Naples food and wine festivals worth traveling for

The Stone Crab Festival, the Everglades Seafood Festival and the Naples Winter Wine Festival: dates, venues, tickets and drive times, plus what happened to the Marco Island seafood festival.

Updated October 20266 min readBy the Naples Retreat hosts

The Naples Retreat, a private pool home in north Naples — The Naples Retreat, our private pool home in north Naples.

Naples' food calendar follows the stone crab. The season opens October 15, and the best food festivals fall between then and spring. Here are the ones worth planning a trip around, checked in October 2026. Drive times are estimates from north Naples (Pine Ridge Rd & Logan Blvd) and depend on traffic.

At a glance

Festival	Next date	Where	Drive
Naples Stone Crab Festival	Oct 23–25, 2026	Naples Bay waterfront, Tin City	about 20 min
Naples Winter Wine Festival	Jan 29–31, 2027	The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón	about 15 min
Everglades Seafood Festival	Feb 19–21, 2027	In front of City Hall, Everglades City	about 45–50 min
Marco Island Seafood & Music Festival	No edition found since 2020	Veterans Community Park, Marco Island	about 35 min

Naples Stone Crab Festival (October)

Fri–Sun, Oct 23–25, 2026Tin City & Naples Bay waterfrontFree admission (recent years)about 20 min

A waterfront weekend that opens the stone crab season. It kicks off Friday, October 23 at 5 pm with the cracking of the first claw at Tin City, followed by live music. Saturday and Sunday have bands from late morning, and bayfront restaurants serve claws all weekend. In recent years admission was free, parking was $5 at a lot at 388 Goodlette Road South, and free water taxis ran between participating waterfront spots. The 2026 parking and water-taxi details weren't posted on the festival site when we checked, so confirm closer to the date.

Naples Winter Wine Festival (January)

Jan 29–31, 2027The Ritz-Carlton Naples, TiburónPackages from $17,500 per coupleabout 15 min

One of the country's best-known charity wine auctions. Proceeds go to the Naples Children Foundation, and the 2026 festival raised more than $30 million. The 2027 theme is "Hope Sings."

How tickets work: tickets are sold for the whole weekend only, not for single events. The Double Magnum package ($17,500) covers two people for a children's charity tour and luncheon, a vintner dinner in a private home with a car and driver, reserved auction seats, the Wine Down after-party and Sunday brunch. The Jeroboam package ($40,000) covers four people, guaranteed at the same dinner. Ticket inquiries go to the festival office at 239-514-2239. The one exception is The Vintage Cellar on Thursday, a separately ticketed tasting limited to 40 guests.

The live auction is Saturday from 11 am in a tent at the Ritz-Carlton. An online auction, open to anyone, runs January 22 to February 2, 2027.

Everglades Seafood Festival (February)

Fri–Sun, Feb 19–21, 2027102 Copeland Ave N, Everglades City$10 minimum donation Sat & Sunabout 45–50 min

The big one, in its 57th year, with organizers expecting 30,000–40,000 people over three days. It's in the middle of stone crab season in a town built on crabbing, so expect claws, grouper sandwiches and fried shrimp from local fishermen and restaurants, plus live music and carnival rides. Friday night is free with a canned food donation. Saturday and Sunday ask a $10 minimum donation per adult. Beer and ride tickets are cash only, and there are ATMs on site. Leave lawn chairs, coolers and pets at home. The 2027 music lineup hadn't been announced in October 2026.

Make a day of it: the new Everglades National Park visitor center and the Ten Thousand Islands boat tours are a few minutes away. See our day trips guide.

Marco Island Seafood & Music Festival (March)

We couldn't confirm it still runs

This Rotary and Kiwanis fundraiser was held at Veterans Community Park, usually the third weekend in March. The 2020 festival was canceled for COVID-19, and we found no edition since, no announced 2027 date, and the festival's old website now belongs to an unrelated business. Don't plan a trip around it unless the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce announces dates. Marco's restaurants still serve stone crab all season.

Stone crab season basics

Season: October 15 to May 1 in Florida waters. It closes May 2.
Only the claws are taken. Crabbers keep legal-size claws (at least 2 7/8 inches) and return the crab to the water. Claws can't be taken from egg-bearing females.
Served cold, already cooked and cracked, usually with mustard sauce. Prices go by claw size and change with the catch, so ask the day's price.
Ask what came in that day. Restaurants near the docks often have claws off the boat within 24 hours.

Where to eat stone crab

Naples: Pinchers at Tin City for casual dockside claws; Kelly's Fish House Dining Room on the Gordon River, the old-school choice; Truluck's and Swan River Seafood for a sit-down dinner. Each is about 20 minutes away.
Everglades City: Grimm's Stone Crab, City Seafood and Triad Seafood Market & Café, right where the boats unload.
Goodland and Marco Island: Kirk Fish Company and The Little Bar in Goodland, or The Oyster Society and CJ's on the Bay on Marco.
To eat at home: buy cooked claws from a fish market and serve them cold. There's nothing to cook.

Tips

Wine festival weekend and February are peak season. Book your stay early, and book restaurants for the same nights.
For the Everglades Seafood Festival, bring cash and go early on Saturday.
For the Stone Crab Festival, park once and use the water taxis between restaurants, if they run.
Dates can change. Check each official site the week before you go.

Stay at The Naples Retreat

Bring the claws home: the tiki cabana has an outdoor kitchen and grill, and the open kitchen has double ovens for a crowd. Up to 13 guests sleep in 4 bedrooms, with a private saltwater pool, spa and fire pit for after.

Check dates & price

Quick answers

When is stone crab season in Naples?

October 15 to May 1. Only the claws are harvested, and the crab is returned to the water.

When is the Naples Stone Crab Festival 2026?

Friday, October 23 to Sunday, October 25, 2026, around Tin City and the Naples Bay waterfront. Admission has been free in recent years.

How much are Naples Winter Wine Festival tickets?

Tickets are sold as weekend packages only. The Double Magnum package is $17,500 for two people, and the Jeroboam package is $40,000 for four. The 2027 festival is January 29–31 at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón.

When is the Everglades Seafood Festival 2027?

February 19–21, 2027, in front of City Hall in Everglades City, about 45–50 minutes from north Naples. Friday night is free with a canned food donation; Saturday and Sunday ask a $10 minimum donation.

More Naples guides

Sources (checked October 2026). Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.