Scallop Festival welcomes Labor Day weekend crowd

Despite the rainy forecast, the annual Florida Scallop, Music and Arts Festival welcomed a large crowd of umbrella-holding locals and visitors to George Core Park last weekend.

The festival, which celebrated its 25th anniversary, featured a weekend filled with fried seafood, curated musical performances and a good time in the outdoors to ring in a busy Gulf County summer.

“I think the community response to the Scallop Festival this year was fantastic,” said Joe Whitmer, the director of the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce, who hosted the event. 

“I think it was a great event, and everybody came and had a good time.”

This year’s festival featured performances from eight musical artists, some of whom traveled long distances for their sets.

Smolderin’ Embers, Ben Flournoy, American Blonde, and the Tiger County Regulators performed on Saturday. And Sunday’s setlist featured Kelly and the Healers, 911 Tallahassee Rock Band, Sauce Boss and the Josh Garrett Band.

The event welcomed more than 50 vendors, who proudly displayed their works or offered delicious food to festival-goers.

As this year’s Scallop Festival drew to a close, Whitmer expressed his excitement for the community’s next music festival — The Forgotten Music Festival — which will be held October 8 and 9.

“We’re looking forward to another great fall event,” he said.