Lionfish Festival, May 17–18, in Destin, FL - Lionfish Challenge May 24-September 2
FWC photo of two divers in a boat holding lionfish.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Destin–Fort Walton Beach invite everyone to celebrate the 10th annual Lionfish Festival on Friday and Saturday, May 17 and 18, 2024, 10:00 am-5:00 pm in Destin, Florida at AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar (116 Harbor Blvd.) and HarborWalk Village (34 Harbor Blvd.), about a quarter-mile east of the Destin Bridge.
This two-day outdoor festival is free of charge, open to the public, and will include conservation and art booths, live music, an interactive kid’s zone, and the world’s largest lionfish tournament, the Emerald Coast Open.
Emerald Coast Open Tournament Details
If you're interested in competing with the best lionfish hunters in the world, the Emerald Coast Open will run May 17–18, 2024, and include categories for most lionfish, largest lionfish and smallest lionfish, with nearly $100,000 in prizes. For official tournament rules and registration instructions, visit EmeraldCoastOpen.com.
Lionfish Restaurant Week
If you have plans to be in Destin during the week of May 10-18, 2024, you will be able to sample lionfish at area restaurants during the Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Restaurant Week. Local chefs will highlight lionfish in unique dishes in the week leading up to the event to help bring awareness to the lionfish invasion in the Gulf of Mexico. The schedule is below:
• Friday, May 10, 2024
The Boathouse Landing, 124 N. John Sims Pkwy., Valparaiso, FL
• Saturday, May 11, 2024
La Paz Restaurante & Cantina950 Gulf Shore Dr., Destin, FL
• Sunday, May 12, 2024
Crab Trap Destin, 3500 Scenic Highway 98, James Lee Park, Destin, FL
• Monday, May 13, 2024
Jasmine Thai Restaurant, 4463 Commons Dr., W. Suit 108, Destin, FL
• Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Beach Walk Cafe, 2700 Scenic Highway 98 East, Destin, FL
• Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Harbor Docks, 538 Harbor Blvd., Destin, FL
• Thursday, May 16, 2024
The Harbor Tavern, 306A Harbor Blvd., Destin, FL
• Friday, May 18, 2024
AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar, 116 Harbor Blvd., Destin, FL
Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day, May 18, 2024
To increase public awareness about the lionfish invasion and encourage removal efforts, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) signed a resolution creating Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day in February 2015. Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day is a statewide day celebrated the first Saturday after Mother’s Day each year. In 2024, Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day falls on May 18.
Lionfish Challenge begins May 24 and runs through summer
The 2024 Lionfish Challenge is approaching quickly. This summer-long tournament is open to everyone and is completely free to enter. Participants in the Lionfish Challenge have removed over 1 million lionfish from Florida waters since the program began in 2014! If you're up for the challenge, visit FWCReefRangers.com to register for the Lionfish Challenge. The Challenge begins May 24, 2024 and runs through Sepember 2, 2024.
If you have questions, contact the FWC Division of Marine Fisheries Management by phone at 850-487-0554.
For additional information, visit the following links:
FWCReefRangers.com
EmeraldCoastOpen.com
MyFWC.com/Lionfish
Facebook.com/FWCReefRangers
Facebook.com/EmeraldCoastOpen