December means cooler weather soon, but you can always drive a bit south and enjoy a sunny, seafood-filled day on the beach to remind yourself why you live here in the first place.

This year’s rendition of the Siesta Beach Seafood & Music Festival spans three days and features dozens of fish mongers, a marketplace of local artisan vendors and lots of family-friendly fun. Organizers say that all of the festival’s seafood offerings are fresh and cooked on-site at Siesta Beach Park, featuring “fresh, local and sustainable ocean resources from the Florida Gulf Coast.” Both alcoholic and N/A beverages will be available for purchase throughout the festival grounds.

The event’s three-day live music lineup features local artists like popular blues guitarist Damon Fowler, Port Charlotte-based Gas House Gorillas and Florida Music Hall of Fame inductee Sean Chambers performing genres like rock, blues, reggae and Americana.

There’s no cover for the Siesta Beach Seafood & Music Festival happening Friday-Sunday, Dec. 1-3 at Siesta Beach Park.
Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

This article appears in Nov 23-29, 2023.