11th Deering Seafood Festival On the Bay
What a day! The sun was shining and a gentle breeze blew in off Biscayne Bay creating the perfect setting for the record-breaking numbers at the 11th annual Deering Seafood Festival. Festivalgoers came on foot and by bicycles, golf carts and automobiles.
The colorfully costumed Bahamian Junkanoo musical parade, stilt-walkers and a steel drum band created an island-vibe. Specialty restaurants served thousands of people delectable fish and seafood dishes, and south Florida celebrity chefs Dean Max, Cindy Hutson, Paula DaSilva, Damian Gilchrist and Todd Erickson hosted cooking demos to standing-room-only crowds. There were pontoon boat rides to Chicken Key, nature hikes, self-guided tours of the historic homes and an Artists’ Lane. On the main stage, Caribbean Crew, Fourth Dimension Reggae and Mr. Nice Guy bands kept the music going with guests dancing on the lawn until the end of the day. Kids became junior scientists and immersed themselves in hands-on activities at the Swiss Family Robinson-style adventure created by the Estate’s Educational and Interpretive Staff. All proceeds from this year’s very successful Deering Seafood Festival benefit the Deering Estate Foundation for preservation, educational programs and restoration of the historic Deering Estate at Cutler.
Over 200 people volunteered to help make the 11th Deering Seafood Festival a most successful day
Sizzling crawdads are among the dozens of seafood dishes prepared by specialty restaurants at the festival
Family and friends enjoyed the great fish and seafood, LandShark beer and Deering’s frozen drinks
Mid-day on the front lawn of the historic Deering Estate at Cutler’s during the Seafood Festival
The Pelican Skipper pontoon boat took guests on rides around beautiful Biscayne Bay to Chicken Key and back to the Estate.
The Estate's Educational and Interpretive Staff created hands-on activities where children learn about ecology, biology and geology
Many festival-goers spent the day enjoying the delicious seafood, ongoing live entertainment, Artists’ Lane, cooking demos and more.
The Bahamian Junkanoo Musical Revue and stilt walkers parade and dance through the crowd.
In Charles Deering's historic Prohibition Era Wine Celler, Sommelier Veronica Litton of Crown Wine and Spirit conducts seminars pairing wine with fish and seafood
Celebrity chef Cindy Hutson of Ortanique on the Mile presented a cooking demo and invited an assistant from the audience to help her prepare Bahamian Conch Chowder
DEF Executive Director Mary Pettit, MDC Commissioner Danielle Levine Cava, Palmetto Bay Mayor Gene Flinn, Deering Seafood Festival Chair Dan Yglesias
