MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A longtime tradition is making its return this weekend.

The Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival is back.

The event was canceled last year due to the pandemic.

What You Need To Know

This is a very important event for the commercial fishing industry. The festival runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.   

It promotes the working fishing village that produces a lot of seafood people eat all over Florida.

Organizers call this authentic Florida event a “party with a purpose.”

Money raised here goes to supporting local conservation efforts to keep the fishing village going.

Organizers have been preparing for this festival for weeks. It’s led by volunteers with the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH).

Money raised today goes to the nearby FISH preserve they take care of, which is 95 acres of undeveloped land.

It’s is a big habitat for marine life.

Preserving that land keeps the Cortez fishing village going and providing seafood all over the state.

“A lot of that Florida seafood crosses the docks in Cortez,” said Angela Collins, a Florida Sea Grant Agent.  “So protecting the culture and these working waterfronts where commercial seafood is produced is really important for our local and state economy.”