The Florida Manatee Festival returns for its 37th year to the manatee capital of the world, downtown Crystal River, on Saturday and Sunday, January 13th & 14th! Produced by The Citrus County Chamber of Commerce, we are pleased to welcome Bailey Electric & Signs as our presenting sponsor for the third year in a row. Entry is only $10 for adults, age 12 and under are free. Additionally, we are excited to offer a special with our partners at The Citrus County Chronicle. Sunday is Citrus County Day, just pick up a Citrus County Chronicle on your way to the festival and get $5-OFF up to FOUR adult entries with the coupon on the front cover.

The Florida Manatee Festival is consistently rated by attendees as one of the best outdoor events in Citrus County! Featuring a wide selection of delicious cuisine choices, the Florida Manatee Festival is pleased to offer a tasty selection of delectable delights at the food court right near the main stage in Kings Bay Park, and a second food court near the gazebo stage in Little Springs Park.

Schedule:
Saturday January 13,2024

9am - Festival Begins

FOOD COURT
BEER & WINE GARDEN
ART IN THE PARK
CRAFT VENDORS
KIDS ZONES
STREET ENTERTAINMENT
HIPPIE VILLAGE AT HERITAGE

Art in the Park-Saturday, January 13, 2024 9:00am - 5:00pm

Are you ready to embark on an artistic adventure like no other? Join us on January 13th & 14th in Crystal River, the Manatee Capital of the world, and step into a world of creativity at our captivating "Art in the Park" attraction.

Location: Crystal River Town Square

Manatee Boat Tours of Kings Bay- Saturday, January 13, 2024 9:30am - 4:30pm

What: The Manatee Eco Tourism Association (M.E.T.A.) represented by Crystal River Watersports, S.E.A. Education Adventures, Plantation Adventure Center and River Ventures will provide manatee tours on Kings Bay. Tours are approximately 30 minutes and are available on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the day, weather permitting. When: Saturday - the first tour leaves the dock at 9:30 a.m. and the last ride leaves at 4:30 p.m. Cost: Tours are $15 for adults; $10 for children 6 – 12 years and children 5 and younger are free. Purchase tickets for these tours at the boat dock only. Where: You can see the boat ride location on the map. It is on the west side (water side) of U.S. 19 at the end of N.W. Third Street.

Pricing
Cost: Tours are $10 for adults; $5 for children 6 – 12 years and children 5 and younger are free. Purchase tickets for these tours at the boat dock only.

Soccer Collies - Interactive Entertainment-Saturday, January 13, 2024 9:45am - 4:45pm

The Florida Manatee Festival is happy to welcome a NEW interactive entertainment addition with Soccer Collies! Kids of all ages (and even adults) won’t want to miss this fun and exciting attraction as the Soccer Collies take on festival attendees once an hour beginning at 9:45 a.m. Participants will line up in a circle around the trained dogs as they use their skills to score “goals”, pushing the ball outside of the human goalie line. Think you have what it takes to take on the Soccer Collies? Join us at the 37th Annual Florida Manatee Festival to find out! This is a free event to participate in. Showtimes: 945 a.m. 10:45 a.m. 11:45 a.m. 12:45 p.m. 1:45 p.m. 2:45 p.m. 3:45 p.m. 4:45 p.m.

Location: Florida Manatee Festival
Bandshell in Kings Bay Park
Crystal River, United States

Gypsy Sparrow LIVE on the Pump House stage-Saturday, January 13, 2024 10:00am - 1:00pm

We are excited to welcome local favorite and vocal powerhouse, Gypsy Sparrow, to the 37th annual Florida Manatee Festival on Saturday, January 13th, from 10am - 1pm at the Pump House stage near Art in the Park.

Community Color Project with Twistid Arts Initiative-Saturday, January 13, 2024 10:00am - 5:00pm

Work alongside the Twistid Arts Initiative Artists to complete a beautiful community-driven mural at the Splash Pad by the Pump House in downtown Crystal River. Open to all ages! No cost to join, donations are appreciated to benefit the Twistid Arts Initiative.

Caribbean Chillers LIVE in Kings Bay Park-Saturday, January 13, 2024 10:30AM - 1:30PM

Florida's Favorite Jimmy Buffet Tribute will be on the waterfront mainstage in Kings Bay Park on Saturday, January 13th from 10:30am - 1:30am.

SIX GUN LIVE in Kings Bay Park-Saturday, January 13, 2024 2:30PM - 5:00PM

We are VERY excited to announce our headliner for Saturday's main-stage entertainment, Six Gun, accompanied by up-and-coming superstar Sada Davidson out of Jacksonville! This is a show you won't want to miss! Catch them at the waterfront in Kings Bay Park on Saturday, January 13th, beginning at 2:30 PM! All musical entertainment is included in your festival entry! $10 for adults, 12 and under FREE.

Based out of Virginia, Six Gun is a Southern Rock/ Blues Rock band that delivers the true spirit of Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Ted Nugent, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and many more. While taking great pride in playing the cover songs with little to no improvisation, and paying homage to the iconic bands that originally wrote, and recorded them, Six Gun is also proud of the original material that is currently being written, and recorded.

In addition to performing many headlining shows, Six Gun had the honor to share the stage with members of the Rossington Collins Band, and be an opening band for artists such as Creed Fisher, Tim Montana, and many more.

