Five Outdoor Bayside Stages Backdrop Key Largo Original Music Fest, Now Through May 19

KEY LARGO, Florida Keys — An elite collection of musicians from Tennessee to Texas is gathered in the Florida Keys for the Key Largo Original Music Festival, happening now through Sunday, May 19. The four-day-festival’s live, knee-slapping and foot-tapping performances are designed to excite all ages and tastes.

Attendees are afforded intimate, behind-the-scenes experiences hearing original hits of songwriters/performers from Nashville, Tennessee; North Carolina; Maryland; Texas; and Florida — all excelling at country, folk, pop, rock and blues.

The stages at five waterfront eateries and watering holes each offer an individual flavor and ambiance for listeners, who pay nothing to attend, other than an evening out for some cocktails and/or dinner.

Music continues late into the evenings for several hours of live entertainment on the water at each venue: Snook’s Bayside, mile marker 100; Sundowners, Señor Frijoles, Cactus Jack's, and the world-famous Caribbean Club, site of the festival finale, all around mile marker 104.

The packed lineup kicks off with over 20 singer/songwriters performing 6-10:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16. They include several of country music’s up-and-coming artists such as Nashville’s Tana Metz, Austin, Texas’ Grace Pettis and fifth-generation Texan, Hunter Tynan Davis, who coined the term “singer/songrocker” to best represent himself as a songwriter, musician and performer.

A full festival schedule of performers at each Key Largo venue can be found at keylargooriginalmusicfest.com/lineup.

Several festival newcomers are already charting their own paths in the Nashville music scene, like Chris Ferrara, who introduces his style of country music storytelling with pop hooks and R&B grooves; and youthful Dallas Remington, whose sophomore single, “Never Turned Around,” landed in country radio’s Top 40.

Audiences will want to bring their dancing shoes for the ‘70s-style country and rock of Saints & Angels, led by vocalist Lindsey Penner and featuring original Florida Georgia Line guitarist Brian Bonds. Attendees also will laud the return of the tight, swirling harmonies of the multi-instrumentalist alternative country rock duo 33 Years, Nashville’s LaLa Deaton, Lockwood Barr and festival mainstay Melody Guy.

The festival finale Sunday, May 19, at the Caribbean Club features nearly 20 live performances. Music starts at 2 p.m. and continues with 90-minute multiartist showcases until 10 p.m.

Event information: keylargooriginalmusicfest.com

Key Largo visitor information: fla-keys.com/keylargo or 800-822-1088

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