It’s here! The 37th Annual Original Marathon Seafood Festival is this weekend! As I mentioned in last week’s column, everyone knows that the real star of the show is the fresh Florida Keys seafood, and the Festival itself is a celebration of our commercial fishermen and their contribution to our community throughout the years. There are, however, a few other things going on at our Seafood Festival as well! Grab a lobster dinner and some fresh fish, add a refreshing beverage or two, and be sure and shop the more than 200 vendors in our tropical marketplace.
We’re going to highlight our Sunday great lineup of live music this week! The Seafood Festival Committee (comprised of members of both the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce and the Organized Fishermen of Florida, Marathon Chapter) has created a lineup that just might be the best ever for any Seafood Festival! Don’t forget that Saturday’s entertainment includes Jessica Richard’s Tiny Dancers & The Marathon High School Cheerleader Squad, Misery Loves Company, the Doerfels, I-land Vibe, the Regs, and my band, John Bartus & Storm Watch.
Now that we’ve recapped Saturday, let’s highlight the Sunday lineup!
• 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Adrienne & Injade – Sweet and strong vocals with high energy acoustic and electric guitars, all fused together with a tight rhythm section. The music is melodic and catchy and mellows out at times, and features quite a few of Adrienne’s original compositions. Adrienne will lead her band of talented musicians into creating a unique and wonderful sound that is the perfect kickoff to Sunday at the Festival! Some of their songs have a reggae rock feel, while others are acoustic-based rock. Adrienne plays acoustic guitar and sings, accompanied by Chris B on electric guitar, as well as the legendary rhythm section of Rob Garza on bass and Glenn Faast on drums. Find out more on the web at www.adriennemusic.com
• 1 p.m.: Tribute to our Armed Forces & Veterans – The Color Guard from American Legion Post 154 and our local US Coast Guard Color Guard will lead us as we recognize the sacrifices made by the men and women in our nations’ armed services. We’ll pledge allegiance to Old Glory, and Ariana Patterson will lead us in the singing of our National Anthem as we salute our troops and our veterans.
• 1:05 p.m. — 3 p.m.: Amber Leigh – A country music sensation since the age of 10, Amber Leigh will bring her world-class band back to the Seafood Festival again this year! Amber’s music combines the flavors of Country, Celtic, Rock, Pop and Singer/Songwriter styles to produce an energetic sound all her own. Proficient on the fiddle, mandolin, and guitar, Amber’s abilities as a performer and songwriter have won her many devoted fans both in the Keys and around the nation. It’s no surprise that Amber was voted 2012 South Florida Female Vocalist of the Year! Marathon is lucky to still have Amber and her band at this year’s festival, and you’ll want to get there early if you want to get a good close seat. Her band is very much a family band, with proud dad Randy on that beautiful Gibson jumbo guitar! Find out more about Amber on The Country Network (TCN) where both her music videos and her new talk show, Nashville Nights, continue to fuel her exciting career! And on the web, it’s www.amberleigh.com
• 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Mojito – The Southernmost Salsa Band! Mojito plays Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Bolero, and more, inspiring all to want to rise up and dance to the rhythms that speak to everyone’s souls! Veterans of Key West’s sunset celebrations, this talented group of musicians brings the Latin beat alive with an awesome percussion section and a real horn section! Find out more on the web at www.caribeofkeywest.com
Be sure and pick up a copy of The Weekly Newspapers’ Official Seafood Festival Event Program for all the festival information you’ll need! See you at the Festival!!!
