These 9 Florida Towns Have The Most Unique Festivals
As if there was ever any doubt, Florida knows how to throw a party—and its small towns prove it in the quirkiest ways imaginable. From colorful parades to fishy traditions, the Sunshine State’s unique festivals offer a little something for everyone.
In Key West, Fantasy Fest embraces the island's free-spirited vibe on Duval Street. Over in Siesta Key, the Crystal Classic turns the beach into an outdoor art gallery, attracting world-class sand sculptors. Meanwhile, in the tiny town of Sopchoppy, the Worm Gruntin’ Festival celebrates the age-old art of coaxing worms from the ground with live music, a worm-calling competition, and plenty of laughs.
Whether it's artistic flair, eccentric traditions, or just plain fun, these nine Florida small towns have the most unique festivals.
Key West, Fantasy Fest
Nowadays, there’s always a party going on Key West’s Duval Street, one of the most iconic streets in the state, if not in the entire United States. Stretching over a mile from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, the legendary street that is home to Sloppy Joe’s and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville wasn’t always party central. Enter Fantasy Fest, a 10-day adult-oriented festival held annually in late October. Fantasy Fest was the brainchild of four local business owners who wanted to boost tourism during the off-season. Since its inaugural event in 1979, the festival has been renowned for its elaborate costumes, parades, and themed parties, attracting over 75,000 partygoers every year. This year’s party kicks off on October 17, 2025, and runs until the 26th in Key West.
Apalachicola, Florida Seafood Festival
Florida's oldest maritime event, the Florida Seafood Festival, takes place annually on the first weekend of November in the historic town of Apalachicola. The two-day festival features oyster-eating and shucking contests, a parade with marching bands, floats, and blue crab races, as well as an abundance of fresh seafood and dignitaries, including Miss Florida Seafood and King Retsyo (“oyster” spelled backwards). One of the most cherished events at the festival includes the Blessing of the Fleet, attended by Miss Florida Seafood, King Retsyo, and local clergy who bless the parade of shrimp and oyster boats in the marina. The 62nd Florida Seafood Festival takes place at the mouth of the Apalachicola River in Battery Park from October 31 to November 1, 2025, and, as in years past, will attract tens of thousands of visitors to the landmark town.
Perdido Key, Interstate Mullet Toss
The Interstate Mullet Toss is a three-day event held annually in Perdido Key, where participants compete to throw a dead mullet fish across the Florida-Alabama state line. A clever marketing ploy that’s become a renowned not-to-be-missed beach party, the event is held at the legendary beach bar, the Flora-Bama Lounge, which sits on the Orange Beach, Alabama, and Perdido Key, Florida line. Calling itself “one of America’s last great roadhouses,” the oyster house and honky tonk held its first Mullet Toss in 1986, and its has since branched out into other mullet-inspired events like the Mullet Man Triathalon and the Mullet Swing Golf Classic. The annual event features live music, food, and a festive atmosphere, and is held during the last weekend of April, with all proceeds from the Interstate Mullet Toss going to local charities.
Sopchoppy, Worm Gruntin’ Festival
This quirky festival celebrates the traditional practice of worm grunting, where vibrations are created by driving a “stob” into the ground and rubbing it with a “roopin iron” to coax worms. The worms, thinking they are under attack from moles, wiggle to the surface, making them easy to collect.
The worms are sold for bait in the historic fishing town of Sopchoppy, located within the Apalachicola National Forest and less than an hour’s drive from the state capital, Tallahassee. The one-day event kicks off with a Wiggle Worm Fun Run, followed by worm gruntin’ demos, live music, a gummy worm eating contest, the crowning of the queen, and a worm grunting contest. In the evening, the Worm Grunters’ Ball takes place at the local Civic Brewery. Now in its 23rd year, the festival attracts 6,000 attendees.
Bartow, SyFy Bartow
SyFy Bartow is Central Florida’s largest family-friendly science fiction meets pop culture festival held annually in downtown Bartow every third Saturday of February, when it was known as SyFy Saturday.
