Visitors and locals alike will converge in Florida’s Paradise Coast – Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades –October 23 through October 25 for the Naples Annual Stone Crab Festival. The event returns for its sixth year and welcomes a variety of seafood vendors and features numerous activities including live music, boat rides and children’s entertainment.

Presented by the Old Naples Waterfront Association, the Stone Crab Festival is a chance for guests to explore the beautiful and historic Naples waterfront district with activities on land and by water. Events will kick off on Friday night at 4:00 p.m. with a special appearance by Derrick Peltz, local celebrity chef and MasterChef Finalist from season six of the popular FOX television series at the ceremonial “Cracking of the Claw.”

Tin City will be party central, featuring fresh stone crab from Pincher’s Crab Shack at outdoor kiosks as well as for sit-down dining in the restaurant, along with live music from the festival’s headlining musical acts, arts and craft vendors, and kid’s activities presented by Freedom Waters Foundation. Bayfront Naples will be presenting over 20 restaurant vendors offering fresh stone crab, local seafood, and a wide variety of other local eats. More than 20 craft vendors will also be on site offering local art, custom jewelry and other Florida novelties. Throughout the weekend, the Bayfront location will also have live music along with the Pirate Cove Kid Zone that will include face painting, balloon creations, games and crafts.

The festival takes place a week after the start of stone crab season in Florida, which begins October 15 and lasts throughMay 15. The stone crab is special in that it is Florida’s only renewable seafood resource. When harvested, only claws of 2 and ¾ inches or larger are taken and the crab is put back alive in the Gulf of Mexico, where it regenerates the harvested claw.