Fireworks lit the way for midnight departure of the Keys Fisheries lobster fleet at the market’s annual Blessing of the Fleet on Aug. 1.
Starting the night with a dance party and complimentary buffet at the market’s upstairs tiki bar, patrons later joined St. Columba Episcopal Church’s Rev. Debra Maconaughey and San Pablo Catholic Church’s Father Oscar Perez Dudamel for a blessing of the boats, their captains and crew as the vessels fired up their engines.
The upstairs bar, known for its annual name-swap, will go by Shannon’s Shuck Shack in 2025-26, Keys Fisheries’ staff announced. The watering hole’s new name will carry on the memory of beloved bartender Shannon Gosselin, who passed away in 2021 after a battle with cancer. Since 2022, Gosselin’s name has been incorporated into the bar’s moniker each year, most recently with Shannon’s Crab Trap in 2024-25.
