The Shrimp 🍤 Festival

Downtown Fernandina Beach where parking is at a premium well $20 a car 🚗 🤑 that's piracy 🏴‍☠️ if you ask me ...... so we must be in the right place 🤣

The festivities begin with the telling of the history of the island and of the Eight flags that have flown over it and that Amelia Island is the only place in America where eight different flags have flown:
French Flag 1562-1564
Spanish Flag 1565-1763 and 1783-1821
British Flag 1763-1783
Patriots Flag 1812 -
With the approval of U.S. President James Madison and Georgia Governor George Mathews in 1812-1813, insurgents known as the "Patriots of Amelia Island" overthrew the Spanish and seized the island
Green Cross Flag 1817 
Scottish born soldier of fortune, Sir Gregor MacGregor, received a document from Lino de Clemente, Pedro Gual, and Martin Thompson, each of whom claimed to speak for one or more of the Latin American republics. They called themselves the "deputies of free America" and called upon MacGregor to take possession of "both the Floridas, East and West" as soon as possible. MacGregor led a small band of musketeers to capture Fort San Carlos and claim the island from its Spanish defenders on June 29, 1817 without either side firing a single shot.
Mexican Revolutionary Flag 1817
Spanish soldiers forced MacGregor's withdrawal, but their attempt to regain complete control was foiled by American irregulars
National Flag of the Confederacy 1861-1862
On January 8, 1861, two days before Florida's secession, Confederate sympathizers (the Third Regiment of Florida Volunteers) took control of Fort Clinch, already abandoned by Federal workers who had been constructing the fort. General Robert E. Lee visited Fort Clinch in November 1861.
United States 1862-Present 
Union forces, consisting of 28 gunboats commanded by Commodore Samuel Dupont, restore Federal control of the island on March 3, 1862 and raise the American Flag. 

Originally Held To Celebrate Blessing of Shrimp Fleet
Fernandina is known as “birthplace of the modern shrimping industry in America.” The Festival began back in 1964 to celebrate the blessing of the shrimp fleet and featured shrimp boat races (formally called the “Shrimp Boat Festival”). This year in 2022, the blessing of the fleet is happening Sunday, May 1st at 1 p.m., followed by the “Decorated Shrimp Boat Parade & Contest.”Read more