The month of March is a good one for food and drink, as three festivals grace our shores from Collier County to Lee County. Raise your glasses first to the Naples Craft Beer Fest (naplescraftbeerfest.com), returning to Bayfront on March 5. Local eateries prepare specific pairings to go well with brews from around the country, of course including local suds. The Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival (fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com) follows March 12-13, now in its 58th year. The parade down Estero Boulevard and idiosyncratic crowning of Shrimp Festival Queen are highlights of the event, topped only by hoards of the fresh “pink gold” itself at the center of the celebration. March 18-20, the Marco Island Seafood Festival (marcoislandseafoodandmusicfestival.com) caps off the epicurean merriments. Scrumptious seafood from grouper to stone crab is matched by homegrown tunes, plus arts and crafts. Each event gives back to local causes, to boot.
