Calling all parrotheads.
Credit: Mark Hedden/Florida Keys News Bureau
Parrotheads, point the car south. Key West’s biggest Jimmy Buffett celebration kicks off tomorrow.
The third annual Just a Few Friends Festival runs Thursday, Sept. 3, through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7, with five days of concerts, sails, island gatherings and tributes honoring the singer-songwriter’s enduring connection to Key West.
Many events are free, including Friday’s Duval Street celebration with the Landsharks Band, Saturday concerts at Sunset Pier and Monday’s sunset performance by Cayman and the Mango Men. Ticketed adventures range from walking tours and margarita bar strolls to snorkeling excursions and a sold-out listening-room performance by Buffett collaborator Will Kimbrough inside the historic Chart Room.
Festival co-founder Paul Menta, owner, founder and chef of Key West First Legal Rum Distillery, will also host a private distillery tour for Ultimate Friend badge holders.
The weekend’s centerpiece arrives Sunday, Sept. 6, with the free Second Line Memorial Walking Parade. Led by Kimbrough and Howard Livingston, the procession steps off from 100 Duval St. at 5 p.m. and travels through Old Town to Truman Waterfront Park. There, the free Party in the Park continues from 6 to 10 p.m. with Kimbrough, Livingston and Mac McAnally, plus singalongs and live music.
Admission to the festival itself is free, though select experiences require separate tickets. A $45 collectible event badge brings early parade lineup access, reserved concert viewing, select livestreams, local offers and stickers to collect around town. Badge proceeds benefit the Bahama Village Music Program, Reef Relief and Key West High School Scholarship Program.
