit. Circled around a few blocks before I snagged a spot that wasn’t a mile away. Paid for parking, of course. Always gotta pay.
Walked over to where the festival was set up. You could smell the cooking right away – mostly fried stuff and grilling smoke. Lots of tents lined up, selling all sorts of seafood dishes. Tons of people milling about already. It had that typical festival vibe, you know? Music playing somewhere off in the distance, families, couples, everyone just wandering.
Checking Out the Food Stalls
My main goal was simple: eat some seafood. Started walking the rows, checking out what everyone was offering. Saw the usual suspects:
- Fried shrimp
- Grouper sandwiches
- Crab cakes
- Oysters
- Some paella thing in a giant pan
Lots of options, really. Prices seemed… well, festival prices. You know how it is. You pay a bit extra for the convenience and the atmosphere, I guess.
I decided to grab a grouper sandwich first. Found a stall that looked popular, figured that was a good sign. Stood in line for maybe 10 minutes. Got my sandwich, found a patch of grass nearby to sit down and eat. It was decent. The fish was cooked okay, bun was standard. Nothing mind-blowing, but it hit the spot.
Washed it down with a lemonade I bought from another vendor. That stuff’s always overpriced, but it was hot out, so what are you gonna do?
Wandering and Wrapping Up
After eating, I just walked around some more. Checked out some of the craft tents they had mixed in, but wasn’t really looking to buy anything. Mostly just people-watching and seeing the different food setups. Saw some guys shucking oysters right there – that looked pretty fresh, gotta admit. Thought about getting some, but the line was long again.
It definitely got more crowded as the day went on, especially around lunchtime. Moving through the main walkways got a bit tight. Stayed for maybe another hour or so after I ate, just soaking it in.
Overall thoughts? It was alright. A pretty standard Florida seafood festival. Got out of the house, walked around in the sun, ate some okay fish. Didn’t blow my socks off, but it passed the time. Glad I checked it out, but probably won’t be rushing back next year unless I happen to be in the area with nothing else going on. Just another day, really.
