Cortez is putting out the bait for the 41st annual fishing festival.
The Cortez-based Florida Institute of Saltwater Heritage puts the FISH in the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, which will be Feb. 18-19 in the village.
Folks at the volunteer nonprofit run by a 12-member board of directors, say they are ready to open the gates, feed crowds and raise money for FISH work.
FISH manages several properties in the village, including a 98-acre preserve, a boat shop, Fishermen’s Hall and the old Cortez volunteer fire station. The nonprofit formed in 1991 and is dedicated to the promotion, education and preservation of Cortez and Florida’s commercial fishing and other traditional maritime cultures.
Their major fundraiser is the festival, which draws tens of thousands to the oldest working fishing village in the state to celebrate the fishing way of life and the bounty of the local fishery.
The festival celebrates the village’s fishing heritage with music, nautical arts and crafts, children’s activities, dock talks, environmental exhibits and seafood.
FISH treasurer Jane von Hahmann told The Islander Feb. 10, “It’s our only fundraiser for the whole year. We work really hard to raise enough money to pay every bill we have for the year. It basically covers our overhead and pays for anything we need to do on the preserve.”
FISH’s annual overhead is $55,000 and the group hopes to realize at least that much from the festival, she said.
Von Hahmann credited the volunteer base for the festival’s success year after year.
“This year we have 197 unique volunteers,” she said, adding that they’ve lined up 40 arts and crafts vendors, as well as 16 food vendors.
Unique this year is the location for the festival, which honors the 100th anniversary of the Starfish Co. Market.
Starfish Co. was founded by Judge Mills in the 1920s and was purchased by Gaylord Garner in the 1950s. Garner’s son took over the business when he died in the 1980s. Star began as a wholesale seafood market, and began selling retail seafood in the 1960s.
Karen Bell purchased the company and the waterfront property in 1996 and the establishment began restaurant operations, serving customers on the docks.
The festivities will return to their past, at the west end of the village in front of Starfish Co., 12306 46th Ave. W.
The festival theme — “Cortez Kind” — is a nod to the personality of Cortez. A news release said Cortez is “one of a kind because there is no other place like this on Earth.”
Von Hahmann said people will enjoy this year’s event.
“It’s back in the old location, we are celebrating Star’s 100th birthday, we have a funny fisherman’s fashion show and a photo competition that will be shown inside of A.P. Bell,” she said.
Admission will be $5 for adults and children under 12 are free.