Located in the “Manatee Capital of the World”, The Florida Manatee Festival is an annual event held every January in beautiful downtown Crystal River. Our festival boasts two days of live entertainment, discounted opportunities for guided manatee boat tours and kayak tours in Kings Bay, children’s activities, delicious food, and hundreds of vendors selling their wares!

Entry is only $10 for adults and children 12 and under are FREE! Look for the special coupon in the Citrus County Chronicle for $5 off SUNDAY ONLY on up to four adult admissions.

The Florida Manatee Festival is consistently rated by attendees as one of the best outdoor events in Citrus County! Featuring a wide selection of delicious cuisine choices, the Florida Manatee Festival is pleased to offer a tasty selection of delectable delights at the food court right near the main stage in Kings Bay Park, and a second food court near the gazebo stage in Little Springs Park.

Back this year, guided kayak tours will be offered at the festival for a nominal fee! Tour guides will take you on an immersive tour of the bay and Hunter Springs area giving a firsthand glance at the beauty of our Nature Coast! Also returning are manatee boat tours! Participating local guides with M.E.T.A. (Manatee Eco Tourism Association) will take you to their favorite manatee watch spots for a chance to see our favorite floating friends up close without getting in the water! Tickets for the boat tours can be purchased at the festival and are valid the day of purchase only. $15 – Adults | $10 – aged 6 -12 | Free – aged 5 and under.

Free transportation and admission to Three Sisters Springs and the new Friends of the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge visitor’s center will also be included in your festival entry! Buses will be picking up and dropping off from the gate at 5th street from 9AM – 3:30PM both days. World-famous Three Sisters Springs is the perfect setting to view the majestic manatee in its natural environment without getting your feet wet! Hundreds of manatees flock to the springs every year during Manatee Season (November 15th – March 31st) as refuge from the cold, utilizing the springs’ consistent 72-degree waters to regulate their body temperature at a healthy level.

Musical entertainment will be ongoing both days from four stages. The Main Stage at Kings Bay Park will feature music all weekend long opening Saturday with an outstanding Jimmy Buffet Tribute, The Caribbean Chillers from 10:30am – 1:30pm followed by headliner Six Gun from 2:30PM – 5PM. Also Saturday, look for Gypsy Sparrow from 10AM -1PM at the Pumphouse stage. Sunday, we are excited to welcome Barefoot Bob & The Hope from 10am – 1pm to the Mainstage followed by headliner, MoonFlower – The Spirit of Santana, from 2:30pm – 4pm. You will also find local flavor scattered amongst the additional stages including Jekyll & Hyde at Little Springs Parks from 1pm – 4pm, Reggie Stacey from 10am – 1pm in Heritage Village, and Jeffrey Ekhoff at the Pumphouse Stage from 10am -1pm. But that’s not all! A full lineup with days and times can be found on our website, updates will be made as the entertainment is booked!

Additionally, a vast array of fine art, craft, commercial, and non-profit vendors will line the streets alongside our resident businesses that fill in the charmingly picturesque setting that makes up the heart and soul of our beautiful downtown.

For the cultural connoisseurs, “Art in the Park” will be held in Crystal River’s beautiful Town Square, offering the perfect setting to browse and purchase an original piece of art for your home, business or as a wearable piece of jewelry that will be a treasure of special meaning forever. New this year, we are excited to welcome the Twistid Arts Initiative as an interactive feature that will offer a creative outlet for attendees at the Pumphouse, adjacent to Art in the Park.

For the kiddos, a Kids Zone and fun activities will span throughout the festival. Some of the activities the Florida Manatee festival has been known to host includes inflatables, face painting, a human catapult, human waterwheel, carnival food and more! For the adults, there will be more food, along with beer and wine gardens near the main music stage and throughout the festival.

With something to please everyone, the 37th Annual Florida Manatee Festival is the place to go! For more information: www.GoManateeFest.com, www.facebook.com/FloridaManateeFestival, or 352-795-3149.

—

What: 37th Annual Florida Manatee Festival
When: Saturday, Jan. 13, 9 am – 5 pm; and Sunday, Jan. 14, 9 am – 4 pm
Cost: $10 per person, age 12 and under free | SPECIAL: Get $5 off up to four entries on SUNDAY only with the Citrus County Chronicle coupon.
Where: Downtown Crystal River, at the intersection of Citrus Avenue and U.S. 19, stretching up through the shops and restaurants of Heritage Village and surrounding areas, down to the waterside area along Kings Bay.
Parking: Free parking is available at Crystal River High School with free shuttles to the festival gates. Parking downtown is strongly discouraged due to short supply and the safety of guests, staff, and volunteers walking the festival perimeter.