Is your mouth watering for mullet?

You're in luck. It's time for the annual Cedar Key Seafood Festival, which also includes an arts and crafts show.

By JORGE SANCHEZ, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 18, 2002

CEDAR KEY -- The normally placid streets and restaurants of this scenic coastal community will bustle with activity during the 33rd annual Cedar Key Seafood Festival on Saturday and Sunday.

Cedar Key is known for preserving the flavor of Old Florida. There are a lot of fine restaurants and historic buildings that also serve as bed and breakfasts or hotels. The high point of the day is usually watching a glorious sunset from the second story of a waterfront restaurant.

The Levy County town, which started as a bustling seafood port, is now a laid-back haven for artists, writers and other people who enjoy living on "island time."

Although restaurants such as the Captain's Table, Frog's Landing, the Clam Shack and the Island Room will be open and serving fresh seafood, they will be joined by an outdoor seafood court during the festival.

The seafood court will be in City Park, a short walk from the waterfront. Members of the Cedar Key Lions Club will be selling seafood platters of grouper and shrimp. Featured will be seafood dinners of fresh Cedar Key mullet, hush puppies, baked beans and coleslaw. Other platters will include shrimp, oysters, crab cakes, chowder, steamed clams and clam fritters.

An arts and crafts show will be held along the waterfront sidewalks, providing a great reason to take a walking tour of the area. This is a large juried art festival that attracts top regional artists. About 200 exhibitors are scheduled to participate.

The festival and the arts and crafts show will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. A parade from Dock Street to City Park will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Take U.S. 19 N to the town of Otter Creek in Levy County, then go 24 miles west to the end of State Road 24. There's also an airport with a 2,300-foot hard surface runway, with shuttle service, or you can anchor your boat at the public pier for varying fees day and night.

Call the Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce at (352) 543-5600 for more information.

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