Two large manatee festivals celebrate Florida’s beloved manatee every January – one in Orange City and one in Crystal River. These two locations are probably the best places in the state to see manatees in clear water and in great numbers.
Each of these 2013 manatee festivals is expected to draw thousands of people:
The 2013 Orange City Blue Spring Manatee Festival
- When: Jan 26 and 27, 2013.
- Where: Valentine Park, West French Avenue off of Highway 17-92.
- Admission: $8 for adults and $2 for children 4 to 10. Children under 3 are free.
- The main attraction at the Orange City Manatee Festival are shuttle buses to the Blue Spring State Park for manatee viewing.
- Other activities include arts and crafts booths, face-painting, dancing and rides. The event benefits the Friends of Blue Spring State Park, scholarships and other Orange City organizations.
- Festival’s official site.
Crystal River 2013 Florida Manatee Festival
- When: Jan. 19 and 20, 2013
- Where: Downtown Crystal River.
- Admission: Donations are $3 for adults; children under 12 free.
- The key event is an open house at nearby Three Sisters Spring, where manatees are easy to see and watch in the clear spring water. Shuttle buses transport visitors to Three Sisters Spring, which is otherwise only accessible by boat. Three Sisters is one of 30 springs in the Kings Bay area, but it’s the only one accessible from land. There is no parking at the spring, however, so it is only opened to the public four times a year, and this is one of those opportunities. (The last open house of the 2012-13 season will be an open house here from 8 a.m. to noon on Feb. 9, 2013.)
- To park for the festival, go to the southeast corner of the Kings Bay Shopping Plaza parking lot at US 19 and Kings Bay Drive. There are frequent shuttles for $1 to the festival grounds.
- Festival activities include arts and crafts booths, entertainment including a popular Jimmy Buffet sound-alike contest Saturday, a wine and beer garden and big-screen TVs for football fans.
- Festival’s official site.
More about Florida manatees
- Where to see manatees in Florida, a Florida Rambler guide.
- Watch live manatees in real time via the webcam at Blue Spring from Save the Manatee.
- Save the Manatee organization
- Manatee FAQ
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