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Levy County, the Nature Coast

Cedar Key, Florida: the island that farms clams

An old island port on the Gulf, about 60 miles west of Gainesville, where former net fishermen learned to farm clams and built a new industry. Here is how Clamalot came to be, the two festivals that fill its streets, and a pot of steamed clams for home.

A shaker of RiverKingz All Purpose Rub on a camp table at a beach campsite at sunset

From nets to clam bags

Cedar Key is a small city on an island in the Gulf off the Levy County coast, counted at 744 people in the government's 2025 population estimate. It is one of Florida's old ports, and its first town stood on nearby Atsena Otie Key, home to a pencil wood factory until a hurricane and a 10 foot surge flattened it in 1896. Today Atsena Otie is part of the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge.

The modern story is clams. UF/IFAS reports that Cedar Key started farming hard clams from scratch in 1993 and quickly became the top producer of cultured hard clams in the country. The work grew out of job retraining programs run with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution and UF/IFAS. From 1991, more than 200 out of work oyster harvesters and net fishermen in Cedar Key were trained and set up as small clam farms, and Florida's 1994 statewide net ban pushed more fishermen into the trade.

Clam farming here runs in three steps, according to UF/IFAS shellfish agent Leslie Sturmer. Seed comes from land based hatcheries, grows in nurseries, then goes into soft mesh bags planted on submerged land leased from the state until the clams reach market size. The town earned the nickname Clamalot for its ideal growing conditions, and UF/IFAS once pointed to the new pickup trucks around town, used to haul clams, as proof of what the farms meant.

Heat, storms and the next crop

The farms have had hard years. Florida Sea Grant says Hurricane Idalia hit Cedar Key severely in August 2023, and growers have also lost clams during long hot summers. In 2024 Sea Grant funded a project led by Sturmer, with the Cedar Key Aquaculture Association and the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, to find out what is killing clams and help growers adjust.

For a cook, the payoff is simple. Cedar Key clams are shipped live in the shell, and Florida Rambler notes that clams harvested here in the morning can be on a restaurant table across the country the next day. If you are in town, buy a bag from a local seafood market; if not, look for Florida farm raised clams at your fish counter.

What is in season

The Cedar Key calendar

Wild harvest dates follow FWC rules. The farms work every month, though Levy County's growing waters can be closed for a spell after a big rain.

  1. Old Florida Celebration of the Arts on 2nd Street and in City ParkEarly AprilIn season now
  2. No wild oystering in Levy County waters from June through AugustSummer Official datesIn season now
  3. Scallopers spread out over the grass south of the Suwannee; the zone closes Sept. 24Jul. 1 into late September Official datesIn season now
  4. Cedar Key Seafood FestivalThird weekend of OctoberIn season now
  5. Stone crab claws come back into the marketsMid October to the first of May Official datesIn season now
  6. Farm raised clams come off the leases; hobby clammers may keep 5 gallons a dayEvery monthIn season now

Festivals and events

Two weekends on 2nd Street

One is about seafood and one is about art. Both fill the old downtown, so expect to park on a side street and walk a few blocks. Dates update every month: confirmed means the organizers posted it, expected means it follows the usual pattern.

Cedar Key Seafood Festival

A weekend in mid October, Saturday and Sunday, organized by the Cedar Key Lions Club

Next Expected October 16 to 17, 2027

Local seafood from community booths, including clam chowders, oysters and smoked mullet dip, more than 100 arts and crafts exhibits, music and a Saturday parade. Boat shuttles run to Seahorse Key, whose lighthouse was first lit in 1854.

Official siteAdd to Google Calendar

The next twelve months in Cedar Key

  1. Nov2026
  2. Dec
  3. Jan2027
  4. Feb
  5. Mar
  6. Apr3
  7. May
  8. Jun
  9. Jul
  10. Aug
  11. Sep
  12. Oct16

Eat and shop local

Where to eat and what to bring home from Cedar Key

The places we would send a friend: kitchens locals swear by and shops worth the stop. Every one was open when we checked in October 2026. Hours run seasonal on the coast, so call ahead.

Cedar Key is still recovering from Idalia (2023) and Helene (2024). Several Dock Street restaurants are rebuilding, the town has no full grocery store yet, and many places close one or two days midweek. Check hours before you go.

Where to eat 8 picks, 2 on the water

  1. Island Hotel Restaurant and Neptune Lounge

    Historic hotel dining room

    Dinner in an 1859 hotel that came through Helene dry. Start with the original hearts of palm salad or the crab bisque, then the clams Island Hotel, and have a drink under the old murals in the Neptune Lounge.

    373 2nd St, downtownislandhotel-cedarkey.com

  2. 2nd Street Cafe

    Breakfast and lunch cafe

    The busy breakfast spot downtown, open early every day. Get a skillet, the blueberry French toast skillet or the Southern shrimp omelet.

    434 2nd St, next to the Welcome CenterFacebook

  3. Annie's Cafe

    Water view breakfastWater view

    A small cafe with a deck over the water, good for made to order omelets and biscuits and gravy in the morning and a shrimp sandwich at lunch. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

    609 6th Stflorida-backroads-travel.com

  4. Jaybird's Chicken and Dock Street Dips

    Fried chicken and ice cream

    A counter on Dock Street for scratch fried chicken tacos and fresh biscuits, with ice cream from the Dock Street Dips side.

