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John's Pass Seafood Festival returns 6 months after recent hurricanes

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Published  March 29, 2025 6:07pm EDT
Pinellas County
FOX 13 News

John's Pass Seafood Festival returns

FOX 13's Regina Gonzalez shares how the community came together after the recent hurricanes to put on the annual John's Pass Seafood Festival.

The Brief

    • The John's Pass Seafood Festival returned just 6 months after the recent hurricanes.
    • Originally launched in the 1980s to celebrate the area’s rich fishing history, the festival has grown into one of the biggest seafood celebrations in Florida.
    • Admission is free. But, a heads-up for parking: the John's Pass village lot is closed.

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. - From buttery lobster to crispy coconut shrimp, guests at the 43rd annual John's Pass Seafood Festival dug into dozens of tasty dishes as they strolled down a busy Village Blvd. 

It's an incredibly welcome sight, since John's Pass was battered by Hurricane Helene, then Milton just six months ago, forcing city officials to postpone the popular event.

"I think that when we first started talking about postponing and opening or having this at a different time of the year, I thought, are we going to have enough people or enough vendors? What's it going to be like?" Madeira Beach Mayor, Anne Marie Brooks told FOX 13. "This is like any other year. I mean, it's just amazing."

John's Pass Seafood Festival returns 6 months after recent hurricanes

"We cleaned up the city, and we're almost back to where we were pre-storm," added Robin Gomez, Madeira Beach City Manager. "We do have a long way to go because, obviously, homes were destroyed, businesses were destroyed. But getting everything back together, having events like this really makes people feel a lot better."

And a lot fuller!

John's Pass Seafood Festival returns 6 months after recent hurricanes

Originally launched in the 1980s to celebrate the area’s rich fishing history, the festival has grown into one of the biggest seafood celebrations in Florida, drawing thousands of people for a weekend filled with flavor and fun, all while supporting local businesses who are still trying to recover themselves. 

What you can do:

Festival hours

  • March 29: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
  • March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Admission is free. But, a heads-up for parking: the John's Pass village lot is closed.

A free shuttle will also run from Madeira Beach Fundamental school with stops at Madeira Beach city hall and John’s Pass park.

The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Regina Gonzalez.

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