# 67th annual Shrimp Festival on Fort Myers Beach

## Article Details

**Reporter:** Maddie Herron  
**Writer:** Carolina Guzman  
**Published:** March 7, 2025  
**Updated:** March 8, 2025

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The 67th annual  Shrimp Festival kicks off tomorrow, promising a weekend full of fun, family activities, and, of course, loads of shrimp.

The festival kicks off with the Kids Fun Run on Saturday, leading up to a packed weekend of activities.

To accommodate the festival’s festivities, the Matanzas Pass Bridge will close at 8:30 a.m. until noon.

The event will feature a parade, a 5K run, and a shrimp eating contest, offering something for everyone.

“I’m gonna eat all the shrimp! All of it. Let’s go!” said Joey Ciaramitaro, a Massachusetts resident.

The Lions Club Shrimp Festival is gearing up for its long-standing tradition, with vendors and restaurants preparing for Saturday’s parade.

“We’re all about seafood. That’s why we’re here,” said Ciaramitaro, who runs a lobster company in Massachusetts.

Ciaramitaro praised the local shrimp, saying, “The best shrimp in the entire nation comes out of these boats right here.”

Grant Erickson, one of the last shrimpers on Fort Myers Beach, shared his optimism about the festival and his business’s recovery from Hurricane Ian in 2022.

“There’s been a great harvest of shrimp this year. We’re happy about that. We’re still recovering from Hurricane Ian,” said Erickson.

Erickson also mentioned the impact of a potential tariff on shrimp imported from Mexico, which could increase the value of local wild-caught shrimp.

“There’s a lot of shrimp that comes from Mexico into the US market, so if they put a 25% tariff on it that competes directly with our wild caught shrimp and makes ours more valuable,” Erickson said.

The Queens Pageant will also take place on Saturday.

The festival concludes on Sunday with the Blessing of the Fleet and the Shrimp Eating Championship.

The Lions Club encourages everyone to book accommodations and clear their calendars for this fun-filled celebration.

The festival will feature over 1,000 pounds of what the shrimpers call “pink gold,” making it an event not to be missed.

For more information on this annual Southwest Florida tradition, visit the festival’s page .

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