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After skipping a year, the event will make a comeback this month and focus on the endangered species.
By JORGE SANCHEZ
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 2, 2001
CRYSTAL RIVER -- The Manatee Festival returns to Crystal River this month after a two-year hiatus. Manatee education will be a big part of the festival, which is scheduled for Jan. 13 and 14.
Susan Dougherty, public information officer at Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, is coordinating the manatee education program.
An area at Heritage Village on N Citrus Avenue will contain numerous manatee exhibits.
Various displays from the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Commission, the Manatee Rescue Group, school groups and even the Parrotheads of Citrus County are scheduled to provide manatee information.
Any group that wants to find out more about placing an exhibit in the manatee education area can call Dougherty at 628-5343. Continuous manatee education videos will be shown at City Hall during the festival.
"This is the first year that the festival will have a strong manatee emphasis," Dougherty said. "We have a good group of exhibitors."
The Manatee Festival also includes about 100 fine artists and crafters who will be situated along N Citrus Avenue east of U.S. 19. The Crystal River Rotary Club is organizing the arts and crafts show, and a $1 donation will be requested to view the artists and crafters.
A children's game area will be set up at the Creative Playground at City Hall. Organizers Steve and Fancy Taylor will have sack races, a fishing booth, a sandbox and other activities to keep children occupied during the festival.
"There's no real schedule yet; we'll have a poster up during the festival to let people know what's going on," Fancy Taylor said. "We're just going to go with the flow."
Fancy Taylor also needs some baby food jars or similar small jars for a sand jar crafts activity during the festival. Anyone who can make a donation can call her at 563-5100.
The Manatee Festival will also include food vendors and live musical entertainment. Among the entertainment is the "Sounds Like Buffett To Me" contest, which begins at 1 p.m. Jan. 13 at the gazebo near Creative Playground. The winner will be the one who sounds most like Florida folk rocker Jimmy Buffett. First prize is a four-day Key West vacation.
The return of the Manatee Festival to Crystal River comes after a two-year absence. In 1999, the festival was held at Rock Crusher Canyon in central Citrus and featured a concert by Lee Greenwood. There was no Manatee Festival in 2000.
The first festival was in 1984 and featured a concert by the Allman Brothers Band and the dedication of the manatee welcome sign still in place at Crystal River's southern boundary.