The event originated in 2014 as a collaborative effort between residents, the city, and Main Street Bartow, the second-oldest Main Street in Florida. The non-profit organization works to enhance, preserve, and support economic development in Bartow’s central business district (CBD). This year’s themed event was “Villains,” during which festivalgoers dressed up as their favorite antagonists and iconic baddies, such as Darth Vader, the Joker, and Maleficent. In addition to live music, food trucks, a Miss SyFy Bartow Pageant, over 100 movie and television-themed cars, from the DeLorean from “Back to the Future” to the Batmobile, line the streets. Next year’s “Animation Invasion” festival takes place on February 28, 2026. This quirky event attracts upwards of 30,000 visitors each year.
Venice and Sarasota, Sarasota International Chalk Festival
The “Shark Tooth Capital of the World” may seem like an unusual place to host an international pavement art festival, but the Sarasota International Chalk Festival has been held in Venice, as well as in its original location in the Burns Square Historic District of downtown Sarasota. The art form was thought to have been invented in Italy during the 16th century by artists known as “madonnari.” In the U.S., an artist known as “Sidewalk Sam” was inspired by Italian artists and began painting on the pavement in Massachusetts during the 1970s. The Sarasota International Chalk Festival, started in 2010, invites artists and student-artists to create 3D pavement art that appears to dip inward or rise up when viewed from different angles. Throw in live music, a 5K fun run, food trucks, a beer garden, and it becomes a festival that attracts over 50,000 visitors. The artistic festival seems to flip-flop back and forth between Venice and Sarasota.
Siesta Key, Crystal Classic International Sandsculpting Festival
The first Siesta Key Crystal Classic was held in November 2010 and takes its inspiration from similar festivals held annually in Texas, Virginia, and Washington. Like many festivals in the Sunshine State, hosting festivals during the quieter months is an excellent way to boost tourism and attract visitors year-round. Over the four-day event, master sculptors transform Siesta Beach into an outdoor art gallery, attracting 40,000 attendees and generating millions for the local economy, with a portion of the proceeds going towards a scholarship fund for the Ringling College of Art + Design. The next Siesta Key Crystal Classic festival will take place from November 14 to 17, 2025.
Moore Haven, Chalo Nitka Festival
The Chalo Nitka Festival and Rodeo is one of Florida’s oldest continuous festivals. In 1948, the festival originated as a celebration of the paving of Main Street (now called Avenue J) in the small town of Moore Haven, located in Glades County. Meaning “big bass” in Seminole Indian, today the festival showcases the southern hospitality of Glades County and the history of the local Seminole people. The festival kicks off with the crowning of the Chalo Nitka Jr. Miss & Queen pageant, followed by a bass fishing tournament, alligator wrestling, a rodeo, live entertainment, a pancake breakfast, and more. Chalo Nitka takes place on the first Saturday in March every year.
Inverness, Cootertober
Held in Inverness, in the heart of Citrus County, Cootertober is a month-long celebration in October that builds upon the previous Cooter Music Festival with additional events, vendors, food trucks, and cooter races at the lakefront Liberty Park. All centered around the cooter turtle, a catch-all term for several species of freshwater turtles, there’s a fun competition where participants vie for the coveted titles of Cooter King and Cooter Queen, a Cooter carnival, and more community-oriented events planned for the entire month of October.
The Sunshine State sure knows how to throw a party, mixing quirky traditions with lively celebrations. Key West’s Fantasy Fest transforms Duval Street into a dazzling hub of costumes and parades, while the Florida Seafood Festival in Apalachicola serves up fresh oysters, blue crab races, and the Blessing of the Fleet. Perdido Key’s Interstate Mullet Toss takes fish-flinging to new heights every year, turning a clever marketing idea into one of the Gulf Coast’s most anticipated beach parties. From the quirky to the iconic, the nine Florida towns have the most unique festivals.
