Port St. Joe Rocks and Rolls During Florida Scallop and Music Festival

A long-standing Florida tradition returns for the 14th year this August.

In a celebration of the Gulf region and Florida’s “Forgotten Coast,” the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce hosts the Florida Scallop & Music Festival, formerly known as the St. Joseph Bay Scallop Festival, which brings music, arts and crafts and the ocean’s bounty to the Waterfront at Shipyard Cove Aug. 6-8. A weekend of fun with attractions from local businesses and concerts at an inexpensive price gives the Southeast an easy way to experience the best of the Port St. Joe area while supporting the economy and culture of Florida’s Gulf area.

The kickoff on Friday features the all-day Scallop Festival Sidewalk Sale, where local vendors and artists will showcase their best. General festivities begin on Saturday with the traditional opening ceremony. Guests can peruse the merchandise of many artists and craft vendors throughout the day and enjoy live music from artists such as Eric Lindell, Amanda Shaw, The Tams and Honey Island Swamp Band.

The Bo Spring Band kicks off the festival’s music lineup at the Waterfront Shipyard Cove Park on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

Amanda Shaw will take the stage at 2 p.m. As a fiddler, Shaw is known for commanding the attention of her audience with a poignant and rhythmic sound that only a Louisiana prodigy could deliver. At the age of 19, Amanda Shaw is a powerful performer, composer and arranger who toured nationally and internationally since she was eight years old.

The festival’s performances continue at 4:30 p.m. with the sounds of the Honey Island Swamp Band, recently named 2009’s Best Emerging Artist by New Orleans’s renowned Offbeat Magazine.

Saturday’s concerts conclude with singer-songwriter Eric Lindell at 7:30 p.m. Lindell’s combination of sweet, blue-eyed soul with groove-laden R&B, swamp pop, funk and blues has won him critical and popular acclaim across the country. His live shows draw as much attention as his recorded material. Lindell’s unstoppable grooves, original songs and excellent musicianship always bring the crowd to their feet.

The fun continues on Sunday with returning vendors and activities, as well as live music from The Tams, Treme Brass Band, On Call featuring Hulon Crayton and Finding the Key.

The music will start at 12:00 p.m. and continue throughout the day until 4:30 p.m. when The Tams take the stage. The Tams formed in Atlanta in the early ’60s and got their start by performing in local night spots. Fast forward 40 years later and they are now known a variety of hits including “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy.”  The Tams performed with Jimmy Buffet during his Beach House on the Moon tour and have also toured with Gladys Knight and Jackie Wilson.

With a wide variety of musical talent this year, the Florida Scallop & Music Festival has performances lined up for every taste in music. For more information on the Florida Scallop & Music Festival, visit www.floridascallopfestival.com, follow the festival on Twitter at www.twitter.com/flascallopfest, or find the festival on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/3anpjx8.