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Join Us in Cedar Key
PLEASE NOTE that the
2025 Festival is a 1-day Event Cedar Key is a quiet island community which has long been admired for its natural beauty, abundant seafood and old Florida history. Located in the center of Florida’s Nature Coast, 50 miles southwest of Gainesville, the town itself sits three miles out into the Gulf of Mexico at the western end of State Road 24. The population is approximately 800 full time residents.
Cedar Key is a haven for artists, writers and “adventure” tourists who find the unspoiled environment their inspiration. Others come for fishing, bird watching, hiking, kayaking or just plain relaxing. The variety of natural habitats, from salt marshes to Indian shell mounds, makes this truly a nature lover’s paradise.
The small-town feeling is absolute – transportation is by car, but the road is shared with bicycles, golf-carts, runners and walkers, all of whom enjoy sharing a welcoming wave and the message “slow down, you’re on island time.” The nearest major airports are Tampa and Orlando; there’s a regional airport in Gainesville, and an airstrip on the island where many small plane enthusiasts land (http://www.cedarkeyairport.org).
Other things to do include visiting the Cedar Key Arts Center, local Art Co-ops and other gift shops, the Historical Society and State Museum. There are golf carts and boats to rent, or you can arrange guided tours. And, of course there are numerous places to eat, drink and relax along the waterfront or on Historic 2nd Street which will take you back in time. A good place to start your visit is at the Cedar Key Welcome Center located at 450 2nd Street right across from the Cedar Key Arts Center.
Be sure to make reservations early for the Old Florida Celebration of the Arts in April and the Seafood Festival the 3rd weekend of October as rooms book-up fast.
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