Destin Prepares for 38th Annual Seafood Festival

DESTIN, Fla. - Sept. 13, 2016 - PRLog -- The Emerald Coast is popular for world class quality fishing along the Gulf of Mexico with the small city of Destin being known as "The World's Luckiest Fishing Village". The Destin Fishing Rodeo is an annual event that was originally started to extend the tourist season in Northwest Florida. This year's rodeo will be held throughout the month of October with daily weigh-ins behind AJ's Seafood and Oyster Bar. On Friday, November 4^th, awards will be given to the rodeo winners.

The annual Seafood Festival was started by the Destin Charter Boat Association to celebrate the heritage of the Destin Harbor and bring more attention to the area during the fishing rodeo. The much anticipated festival is set to take place Friday, September 30^th through Sunday, October 2^nd. Friday night, the festival will kick off with a fireworks display over the harbor.

Each year, more vendors join the festival to provide a greater selection of fresh local seafood and arts and crafts. Fifteen local restaurants will be providing festival food this year including Crab Island Cantina, Jackacudas Seafood & Sushi, and the Big Red Truck.

Live music will be enjoyed all weekend on three different stages along the harbor. Music of several different genres can be heard each day starting in the afternoon. Among this year's lineup are The Okaloosa Sound, Heritage, Déjà vu, and Forrest Williams Band.

There will be fun for the whole family with three separate Kids' Zones with activities such as rock climbing, hamster balls, and even a petting zoo. The popular Mingo Toss is held each year for kids up to twelve years old with certificates and awards given in all age categories. To enjoy the full weekend of events, overnight accommodations can be made at Destin vacation rentals near the festival. The Seafood Festival is free to the public with donations accepted at select tents during the event.