Life in the Florida Keys includes amazing food and drink. Our warm climate means year-round access to incredible, fresh seafood, locally grown produce, and finely crafted beers and wine. January in the Florida Keys is food and drink festival time. You can savor the tastes and enjoy a great festive atmosphere at three popular Florida Keys festivals; Key Largo Brew on the Bay, Florida Keys Uncorked Food & Wine Festival, and the Florida Keys Seafood Festival.
What better way to start off the new year than with a celebration of tasty brews! At the Key Largo Brew on the Bay Festival, you can taste over 50 craft brews. A special competition of home brewers begins the festival on Friday, January 6th. Held at the Key Largo Lion’s Club, you can sample from 4 categories of tasty suds: Light & Easy, Middle of the Road, Big and Bold, and All Hopped Up. There will be a People’s Choice and Best of Show award given. Brew on the Bay concludes on day two, Saturday, January 7th at Rowell’s Waterfront Park. New this year is a seafood court, pairing up delicious tastes to go along with your favorite brews. Of special note, this is a 21-and-over-only event, and no pets are allowed.
For an incredible 11 days, from January 5th – 15th, you can check out some of the best wines and culinary delights available in the Florida Keys at the Uncorked Wine & Food Festival. Restaurants throughout Key Largo and Islamorada will be featuring special pairings for the festival. This is a highly popular event, so reservations are a must. There will be live entertainment, art and wine shows, cooking demonstrations, wine dinner events, wine pairing classes, and more. The pinnacle of the festival occurs on Saturday, January 14th during the Grand Tasting in Islamorada. This is where participating restaurants can really shine with their unique and distinctive culinary creations alongside some of the best wines and spirits from the region, the nation, and the world.
If we know anything in the Florida Keys, it is seafood. It’s time once again for the Florida Keys Seafood Festival, coming up Saturday January 14th – Sunday January 15th at Bayview Park in Key West. This family-friendly event brings the best local seafood caught and prepared by the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association. From grilled lobster to Stone Crab claws, Key West Shrimp, fried fish, conch fritters and more, festival goers can experience firsthand what makes this region so special when it comes to seafood. There will be live music and kids’ activities as well; a weekend of fun for the entire family.
The Florida Keys has a lot to offer when it comes to food and drink. January is a great time to experience all of them together during these popular annual festivals. I hope you can enjoy one or all of them, and discover for yourself just how special this piece of paradise is. If you are ready to enjoy life in the Florida Keys year-round, or want to buy or sell a home in the Key West area, please contact me, Jimmy Lane, for all of your real estate needs.