Key Largo Stone Crab Festival

Combining fresh seafood, live local entertainment, cooking demonstrations, casting classes and costume contests, the second annual Key Largo Stone Crab & Seafood Festival is set for Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 29-30 at Rowell's Marina, mile marker 104.5 bayside.

The island's festival, sponsored by the Key Largo Fisheries and Key Largo Merchants Association, creates a delicious weekend chock full of family fun, food and fish from the sea. Arts & crafts, vendor booths, a Junkanoo band, fireworks and car show are also planned.

Highlights include a magic show, little mermaid contest, a fishing tent to host a kids fishing "tournament," how-to demonstrations and a casting contest.

Cooking tents are to feature demonstrations for festival goers to learn how to make (and eat!) favorite Keys recipes such as conch egg rolls, crab cakes, lobster and conch seviche, grilled oysters or coconut mahi-mahi, or they can join in a shrimp-eating or Key lime pie-eating contest.

Seafood booths are to feature a dizzying array of the popularly delectable (and in-season) stone crabs, homemade fish dip, conch fritters, chowders, fish tacos and more. Landlubbers also have chicken and beef choices at burger booths.

Black Caesar and pirate crew are planning an invasion amidst the weekend-long live music backdrop.

Festival hours are Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $7 per adult, children age 12 and under are free.