Things To Do In Florida: The Tide Summer 2018
Road-trip-worthy events and things to do in Florida
NORTH
PENSACOLA BEACH AIRSHOW
PENSACOLA
JULY 14
Each July, this iconic event unfolds on the beach at Pensacola, home to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ elite flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels. The celebration caps off Red, White and Blues Week, which begins on July 11 with fireworks and concerts and continues over the course of a few days with meet ’n’ greets and practice rounds by the Blues. The big show includes civilian air performances as well as the iconic FA-18 Hornets. Thousands of spectators set up camp on the white sands of Santa Rosa Island and bob at anchor in the Little Sabine Bay to feel the rumble and watch the military unit perform insane maneuvers. Prepare for a long day. Traffic getting onto the island is no joke, but locals agree it’s worth it for the full experience hearing the show’s narration. Check out Dog House Deli or Casino Beach Bar & Grille for shrimp ’n’ grits or bushwackers. For true street cred, don the commemorative t-shirt and ride the mechanical shark. visitpensacola.com
EVP PRO BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOUR–
AT HAMMOCK BEACH
PALM COAST
JUNE 1–3
Beach volleyball professionals compete to qualify for the 2018 EVP World Finals of Beach Volleyball Championship. evptour.com
BILLY BOWLEGS PIRATE FESTIVAL
FORT WALTON BEACH
JUNE 1–4
This family-friendly, pirate-themed weekend offers parades, rock walls, live music and food on the waterfront. billybowlegsfestival.com
47th ANNUAL PENSACOLA INTERNATIONAL BILLFISH TOURNAMENT
PENSACOLA
JUNE 27–JULY 1
Anglers compete for prizewinning blue marlin and a $5,000 purse. An awards brunch follows at the Pensacola Yacht Club. pbgfc.com
7th ANNUAL DOWNTOWN APALACHICOLA INDEPENDENCE EVE CELEBRATION
APALACHICOLA
JULY 3
The patriotic celebration features a parade, food, ice cream, a tribute to U.S. veterans and fireworks over the Apalachicola River. downtownapalachicola.com
JULY FOURTH IN JACKSONVILLE
JACKSONVILLE
JULY 4
Independence Day activities include live music and fireworks displays over the St. Johns River downtown and at the beach. visitjacksonville.com
7th ANNUAL PADDLE AT THE PORCH
DESTIN
AUGUST 18
Stand up paddle boarders of all ages and skill levels compete in one, three or six mile races around Destin’s Gulf Coast waters. destinchamber.com
GULF COAST JAM
PANAMA CITY BEACH
AUGUST 31–SEPTEMBER 2
Country sensations Florida Georgia Line, Eric Church and Thomas Rhett headline three-day-long beachside music festival. gulfcoastjam.com
GULF COAST SUMMER FEST: JAZZ EDITION
PENSACOLA
SEPTEMBER 1
Musicians like Grammy-nominated saxophonist Boney James perform live on stage. gulfcoastsummerfest.com
CENTRAL
ROCK N’ FREEDOM FEST
WINTER HAVEN
JULY 3
Before Walt Disney World and Legoland, Cypress Gardens was among the Sunshine State’s most coveted theme parks. For 73 years, Floridians flocked to the gardens to take in their lush landscaping and impressive water ski shows, made famous by Water Ski Hall of Famer and ski manufacturer Dick Pope Jr. Pope’s performances brought national acclaim to the park, which was founded by his parents in the 1930s. The park closed in 2009, but tradition lives on through the Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team, known for its gleaming uniforms, barefoot skiing, ramp-jumping and iconic four-tier human pyramid. The team will just be one part of the fun at the Rock N’ Freedom Fest, a family-friendly, pre-Independence Day celebration taking place at Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Lake Silver. Listen to live music, let the kids bounce on inflatables, and enjoy food from area restaurants. The main event takes place on the water, with the Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team performing all of their classic stunts. The day concludes with spectacular fireworks over the lake. mywinterhaven.com
FLORIDA PRIZE IN CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITION PREVIEW
ORLANDO
JUNE 1
Progressive visual artists showcase their works as party guests enjoy creative bites from some of Orlando’s top chefs. omart.org
SILVER SPURS RODEO
KISSIMMEE
JUNE 1–2
The largest rodeo east of the Mississippi, with bull riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing and even mutton busting, where the kids can have their chance to play cowboy by riding a sheep silverspursrodeo.com
5th ANNUAL MOUNT DORA PADDLE FEST
MOUNT DORA
JUNE 2–3
A day of dragon boat races, followed by a second day of seven-mile or 12-mile canoe and kayak races on beautiful Lake Dora. panamdragonboat.com
SUMMERFEST GRAPE STOMP
CLERMONT
JUNE 8–10
Stomp barrels of vine-ripened grapes and take a tasting tour of Lakeridge Winery. lakeridgewinery.com
MASCOT GAMES
