---
title: "Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/e15257c2-ef59-483b-93f6-26568e12146d
source_url: "https://ameliaislandliving.com/fernandinabeach/isle-of-8-flags-shrimp-festival/"
stack: https://stacklist.com/c/events/stack/2b226a32-9b42-4bd7-a346-ec46cac7dbe5
summary: "The Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival is Fernandina's 61st annual celebration held May 1-3, 2026, featuring free concerts, a fine arts show, food vendors serving local wild-caught shrimp, fireworks (replaced by a drone light show due to a burn ban), and a kids fun zone. The festival, which began in 1964 to celebrate the blessing of the shrimp fleet, also includes a popular parade on Thursday evening with over 100 entrants and a Miss Shrimp Festival Scholarship Pageant."
tags: "shrimp-festival, fernandina, amelia-island, community-event, parade, seafood, florida"
key_entities: "Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival (event), Fernandina (location), Amelia Island (location), Nassau County, FL (location), Fernandina Pirates Club (organization), The Swingin' Medallions (organization), H&S Shrimp (organization), Adams Shrimp (organization), Miss Shrimp Festival Scholarship Pageant (event), Fernandina Harbor Marina (location)"
classification: "reference"
content_hash: "sha256:a81ded9a268fcfbc9655183651d0cdd75ce95e46511240bb81173fd5fe9c79e7"
acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 1767
visibility: public
agent_accessible: true
status: "final"
---

# Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival

Fernandina’s Popular Shrimp Festival — May 1-3, 2026 The Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival has something fun for everyone. Always held the first weekend in May, this Victorian-era seaport is celebrating its 61st annual event. The dates in 2026 are Friday, May 1st through Sunday, May 3rd, with the Shrimp Fest Parade on Thursday evening, April 30, 2026 starting at 6 p.m.. This year’s red, white and blue parade theme in 2026 is “Stars and Shrimps Forever” celebrating America’s 250th birthday and Fernandina’s local shrimping industry heritage. Fernandina is known as “birthplace of the modern shrimping industry in America.” The Festival began back in 1964 to celebrate the blessing of the shrimp fleet and featured shrimp boat races (and was formally called the “Shrimp Boat Festival” ). Shrimp Festival Highlights — An Overview Entry is free admission to the Shrimp Festival area all days to walk around, browse vendor booths, and watch stage entertainment. A big crowd-pleaser, the FIREWORKS display happens opening night of the Shrimp Festival on Friday at Fernandina’s downtown riverfront, scheduled for 9:30 p.m. on May 1, 2026. Just before the fireworks, watch the “pirate invasion” at 9:15 p.m. ** UPDATE: Due to extreme drought conditions and a Nassau County, FL burn ban, the Shrimp Festival announced Friday night fireworks to be replaced by a drone light show in the night sky on May 1st. ** Various FREE CONCERTS are performed on the riverfront stage. A long-time favorite band, an annual tradition playing at Shrimp Fest, is the Sunday performance by “the party band of the South,” The Swingin’ Medallions (happening this year on May 3, 2026 starting at 3:30 p.m. ). Families with younger children enjoy the KIDS FUN ZONE (ticket purchases for rides/concessions required). A main feature of Shrimp Festival is the huge FINE ARTS SHOW , with a wide array of unique artwork for sale. Not to be forgotten are the FESTIVAL FOOD booths (purchase required), many featuring shrimp prepared various way plus other festival favorites. “Shrimp Pie” food vendor, a popular place to get a bite at Fernandina’s annual Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival. (FIle photo, AmeliaIslandLiving.com archives May 2019) “Food booths and trucks serving  local, wild-caught shrimp  will have a banner to clearly and proudly identify them. Local shrimp will be provided by H&S Shrimp and Adams Shrimp,” according to Festival officials. For more info about the food vendors this year, see the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival website. Fernandina’s Biggest & Most Popular Annual Parade Fernandina’s festival experience wouldn’t be complete without its big SHRIMP FEST PARADE . Attracting thousands who line the parade route, it features the Fernandina Pirates Club in their ship, intermittently firing the cannon. This parade typically has 100 or so entrants including marching bands, themed floats, dancers, gymnasts and many local businesses and organizations participate. For some, especially locals, the parade itself is the favorite activity of this annual Festival. During the Festival, shrimp boats are docked at the city’s Fernandina Harbor Marina downtown along the riverfront. One of the traditions of the Festival is the “Best Decorated Shrimp Boat” contest. Originally Held To Celebrate Blessing of Shrimp Fleet As noted above, the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival has a long history in Fernandina. The Festival began back in 1964 to celebrate the blessing of the shrimp fleet. Take a look below at old photos courtesy of the “Florida Memory” archives, dated 1971. (On left Fernandina shrimp boat race, on right blessing of shrimp boat Golden Isle.) An annual tradition, the “Miss Shrimp Festival Scholarship Pageant” is open to high school level juniors and seniors who live in Nassau County. The pageant contestants will be on the riverfront stage Friday evening, May 1, 2026 at 6:00 p.m . (with the crowning of Miss Shrimp Festival 2026 later in the evening at 7:30 p.m.). There are also several contests during the Festival including ice cream eating, best dressed pirate and a beard contest. Fine Arts & Crafts Show A main feature of the Shrimp Festival is the huge juried art show administered by the Amelia Island Art Association . Fernandina’s downtown historic district is lined with hundreds of booths for art lovers to browse. Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival (file photo, AmeliaIslandLiving.com) Vintage & Antiques, Collectibles Show Besides the fine arts and crafts booths, the vintage/antiques vendors offer additional booths to browse. Combined with the fine arts show, the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival offers an opportunity to shop for unique art, items for your home, your wardrobe, or special gifts. Food Booths At Shrimp Festival Also for purchase, of course, is shrimp prepared various ways including popular fried shrimp, shrimp boils and shrimp pie. The food booths are non-profits including area schools, churches and organizations such as the Amelia Island Museum of History . The annual Shrimp Festival is an important fundraising event for local area non-profits. Shrimp Festival Food Booths At Riverfront (File photo) Kids Fun Zone The Kids Fun Zone features rides, slides, games, rock wall climbing, face painting, and live entertainment. This year in 2026, the Kids Fun Zone is moving to the new Amelia River Waterfront Park (near the Fernandina Harbor Marina on the south side of the downtown public boat ramp). KIDS FUN ZONE, a popular area during Fernandina’s annual Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival, always held the first weekend in May (File photo, AmeliaIslandLiving.com archives.) Free Concerts, Entertainment On Riverfront Stage Throughout the weekend festival, various entertainment is scheduled, including bands performing free concerts at Fernandina’s riverfront stage. For further details including Festival hours, the weekend’s entertainment schedule and activities, visit the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival website and follow their Facebook page. Shrimp Festival — Where To Park? Parking can be a challenge during the Shrimp Festival. Many folks search for a free parking spot along downtown side streets on the outskirts of Festival area. The Festival’s “PARK & RIDE” lot with shuttle service is located at Fernandina Beach High School (435 Citrona Avenue, $15 parking fee , a donation to the school). Then take the free shuttle service to the festival area downtown. (The shuttle hours are Friday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closer to the Shrimp Festival area downtown are a few “PARK & WALK” lots ($20 parking fee) : Located at Buccaneer Field (S. 11th St. and Beech St.), and across the street from Central Park on Atlantic Ave., and further downtown at riverfront, the city’s lots C & D (south of Atlantic Seafood).