Lionfish Festival

In February of 2015, a Resolution declared the first Saturday after Mother’s Day each year as Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day. FWC hosts the Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day (LRAD) Festival on this date each year to continue to spread outreach about the lionfish invasion and to celebrate those who work to control the invasion.

The two-day festival is typically headquartered in the Panhandle with satellite events sometimes occurring around the state. The festival brings in thousands of visitors each year to learn about lionfish, taste samples, and enjoy a variety of events and vendors.

This isn’t your average festival, however, because the event also coincides with a huge lionfish tournament. As with many previous years, this year’s festival will happen alongside the largest lionfish tournament in the world, the Emerald Coast Open. The Emerald Coast Open is an annual event put on in Destin, FL. Each year, the tournament brings in tens of thousands of lionfish from around the state. The final tournament weigh-in and awards ceremony will be happening LIVE during the LRAD Festival.

Be a part of the Largest Lionfish Tournament in history! Do your part to remove invasive lionfish and win CASH awards – large payouts for most, largest, and smallest lionfish categories. Tens of thousands of dollars of gear prizes will also be given out to raffle winners.

The Emerald Coast Open will be held in conjunction with a marine conservation festival and Lionfish and Libations beer/wine and food event hosted by HarborWalk Village. Bring your friends and family for an amazing festival to learn about lionfish, check out lionfish products, and try out lionfish cuisine from local restaurants. Learn why lionfish are such a big problem and what you can do to help!

• Pre-Tournament: February 1 – May 15, 2025
• Main Tournament: May 17-18, 2025
• Final Weigh In: May 18, 2025