St. Armands Seafood and Music Festival to premiere later this month

St. Armands Circle Park will be a little louder and fishier May 20-21, but, it will all be in good fun.

During those two days, Paragon Fine Art Festivals is bringing its parade of seafood and music festivals to St. Armands. The company already plans the Venice Seafood & Music Festival, the Siesta Beach Seafood & Music Festival and the Sarasota Seafood & Music Festival and at least 18 others. Through those, the company has developed the right template for the festival, event director Bill Kinney said.

The St. Armands Seafood and Music Festival will encompass every aspect of the park from the entrance and passageways of the Circle to the grassy park, Kinney said. He’s confident the festival will be one of the best.

“It’s multifaceted, and it’s well planned, everything from the music to the seating … ”  he said.

Instead of counting the number of vendors, Kinney measures in footage. Right now, about 400 to 500 feet of food will be available at the festival. From paella and jambalaya to crab cakes and fish sandwiches, Kinney said a wide variety is planned.

“One of our conditions is there must be a local, indigenous and sustainable fish on the menu,” he said.

Aside from the food selection, the festival’s other big component is music.

“That vein runs through all of our events,” Kinney said.

Kinney and the company are working to book bands that locals know and grew up with.

“We’re targeting a specific demographic, and that demographic is decided primarily by our music,” he said. “We have jazz, classic rock ‘n’ roll, reggae, calypso.”

In addition to seafood and music, the Humane Society of Sarasota County, which is co-sponsoring the event, will have its Big Mac mobile adoption center on-site.

“This is our first time hosting the St. Armands Seafood Festival, so we’re looking forward to a great weekend of food and fun. Paragon Fine Arts Festivals are wonderful partners of ours that continuously support HSSC,” a statement from the Humane Society said. “We have had wonderful adoptions at Paragon’s events and they’re a great way for us to share our mission with the community.”