I went to the Lions Seafood Festival on a whim. I just happened to have a weekend off work when my good friend, Michelle, invited me out to her place in St. Augustine. So, why not?
The Lions Seafood Festival is hosted by the St. Augustine Lions Club. Started in 1981 and growing ever since, the festival has become one of the largest in northeast Florida and all of the proceeds go to different charities.
I was a little skeptical since it was the last day of the festival. It was St. Patrick's Day weekend and Saturday was the day to go celebrate with the crowd. I figured by Sunday, everyone would be hungover and the Lions Seafood festival would be out of seafood. It got THAT crowded Saturday, or at least according to our Uber driver.
Boy, was I wrong. It was perfect.
It was the perfect combination — crowded to where each section was filled with curious and hungry tourists, yet peaceful enough to where there was barely any wait at all. A full house (or field) without the hassle.
Our first stop, beer. Because, well. . .is there ever a reason not to on a weekend?
The festival had a decent selection of both beer and wine. The poison you see above is a refreshing Blue Moon (not going to lie, I really missed the orange garnish). I may or may not have had another one. . .or two.
After making sure we were fully hydrated, it was time to visit the food. Thankfully, we came prepared with our stomachs empty and our beer in hand.
The Lions Seafood festival made it seem as if heaven wasn't up in the sky, but under the sea.
There were vendors upon vendors of different types of seafood.
With food ranging from blackened mahi-mahi and classic fish and chips. . .
. . .to freshly caught crustaceans, like crawfish and lobsters!
(Poor little guys.)
After about 30 minutes of walking back and forth because we are terrible decision makers, Michelle decided to get the seafood platter while I chose the shrimp ceviche.
The plates were a little pricey, but you get your bang for your buck.
Here you see muscles, clams, shrimp, crab, fish and cooked veggies served over rice. If you're a seafood foodie, this tasty mess of a dish is for you.
The texture was a bit mushy with the combination of the seafood, lemon juice and other ingredients all on the same plate, but the taste of the platter was incredible.
For those who are unaware, ceviche is a Latin/Caribbean dish that consists of "cooking" raw fish by marinating it in citrus juice. The acidity of the citrus "cooks" the fish.
In this case, the shrimp ceviche was "cooked" to perfection. I love a lot of cilantro and onion in my ceviche, so they did a great job with the amount in my dish.
Is your mouth watering yet?
After indulging ourselves in the bottom of the ocean, we strolled around the local vendor sections to look at all the crafts and walk off the food.
A local vendor on the left and my beautiful friend, Michelle, on the right, trying on some artisan jewelry.
Here's one of my favorite pieces below.
And last, but certainly not least. . .
Because Florida. . .am I right???
So whether you're a seafood fanatic like me or just want to explore local culture in St. Augustine, the Lions Seafood Festival has everything to offer for a perfect Sunday afternoon.
Follow the St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival on Facebook to stay updated on next year's seafood fest!