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.

What is in season in Cedar Key, by month
What	When	Months
Old Florida Celebration of the Arts on 2nd Street and in City ParkIn season now	Early April
No wild oystering in Levy County waters from June through AugustIn season now	Summer Official dates for No wild oystering in Levy County waters from June through August (opens in a new tab)
Scallopers spread out over the grass south of the Suwannee; the zone closes Sept. 24In season now	Jul. 1 into late September Official dates for Scallopers spread out over the grass south of the Suwannee; the zone closes Sept. 24 (opens in a new tab)
Cedar Key Seafood FestivalIn season now	Third weekend of October
Stone crab claws come back into the marketsIn season now	Mid October to the first of May Official dates for Stone crab claws come back into the markets (opens in a new tab)
Farm raised clams come off the leases; hobby clammers may keep 5 gallons a dayIn season now	Every month

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 site Add to Google Calendar

Old Florida Celebration of the Arts

A weekend in early April, on historic 2nd Street and in City Park

Next Confirmed April 3 to 4, 2027

A juried fine art fair founded in 1964, with about 100 artists. Food is made and sold by local nonprofits such as the Lions Club, the Woman's Club and Future Farmers of America students.

Official site Add to Google Calendar

The next twelve months in Cedar Key

Oct2026Nothing on the calendar
NovNothing on the calendar
DecNothing on the calendar
Jan2027Nothing on the calendar
FebNothing on the calendar
MarNothing on the calendar
Apr3 April: Old Florida Celebration of the Arts, confirmed
MayNothing on the calendar
JunNothing on the calendar
JulNothing on the calendar
AugNothing on the calendar
SepNothing on the calendar

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

Scrub the clams under cold water. Throw out any with cracked shells or that stay open when tapped.
Warm a wide pot over medium heat, add the butter, and once it foams stir in the RiverKingz for 30 seconds.
Pour in the wine or beer and let it come up to a rolling bubble.
Add the clams, cover tightly and steam 5 to 8 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until the shells open.
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

Florida FWC: saltwater fishingLicenses, shoreline rules and the species that close
VISIT FLORIDAThe state tourism office, for rooms and what else is on
NOAA tide predictionsThe tide table for the nearest station, which decides most fishing mornings

The organizers

Cedar Key Seafood FestivalA weekend in mid October, Saturday and Sunday, organized by the Cedar Key Lions Club
Old Florida Celebration of the ArtsA weekend in early April, on historic 2nd Street and in City Park

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.

Ships anywhere in the U.S.

Cook like Cedar Key, wherever you are

Ten small batch rubs and sauces, low on salt so you can season heavy. Any four, 15% off, and free shipping over $45.

Shop the lineup All the recipes