Weeki Wachee, Florida – The 30th Anniversary of the Weeki Wachee Swamp Festival will be held on March 3rd, 4th, and 5th at Linda Pedersen Park, 6400 Shoal Line Blvd. The festival will feature arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, the annual swamp monster costume contest, live blacksmithing presented by the Bearded Brotherhood and Florida Artist Blacksmith Association (FABA), prize raffles, and live entertainment.
This event has activities for all ages. It is fun for the whole family. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12, and free for children under 5. They take cash and credit cards at the gate and will have an ATM on the premises. For the very young there will be a baby changing/nursing area for the first time
In 1994, the first swamp festival was held in the parking lot of the Weeki Wachee Area Club to raise funds necessary to repair damage caused by the No Name Storm of 1993. This storm struck on Friday, March 12, 1993, and continued slamming the coast on Saturday. This storm is often referred to as the “Storm of the Century.” It was similar in intensity to a hurricane with gusts of 90 miles per hour but much larger, extending from Cuba to Canada. Locally it created a significant storm surge trapping coastal residents in their homes and largely submerging many houses. The storm caused over $2 billion in damage, most of that in Florida.
In the years since the first festival, Swamp Fest has grown from a small community fundraising festival to an annual event that draws thousands of people and vendors from all over. The proceeds remain in the community helping many local charities.
To this day, the Weeki Wachee Swamp Festival is a non-profit 501(c)(3) run entirely by volunteers, including some of the festival founders. Additional sponsors and volunteers are always welcome.
For more information, please contact Victor Whayman at (352) 345-5538 or visit
the website at swampfestweekiwachee.com.
