From celebrating a favourite crustacean to rum revelry: What’s on tap in the Florida Keys & Key West this Summer

July 2024: Summer is the perfect time to indulge in a taste of the Florida Keys. As temperatures rise, the spotlight turns to savouring bountiful fare fresh from the seas and imbibing refreshing, locally crafted beverages.

With a range of culinary-themed events taking place, late summer is also a good time for savvy visitors to enjoy the destination like a local. Outside of the main tourist season, the best value can be found on accommodation at this time of year. Travellers can also look forward to great water visibility – perfect for diving or snorkelling in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Highlights of this summer’s events include:

Key West Lobsterfest, 8-11 August

Now in its 27^th year, Key West Lobsterfest celebrates the bounty of the Florida Keys lobster season that opens on 6^th August. Famous for its sweet and tender meat, the Keys’ spiny lobster is typically served steamed with drawn butter, paired with a seasoned stuffing. Festival events kick off on 8^th August, when lobster aficionados can gather for a traditional lobster boil at Caroline’s Café in the courtyard of Key West’s historic Porter Mansion. Other highlights include a street fair on Duval Street, where punters can sample local chefs’ lobster specialities. The festival concludes with a gourmet lobster brunch buffet at First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery and a lobster boil and pool party at the Southernmost Beach Resort.

Rum Fest Key West, 14-18 August

The inaugural Rum Fest Key West is set to blend rum revelry and seafaring spirit. Events will showcase Key West’s distilleries, landmarks and marine environment — as well as the rumrunning heritage that helped shape the island city during the 1920-1933 Prohibition era. Highlights include a cocktail cruise to one of Key West’s offshore sandbars, a pool party featuring reggae and rum, a Lower Keys bar crawl via trolley and a cocktail contest for local mixologists. There will also be an elegant four-course dinner with rum pairings at the Hemingway Social Club. The festival’s undisputed highlight is the Grand Tasting at the Hemingway Rum Co., set for Saturday, 17^th August, featuring more than 30 rum brands for attendees to sample.

REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby, 15-18 August

Enthusiastic fisher folk are invited to take part in the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby organised by Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) to help remove this invasive species. Fishing takes place all day on the Friday and Saturday, with a Lionfish Festival on the Sunday featuring tournament scoring, demonstrations and lionfish tastings. And if you’re keen to help out while enjoying a great meal, why not practice ‘conservation through consumption’? Lionfish is on the menu at several Keys restaurants, notably Marathon’s Castaway Waterfront Restaurant & Sushi Bar.

Key West Brewfest, 29 August – 2 September

Fans of beers and ales can sample about 150 of them while also discovering the flavours of the continental United States’ southernmost island at Key West Brewfest. Activities ‘on tap’ include brew-focused dinners, pool parties and brunches, and the lavish BrewFest Signature Tasting Festival held Saturday 31^st August on Key West’s South Beach at Duval Street.