This year's Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival's Pirate Parade theme is the <em>Ultimate Shrimp Experience</em>. The parade will begin promptly at 6 :00 p.m., Thursday, May 4, 2017
Historic Fernandina Beach is home to one of the region’s largest hometown parades. This year’s theme is the Ultimate Shrimp Experience. The parade will begin promptly at 6 :00 p.m., Thursday, May 4, 2017, and with spectators lined up three and four people deep for over 16 blocks, there is no better way – for the money – to get in front of a crowd this large and local businesses have signed up! There are almost 100 entries in this parade!!!
There will be decorative floats, walking groups, marching bands, exotic and antique vehicles, and much more. This year’s grand marshal is Jeff “Trapper” Parish.
Parade categories include Non-profit, Commercial, Walking Unit, Band or Performing Unit, Civic Group, Judges Choice, and Special Effects. Awards will be presented on the River Front Stage on Friday, May 5ht. All entries are required to commemorate the shrimping industry by adhering to the Pirate Parade Theme and the parade may not be used as a public forum to air personal opinions, grievances, or to protest any issue.
The Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival is a delicious Northeast Florida tradition being held May 5 – 7, 2017, and is presented by Baptist Medical Center-Nassau. The event kicks-off Thursday, May 4th, with a 6:00 p.m. Pirate Parade in downtown Fernandina Beach. The festival officially opens Friday afternoon with the Geico Kids’ Fun Zone, food booths, a pageant, live music, fireworks, a pirate invasion, river front entertainment, and more. The festival continues Saturday and Sunday with two stages, nearly 400 vendors displaying fine arts, crafts, and antiques. There will be contests, children’s activities, and food booths with lots of shrimp!