Location: Kings Bay Park
Waterfront stage in Kings Bay Park

Sunday January14,2024

9am - Festival Begins

Art in the Park - Sunday, January 14, 2024 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Are you ready to embark on an artistic adventure like no other? Join us on January 13th & 14th in Crystal River, the Manatee Capital of the world, and step into a world of creativity at our captivating "Art in the Park" attraction.

Location: Crystal River Town Square

Manatee Boat Tours of Kings Bay - Sunday, January 14, 2024 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM

What: The Manatee Eco-Tourism Association (M.E.T.A.) represented by Crystal River Watersports, S.E.A. Education Adventures, Plantation Adventure Center, and River Ventures will provide manatee tours on Kings Bay. Tours are approximately 30 minutes and are available on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the day, weather

When: Sunday - the first tour leaves the dock at 9:30 a.m. and the last ride leaves at 3:30 p.m.

Cost: Tours are $15 for adults; $10 for children 6 to 12 years and children 5 and younger are free. Purchase tickets for these tours at the boat dock only.

Where: You can see the boat ride location on the map. It is on the west side (water side) of U.S. 19 at the end of N.W. Third Street.

Soccer Collies - Interactive Entertainment- Sunday, January 14, 2024 9:45 AM - 3:45 PM
The Florida Manatee Festival is happy to welcome a NEW interactive entertainment addition with Soccer Collies! Kids of all ages (and even adults) won’t want to miss this fun and exciting attraction as the Soccer Collies take on festival attendees once an hour beginning at 9:45 a.m. Participants will line up in a circle around the trained dogs as they use their skills to score “goals”, pushing the ball outside of the human goalie line. Think you have what it takes to take on the Soccer Collies? Join us at the 36th Annual Florida Manatee Festival to find out! This is a free event to participate in. Showtimes: 945 a.m. 10:45 a.m. 11:45 a.m. 12:45 p.m. 1:45 p.m. 2:45 p.m. 3:45 p.m.

Location: Florida Manatee Festival Bandshell in Kings Bay Park Crystal River, United States

Barefoot Bob & The Hope LIVE in Kings Bay Park-Sunday, January 14, 2024 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Don't miss these local favorites as they grace the Florida Manatee Festival stage once again by Popular Demand! Sunday, January 14th from 10am - 1pm.

Community Color Project with Twistid Arts Initiative-Sunday, January 14, 2024 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Work alongside the Twistid Arts Initiative Artists to complete a beautiful community-driven mural at the Splash Pad by the Pump House in downtown Crystal River. Open to all ages! No cost to join, donations are appreciated to benefit the Twistid Arts Initiative.

Young Artist Showcase: Emily Foster & Grace Powers at the Pump House stage-Sunday, January 14, 2024 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

We are excited to host a young artist showcase featuring Emily Foster and Grace Powers on Sunday, January 14th, from 10am - 1pm at the Pumphouse stage near Art in the Park.

Grace Powers is a young vocalist from Citrus County who graduated from Lecanto High. She loves working with animals and enjoys line dancing. Emily Foster is a native of Citrus County, who sings on the worship team of Crystal River Church of God. She was a featured artist at Manatee Festival in 2019 and is excited to be returning. Emily and Grace are accompanied by Jeffrey Eekhoff, a local school teacher and music instructor. Their music ranges from country to pop/R&B and rock.

Location: Pumphouse Stage at Florida Manatee Festival Pump House Stage near Art in the Park

Jekyll & Hyde LIVE at Little Springs Park- Sunday, January 14, 2024 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Enjoy the sounds of Jekyll & Hyde on Sunday, January 15th from 1 PM -4 PM in Little Springs Park adjacent to the north end food court.

The band Jekyll & Hyde Rocks! is a Citrus County band that was formed in 2022 by Crystal River resident, singer, and guitar player, Bill Coyle.  Bill was playing in an acoustic duo with bassist Mario Panaccione (Citrus Springs) for 3 years when an opportunity came to add lead guitar player and singer Brad Izor (St. Petersburgh) to the band.  In May of 2023, the band added drummer and singer Steve Champagne (Hernando) to their line-up.  Jekyll & Hyde Rocks! plays rock songs from the 60s, 70s, 80's and 90s.  They like to play non-standard songs from bands like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith, Kiss, Scorpions, Lenny Kravitz, Stone Temple Pilots, U2, Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, Bon Jovi, Collective Soul and many more.   In addition to their power rock songs, Jekyll & Hyde Rocks! will perform many acoustic songs during their sets.  Come and hear the power and feel the energy of Jekyll & Hyde Rocks!

Moonflower: The Spirit of Santana LIVE in Kings Bay Park-Sunday, January 14, 2024 2:30pm - 4:00pm

Back by popular demand, Moonflower: The Spirit of Santana will take the Waterfront Main Stage on Sunday, January 14th, from 2:30 pm - 4 pm.

Moonflower is a tribute to the music of Santana performed by 5 musicians whose love for Santana and the music comes first!

Moonflower features Mark Barrios on guitar and vocals, a long-time and well-respected guitarist in the Tampa Bay area. On keys is Brad Trumbull and vocals; Manny Betancourt on percussion and vocals; Howard Kleinfeld on bass; and David Nunez on drums.

The intent of Moonflower is to reproduce the sound, feelings, and excitement of the great music of Santana!

Tickets:  Adults: $10 | 12/Under: FREE

Date: January 13,2024 -January14,2024

Time: 9.00am

Location: Downtown Crystal River

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