Skip to Content

Grant Seafood Festival: March 1-2, 2025

GRANT-VALKARIA, FL — This sprawling rural community on the Indian River has celebrated its heritage as a fishing village every year since 1966, using the proceeds from the Grant Seafood Festival for community projects, a scholarship fund, support for its small library and the Grant Historical House on the Indian River.

We love this stretch of the Indian River Lagoon with its clam beds and oyster bars, an eco-system that nourishes a thriving marine environment with great fishing and great kayaking.

grant seafood festival
Grant Seafood Festival grounds at night (Photo by Lee Spitzkopf)

The Grant Seafood Festival is a community event run by volunteers from the Grant-Valkaria community, population 4,000.

More than 100 crafters and artists from across the country exhibit their creativity during the two-day festival. The Grant Library, next door to the festival site, holds its annual book sale with hundreds of used books on sale. 

The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission and parking are free.

This area is also noted for kayaking and birdwatching opportunities, so plan a long weekend around this festival. 

Driving here on U.S. 1 along the scenic Indian River is half the fun. 


Here’s their story…

The Grant Seafood Festival is one of the longest-running seafood festivals in Florida. Enjoy this promotional video about the festival and its scholarship program, courtesy of the Grant-Valkaria Community Center.


Entertainment at the Grant Seafood Festival

Grant Seafood Festival grant seafood stage Grant Seafood Festival: March 1-2, 2025

Saturday, March 1

  • 2025 entertainment TBA

Sunday, March 2

  • 2025 entertainment TBA

Grant Seafood Festival parking

The village of Grant is on U.S. 1 between Sebastian and Melbourne. For easy access to free parking, follow the signs posted on U.S. 1.

Parking is available at the festival grounds and at nearby Valkaria Airport with shuttles running continuously all day to the festival site.

Grant’s Festival Grounds are located at 4580 1st Street, Grant, Florida 32949.


Visit the festival web site at www.grantseafoodfestival.com


Things to do near Grant

Paddle, hike Turkey Creek in Palm Bay

A scenic kayak outing on Turkey Creek takes you to Palm Bay’s Turkey Creek Sanctuary, where you can explore 3.5 miles of trails. Along the way, see dolphins, manatees and other wildlife. Read more about Turkey Creek.

Surf, fish, camp, paddle Sebastian

There are three well-maintained public campgrounds near Grant with access to the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Sebastian River. Read more about Sebastian Inlet State Park, Long Point Park and Donald MacDonald Park.

St. Sebastian River Preserve

This 22,000-acre wilderness offers 60 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horses. Six primitive campsites allow you to really get away from it all. Read more: Nature gone wild at St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park

Pelican Island: Oldest bird sanctuary in the US

President Teddy Roosevelt created this wildlife refuge in 1903 to stop plume-hunters from ravishing this three-acre island. Spring is a great time to visit. Read more about Pelican Island.


Campgrounds

Donald McDonald Park and Campground (9 miles)

Wickham Park Campground (20 miles)

Sebastian Inlet State Park (22 miles)

Long Point County Park (27 miles)


Places to Stay

Hotels in Palm Bay

Sebastian area Hotels

B&Bs in Sebastian, FLGrant Seafood Festival 2e106o26v0zKPNNPLTNKMLQUURUP Grant Seafood Festival: March 1-2, 2025


All articles on FloridaRambler.com are original, produced exclusively for our readers and protected by U.S. Copyright law. Any use or re-publication without written permission is against the law.

This page contains affiliate links from which Florida Rambler may earn a sall commission when a purchase is made. This revenue supports our mission to produce quality stories about Florida at no cost to you.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Gil

Thursday 27th of February 2020

How is the seafood priced? Is it included in the admission fee or do you pay individually for each item? Thank you,.

Gregory Keyes

Thursday 13th of February 2020

RE: Mr. Roundtree reply. I'm thankful that the Festival fish supply is NOT supplied by the local source available. That would probably wipe it out if they did. Certainly so after a couple of years.

Bob Rountree

Saturday 15th of February 2020

The rising popularity of all seafood festivals has had the same impact. The best you can expect these days are a few select specialties harvested locally. It's not a criticism. It is what it is. In most cases, the seafood is still fresh and likely still from somewhere in Florida.

Larry

Monday 13th of February 2017

You state in your article that the fishing at Grant is awesome, and so is the seafood that we will enjoy at this annual festival. If the eco-system at Grant provides a thriving marine environment for redfish, black drum, spotted sea trout, snook and tarpon, why do the “local” vendors not sell any of the “local” fish at the Grant seafood festival?.

Bob Rountree

Tuesday 14th of February 2017

Hi Larry... The fish species you mention, while thriving in the waters near Grant, can no longer be commercially harvested in Florida by law. You are correct in suggesting that local fish may not make it to "local" seafood festivals. The explanation I have received is that many of these seafood festivals have grown so large, it is impossible for the local fishing industry to fill the demand. As a result, the sponsors increasingly turn to wholesale suppliers such as Sysco for product. Sometimes that means going outside local markets for commercial catches. Such is the case in Grant, which I'm told is supplied by Sysco. I can see where my story might be misleading, and I will correct it to more accurately reflect the source of the seafood used in these festivals today, as opposed to earlier years. My apologies.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.