Scallop Festival Returns to Port St. Joe: Celebrating Community, Coast & the Future of St. Joseph Bay

If you're looking for something fun to do on the Forgotten Coast this Labor Day weekend, one of Port St. Joe's favorite traditions is back!

The 2026 Florida Scallop, Music & Arts Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 5–6, at Gulf County Veterans Memorial Park at Beacon Hill.

And while this year's festival comes with an important change, there's still plenty to celebrate.

A Different Kind of Scallop Season

For generations, scalloping has been part of summertime life around St. Joseph Bay. Families have made memories out on the water, searching the clear shallows for these little treasures of the bay.

This year, however, there won't be a scallop harvest in our local waters.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced in August that the 2026 bay scallop harvest season in the Gulf County Zone is closed after a summer survey found very low bay scallop abundance in St. Joseph Bay. The closure is intended to give the remaining scallops a better opportunity to reproduce and help support future scallop seasons in our area. FWC Article

It's disappointing news for a community that loves this tradition, but it's also a reminder of something we know well here on the Forgotten Coast: We take care of what makes this place special.

And there's good news. While scallop harvesting is closed, St. Joseph Bay remains open for boating, fishing, swimming and other recreational activities.

So this year's festival gives us an opportunity to celebrate the scallop in a different way: by celebrating the community, the culture, the water and our hopes for healthier scallop seasons in the years ahead.

The Festival Is Still On!

The Florida Scallop, Music & Arts Festival is going forward as planned over Labor Day weekend.

Hosted by the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce, the festival brings together the things that make a Forgotten Coast celebration so much fun: music, art, food, vendors and community. The official event listing confirms the festival will take place September 5–6 at Gulf County Veterans Memorial Park at Beacon Hill.

2026 Festival Details

Florida Scallop, Music & Arts Festival

📅 Saturday & Sunday, September 5–6, 2026
📍 Gulf County Veterans Memorial Park at Beacon Hill
📫 8750 W. Hwy 98, Port St. Joe, FL 32456

🎫 Tickets are $10/day, $20/2-day or $5/day with student I.D.

🌟 Kids 12 and under FREE

For the latest information, event details and ticket information, visit the official event listing from the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce here 2026 Scallop Festival

More Than a Festival

What we love about events like this isn't just what's happening on the schedule.

It's the people.

It's running into neighbors you haven't seen in a while. It's supporting local businesses and artists. It's bringing visitors into our community. It's sharing a meal, listening to music and spending time together.

And it's celebrating the natural resources that make this place home.

This year's scallop closure gives us an opportunity to think about the future of St. Joseph Bay and what we can do as a community to help protect it.

We may not be harvesting scallops this year, but we can still celebrate them.

And maybe that's one of the most important things about living on the Forgotten Coast: We understand that taking care of this place today helps ensure that future generations get to experience it, too.

Come Celebrate With Us

Whether you're a lifelong Gulf County resident, a seasonal visitor or someone discovering Port St. Joe for the first time, the Scallop Festival is a great reason to spend part of your Labor Day weekend right here on the Forgotten Coast.

Come enjoy the music.

Browse the local art and vendors.

Grab something delicious to eat.

Visit with friends and neighbors.

And take a little time to appreciate St. Joseph Bay and everything it gives our community.

We'll be cheering for a healthy bay, a strong community and the return of scallop seasons to come.

Happy Scallop Festival weekend from all of us at BeMAJOR Gulf Coast Realty!