ORLANDO
JUNE 22–23
Professional and collegiate league mascots from around the nation compete in gladiator-style games at Orlando’s Amway Center mascotgames.org
ST. PETE PRIDE WEEK
SAINT PETERSBURG
JUNE 20–24
One of the state’s largest Pride events, parade, concert and party visitstpeteclearwater.com
SHARK CON 5
TAMPA
JULY 14–15
Ocean conservation event for all ages featuring touch tanks, a shark tooth dig, bounce house, diving lessons and mermaids shark-con.com
FLORIDA DEER AND TURKEY EXPO
LAKELAND
JULY 20–22
A huntsman’s weekend with archery, chainsaw carving and deer trophy contests, as well as top outdoor gear deerinfo.com
HAVING A BALL ART EXHIBIT
TAMPA
THROUGH JULY 22
Exhibit at the Tampa Museum of Art featuring ornately painted baseballs by artist and umpire George Sosnak tampamuseum.org
SOUTH
AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
MIAMI BEACH
JUNE 13–17
Glamorous South Beach serves as an apropos backdrop for the American Black Film Festival (ABFF). Revered as the country’s largest convergence of black film and television enthusiasts, this four-day celebration brings together distinguished and emerging black directors, actors, screenwriters and Hollywood industry professionals. More than 10,000 guests gather for a packed week of screenings, discussions and, of course, over-the-top parties. The Legendary White Party, which has a color-specific dress code, goes off with music by renowned DJ D-Nice at the celebrity-favorite Nikki Beach Club. Filmmaker panels and talk series are a highlight of the festival, providing a closer look into the creative minds of A-list talent. Black Panther director and ABFF veteran Ryan Coogler makes his way back to the Loews Hotel this year to discuss his climb to success and perspective on what the future has in store for the next generation. abff.com
SARASOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL
SARASOTA
JUNE 4-23
Classical music celebration with some of the world’s best professional and student musicians, like Angelo Xiang Yu, winner of the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition sarasotaorchestra.org
VERO BEACH WINE AND FILM FESTIVAL
VERO BEACH
JUNE 7-10
Cultural weekend with more than 100 wines, a “Dining with Directors” event, film screenings and more, hosted by Emmy-winning film critic Jeffrey Lyons vbwff.com
SARASOTA POWERBOAT GRAND PRIX FESTIVAL
SARASOTA
JUNE 23 – JULY 4
Speed and agility charted-course racing from performance-crafted powerboats and AquaX personal watercrafts along Lido Beach sarasotapowerboatgrandprix.org
KEY LIME FESTIVAL
KEY WEST
JUNE 30–JULY 4
Culinary weekend, complete with the “Key Lime Cocktail Sip & Stroll” distillery tour of Key West Legal Rum, and plenty of pie. keylimefestival.com
FLAMINGO GARDENS’ OLD-FASHIONED FOURTH
DAVIE
JULY 4
A throw-back Independence Day celebration set among 200-year-old live oaks with watermelon-eating and 1950s costume contests and fireworks flamingogardens.org
MANGO AND TROPICAL FRUIT FESTIVAL
CORAL GABLES
JULY 14–15
A marketplace for mangos and other tropical fruits, with cooking demonstrations, tree care tips and local artisan vendors fairchildgarden.org
SWIMSHOW
MIAMI BEACH
JULY 14–17
The swimwear industry’s largest fashion tradeshow, with 2,500 vendors and 3,000 buyers at the Miami Beach Convention Center swimshow.com
HEMINGWAY DAYS
KEY WEST
JULY 17–22
Week-long celebratoin of the life of Ernest Hemingway with a running of the bulls reenactment and look-a-like contest fla-keys.com
INTERNATIONAL BALLET FESTIVAL
MIAMI
JULY 28–AUGUST 19
Performances by more than 100 dancers and 20 ballet companies, art exhibits, dance workshops, a film series and the lifetime achievement award internationalballetfestival.org
KEY WEST LOBSTERFEST
KEY WEST
AUGUST 9–12
Lobster season kickoff party with a street fair, catamaran snorkel tour, sunset sail, free concert and a la carte lobster brunch keywestlobsterfest.com
RED SNAPPER SEASON
STATEWIDE
JUNE 11
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission opens a 40-day red snapper season in state and federal waters. myfwc.com
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: THE MONUMENTAL LANDSCAPES OF CLYDE BUTHCER
SARASOTA
MAY 25–AUGUST 15
Butcher’s traveling museum of large-format black-and-white photographs returns to the renowned artist’s St. Armand’s gallery. clydebutcher.com
DERBY DAYS
By spear or by net, divers and snorkelers try to catch as many spindly lionfish as possible during these statewide fishing competitions. Teams win prizes for pulling in the most, biggest and smallest fish. After the haul, learn how to fillet and cook the delicious catch. Lionfish derbies aim to reduce the population of this invasive species, which has no known predator in the Atlantic and proliferates in Florida’s warm waters. reef.org/lionfish/derbies
