by | January 30, 2026
What To Do This February in Florida
Laugh with Bert Kreischer in Daytona, party with garlic heads in Delray Beach, prowl the streets at Pensacola's Paw-di-gras and more this February across Florida.
NORTH
Pete’s Bar Donna Crawl
The Jacksonville Beaches
Feb. 1
Not ready to run a marathon but still want to join the hype? Round out the charity Donna Marathon weekend with this laidback 2.71-mile race. Run, walk or crawl to the after-party at Pete’s Bar in Neptune Beach and cross the finish line for families living with breast cancer. A fun plus—the finisher medal doubles as a bottle opener
breastcancermarathon.com
Pensacola Paw-di-gras
Pensacola
Feb. 1
Join the pack for a tail-wagging Mardi Gras celebration. Enjoy the paw-rade, owner and pup costume contests, local vendors, craft beer and festive cocktails, interactive games for people and pups. This year’s theme is the Paw-some ’80s, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Escambia County Department of Animal Welfare.
wolfgangparkandbrews.com
Sandestin Gumbo & Bloody Mary Festival
Miramar Beach
Feb. 20–21
Swap sugar for spice at 37th year of this seafood festival, where local chefs go pot-to-pot competing to see who has the best gumbo on the Emerald Coast. Visitors also vote for the best Bloody Marys in town, all set to the soundtrack of live zydeco.
sandestingumbofestival.com
Riverside Craft Beer Arts Festival
Jacksonville
Feb. 22
Sip on 100 different craft beers and ciders on the St. Johns River and under the peaceful cover of the Fuller Warren Bridge. Experience local live music and food trucks services including Mother Truckin’ Pizza, Hot Dog House Florida and El Chamo Criolla, and receive exclusive beers and specialty seating with the purchase of a VIP package. This 12th annual tasting event raises money for PedsCare and the Riverside Rotary Foundation.
riversidecraftbeerfesival.com
Amelia Island Book Festival
Amelia Island
Feb. 28
Celebrate all things books at the 25th anniversary of this literary soiree with 100 exhibiting authors from all over the nation, including Ashley Elston of “First Lie Wins.” Rub elbows with both best-selling and rising authors and purchase exclusive signed copies of their novels. Plus, aspiring writers can experience hands-on workshops and learn industry secrets from successful novelists.
ameliaislandbookfestival.org
CENTRAL
Florida Surf Film Festival
Daytona Beach
Feb. 7
Catch a wave and ride the barrel into international surf culture at this coastal film festival. Learn about the relationship between surfing and conservation with narratives from a lineup of filmmakers from across the world and attend the screening of five works, one of which is “Antartica: Domain One” from filmmakers Julian and Joaquin Azulay and narrated by Cocoa Beach’s Kelly Slater. floridasurffilmfestival.com
Bert Kreischer’s Full Throttle Festival
Daytona
Feb. 14
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines the night before the Daytona 500 at this pre-party hosted by Florida’s own comedian Bert Kreischer. This Saturday night kickback is complete with beer and barbecue, full sets from Kreischer and live performances from epic musicians like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Diplo and Ernest.
fullthrottlefestival.com
The Florida Man Games
Bradenton
Feb. 21
Let your inner Florida Man run wild in a series of headline-inspired challenges at the third-ever iteration of this competition. Test your speed—and questionable judgment—in the Evading Arrest obstacle course, complete with Florida Man’s favorite pastimes: catalytic converter theft, a footrace from the cops, a hunt for a frozen iguana and a gator toss through a drive-thru window. Then grab a shopping cart for the Hurricane Party Prep rumble, where you’ll battle fellow shoppers to stock up on necessities before grocery shelves are empty in a 60-second free-for-all. The chaos continues with side quests like riding a mechanical gator, dodging fists in the big-glove knockout and rolling inside an inflatable ball toward booze-filled blow-up pools during a game of human beer pong. The winning team will claim a cash prize and the coveted snakeskin championship belt.
thefloridamangames.com
Immerse 2026
Orlando
Feb. 20–22
The streets of downtown Orlando transform into a 10-block interactive art installation. Think: a 100-piece orchestra, acrobats swinging from cranes and singers serenading from balconies. Hosted by Creative City Project, this weekend fest collaborates with more than 1,000 artists.
immersefest.com
Gasparilla Festival of the Arts
Tampa
Feb. 28–March 1
30,000 art aficionados are coming together from all over the nation for a top-rated, mixed media celebration, highlighting more than 200 seasoned and rising artists at the Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. Admire and purchase various forms of art ceramics, sketches, fiber works, blown glass, jewelry, photography, printmaking, sculptures, watercolors and wood carvings. Participating artists are up for the chance to win prize money and scholarships totalling at almost $100,000—including the Raymond James Best of Show Award of $15,000.
gasparillaarts.com
SOUTH
Everglades Seafood Festival
Everglades City
Feb.13–15
Searching for some of the best seafood in the state? Chart your heading and make your way to the Stone Crab Capital of the Worldfor its 56thannual crustacean celebration with an array of local catches. This beloved festival typically draws more than 40,000 visitors to the somewhat sleepy town with the promise of fresh fish, shrimp, lobster and—you guessed it—stone crab, plus more than 120 artisans, carnival rides and live music.
evergladesseafoodfestival.org
Delray Beach Open
Delray Beach
Feb. 13–22
Tacos and tennis, anyone? The world’s only combined ATP Champions Tour and ATP World Tour event returns, serving up game play plus VIP foodie fun. Don’t miss Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Frances Tiafoe and other prestigious players take the court.
delraybeachopen.com
Coconut Grove Arts Festival
Miami
Feb. 14–16
Nearly 300 artists and idyllic Biscayne Bay vibes make this Miami tradition worth the drive. Don’t miss the Arts & Drafts Beer Garden and the Young Collectors Club this Presidents’ Day Weekend.
cgaf.com
South Beach Wine & Food Festival
Greater Miami & the Beaches
Feb. 19–22
Miami’s tastiest weekend hits the sand with star-studded bites, endless sips and sizzling events like Masters of Fire with Tyler Florence and Haute Potato hosted by “Foodgod” Jonathan Cheban.
sobewff.org
South Florida Garlic Festival
Delray Beach
Feb. 28–Mar. 1
“The Best Stinkin’ Party in South Florida” is back, and the good times are coming in cloves. What started as a parking-lot party in 1998 has turned into a flavorful festival drawing in more than 20,000 people each year, boasting garlic crab cakes, garlic conch fritters, garlic bomb burgers and—if you’re really in the mood for some stinky food—garlic ice cream. Wash it all down with beers, wines and other specialty cocktails to the live performances from Spin Doctors, Spred the Dub, The Trees of Life and more.
garlicfestfl.com