    491 Dock StFacebook

  5. Tipsy Cow Bar & Grill

    Upstairs Dock Street grillWater view

    Rebuilt and reopened in 2025 after Helene destroyed it. Grouper sandwiches, grouper tacos and burgers upstairs over the water, with live music some days.

    360 Dock St, upstairsFacebook

  6. The Prickly Palm

    Coffee and smoothie bar

    Morning coffee with house flavorings, fruit bowls and smoothies like the Green Sea Turtle, plus breakfast tacos and paninis.

    495 2nd Stthepricklypalm.com

  7. Cedar Key Island Bakery

    Bakery

    Donuts are the draw, along with biscuits, cinnamon rolls, pies and cakes to take back to the room.

    315 2nd Stckislandbakery.com

  8. FishBonz on Third

    Weekday lunch counter

    A weekday breakfast and lunch stop a block off the main street for Cuban sandwiches and Philly style subs.

    3rd StreetFacebook

Souvenirs and local shops 3 picks

  1. Cedar Keyhole Artist Co-Op

    Local artist cooperative

    Work from about 25 local artists, from pine needle baskets and pottery to jewelry, glass and paintings of the islands.

    457 2nd St, Cedar Key Arts CenterFacebook

  2. Main Street Mercantile

    Gift shop and candy

    A gift shop in the 1872 Lutterloh Building with Cedar Key ornaments, made in USA goods, candy and packaged foods.

    497 2nd StFacebook

  3. Dilly Dally Gally

    Dock Street gift shop

    Back open after the 2024 storms, with Cedar Key tees, women's clothing, jewelry and kids' gifts.

    390 Dock Stdillydallygally.com

From the lineup

Three bottles for Clamalot

A clam carries its own sea salt, so the seasoning has to step lightly.

RiverKingz All Purpose Rub

Mild, 4 oz, $9

Our all purpose rub keeps salt to about 10 percent, so briny clams do not end up oversalted. Melt it into the butter first.

Grand Isle Hook Set Sauce

Some Heat, 8 fl oz, $12

Roasted red pepper heat with a squeeze of lime at the end. Shake it into the steaming broth just before serving.

Port A Shrimp Shack

Some Heat, 3.5 oz, $9

If the clam pot grows into a full boil with shrimp and corn, this is the blend for it, wet or dry.

Cook it at home

Steamed Cedar Key clams in garlic butter broth

Farm raised clams come clean, so there is little to do but steam them open. The broth left in the pot is half the point; have bread ready.

What you need

  • 4 dozen hard clams, littleneck size
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp RiverKingz All Purpose Rub
  • 1 cup dry white wine or light beer
  • 1 lemon, chopped parsley and crusty bread
  • Hook Set, our hot sauce, to finish

How it goes

  1. Scrub the clams under cold water. Throw out any with cracked shells or that stay open when tapped.
  2. Warm a wide pot over medium heat, add the butter, and once it foams stir in the RiverKingz for 30 seconds.
  3. Pour in the wine or beer and let it come up to a rolling bubble.
  4. Add the clams, cover tightly and steam 5 to 8 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until the shells open.
  5. Lift the clams into bowls, throwing out any that did not open. Squeeze lemon into the broth, add parsley and Hook Set to taste, then ladle the broth over the bowls.
Worth knowing. Pull clams out as they open rather than waiting for the last one. Overcooked clams turn tough in a minute.

Another one from our kitchen: Grilled Gulf Oysters

Questions

Questions about Cedar Key

Why is Cedar Key known for clams?

Former oyster harvesters and net fishermen were retrained as clam farmers starting in 1991, and Cedar Key began farming hard clams in 1993. UF/IFAS reports it quickly became the leading producer of farm raised hard clams in the country.

When is the Cedar Key Seafood Festival?

In mid October. The 2026 festival ran October 17 and 18, organized by the Cedar Key Lions Club. The Lions had not posted a 2027 date yet.

When is scallop season near Cedar Key?

From the first of July until September 24. Cedar Key sits in the state zone that also takes in Crystal River and Homosassa. Each person may keep two gallons in the shell or a pint shucked, and a boat may hold no more than ten gallons.

Can you dig your own clams at Cedar Key?

Recreational hard clam harvest is open all year with a Florida saltwater license, 5 gallons per person and 10 per boat a day, clams at least 1 inch thick. Farm leases are off limits, and wild clamming is allowed only in waters the agriculture department has classified as open.

Do you ship to Cedar Key?

Yes. We ship anywhere in the U.S. Orders go out within two business days, and shipping is free over $45.

Run a shop, market or kitchen in Cedar Key? Carry JollyGringo'z by the case. Tell us about the shop and the price sheet, the case packs and a sample bottle come straight back.

Get the price sheet

Keep going

More Florida towns near Cedar Key

Dixie County

Horseshoe Beach, Florida

A tiny Gulf fishing town rebuilding after Idalia and Helene

Taylor County

Steinhatchee, Florida

Florida's earliest bay scallop opener and a February Fiddler Crab Festival

Citrus County

Crystal River, Florida

Kings Bay springs, summer bay scallops and a November stone crab street party

Citrus County

Homosassa, Florida

An old Gulf fishing village, river manatees and a 50 year seafood festival

All 47 Florida town guides

Before you go

The organizers

More from us

Where our facts come from

We checked every date and title on this page against these sources in October 2026. Festival dates move, so confirm with the organizers before you travel.

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