Franklin County, a barrier island on the Forgotten Coast

St. George Island, Florida: chili, a rebuilt lighthouse and the bay

A barrier island off Apalachicola where the biggest food day of the year is not about seafood at all. Every March the island cooks chili for its volunteer firefighters. Here is that story, the lighthouse behind it, and what the bay gives up through the seasons.

Friends at an outdoor cookout by the water, with ribs on the grill

A light that fell into the Gulf

St. George Island is a long, thin barrier island in Franklin County, facing the Gulf on one side and Apalachicola Bay on the other. The east end belongs to Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park, where Florida State Parks promises miles of undeveloped beach, marsh on the bay side and some of the best stargazing in the Panhandle. Sea turtles and shorebirds such as snowy plovers and black skimmers nest there in summer.

The island's landmark has a rough history. According to the St. George Lighthouse Association, the Cape St. George Light was built in 1852 on the southern tip of Little St. George Island, after earlier towers were lost to storms in 1846 and 1851. It went dark during the Civil War and was relit by keeper James Reilly on August 1, 1865. The Coast Guard automated it in 1949 and switched it off for good in 1994.

Hurricane Opal in 1995 knocked the tower off its foundation and left it leaning more than seven degrees. Locals raised money to straighten it, but erosion kept coming. By spring 2005 it stood 20 feet out in the water, and on October 21, 2005 it collapsed into the Gulf. That was 21 years ago today, as this page goes up.

The association, formed in 2004, worked with the state to salvage the pieces and rebuilt the light in the center of St. George Island. It opened to the public in December 2008. Today it stands 77 feet tall, and visitors climb 92 wooden steps and a short ladder to the lantern room. A replica keeper's house, finished in 2011, holds the museum and gift shop.

Why the island cooks chili

The grounds around that lighthouse host the island's best known food event, and it is red chili, not oysters. The St. George Island Charity Chili Cookoff reached its 44th year in March 2026, according to The Apalachicola Times. It raises money for the island's volunteer fire department, which depends on it for training costs and expensive equipment, and the paper notes that good fire protection also helps keep property insurance in check.

The cookoff has changed shape. Only 16 teams cooked in 2026, about a quarter of the booths that once filled the lighthouse grounds, but the party has spread across the island as a Chili Crawl. Sixteen homes and rentals served chili with live music and games, and organizers expected the crawl alone to bring in well over $30,000. The top prize went to the Chili Vibrations team from Panama City, which earned a place at the International Chili Society world championship.

What is in season

The St. George Island year

Harvest windows below are the state's, taken from FWC rules for 2026. Rain and river flooding can shut the bay's shellfish beds without much warning.

What is in season in St. George Island, by month
What	When	Months
Charity Chili Cookoff and Chili Crawl around the lighthouseIn season now	Early March
Sea turtles and shorebirds nest on the state park beachesIn season now	Summer
Scallopers work the grass beds from St. Vincent Island eastwardIn season now	Jul. 1 through Sept. 24 Official dates for Scallopers work the grass beds from St. Vincent Island eastward (opens in a new tab)
Lottery permit holders tong bay oysters on weekends onlyIn season now	Oct. 1, 2026 through Feb. 28, 2027 Official dates for Lottery permit holders tong bay oysters on weekends only (opens in a new tab)
Stone crabs come in, claws only, until the May 1 closeIn season now	Mid October into spring Official dates for Stone crabs come in, claws only, until the May 1 close (opens in a new tab)
Private boats can still keep red snapper on set dates, the last on Jan. 4In season now	Holiday weekends into early January Dates set each year for Private boats can still keep red snapper on set dates, the last on Jan. 4 (opens in a new tab)

Festivals and events

Cookoff weekend

One weekend sets the island's calendar, and next year's date was still unposted at the time of writing. Dates update every month: confirmed means the organizers posted it, expected means it follows the usual pattern.

St. George Island Charity Chili Cookoff and Chili Crawl

Early March, on the lighthouse grounds in the center of the island and at homes across it

Next Usually March 2027

Competition chili judged for a world championship berth, a People's Choice award, a silent auction and a crawl of open houses with music. Money raised goes to the St. George Island Volunteer Fire Department.

Official site

The next twelve months in St. George Island

Oct2026Nothing on the calendar
NovNothing on the calendar
DecNothing on the calendar
Jan2027Nothing on the calendar
FebNothing on the calendar
MarTBA March: St. George Island Charity Chili Cookoff and Chili Crawl, date to come
AprNothing on the calendar
MayNothing on the calendar
JunNothing on the calendar
JulNothing on the calendar
AugNothing on the calendar
SepNothing on the calendar

From the lineup

Our bottles for an island weekend

One pot of chili, one bag of oysters, one cooler of fish. Three bottles cover it.

Turnpike Smoke

Medium, 3.5 oz, $9

Smoked paprika, chipotle and mesquite with no sugar. It gives a pot of chili the smoky base that judges look for.

Cold Water

Medium, 3.5 oz, $9

Ancho, cumin, Mexican oregano and dried lime. A spoonful layered in with Turnpike Smoke rounds out a red chili.

Grand Isle Hook Set Sauce

Some Heat, 8 fl oz, $12

Our red jalapeño hot sauce. Dot it on a bay oyster, or float a few drops across a bowl of chili.

Cook it at home

Cookoff style red chili

Competition chili is beef, chiles and patience, with no beans in the pot. This home version leans on two of our rubs, and because both are low in salt, you season to taste at the end.

What you need

3 lb beef chuck, cut into small cubes
2 tbsp Turnpike Smoke and 1 tbsp Cold Water
1 onion, diced, and 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce and 2 cups beef broth
2 tbsp masa harina stirred into a little water
Salt to taste, plus Hook Set for spooning over

How it goes

Toss the beef with half the Turnpike Smoke. Brown it in batches in a heavy pot over medium high heat and set it aside.
Soften the onion and garlic in the same pot, then stir in the rest of the Turnpike Smoke and all the Cold Water for one minute.
Return the beef, add the tomato sauce and broth, and bring it to a low simmer.
Cover partly and cook 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring now and then, until the beef is tender. Add a splash of broth if it gets thick.
Stir in the masa slurry and simmer 10 minutes more to thicken. Taste, salt as needed, and serve with hot sauce on the side.

Worth knowing. Make it a day ahead. Chili tastes better after a night in the fridge, and the fat that rises is easy to lift off cold.

Another one from our kitchen: Turnpike Smoke Beef Ribs

Questions

Questions about St. George Island

When is the St. George Island Chili Cookoff?

Early March. The 44th cookoff was held in March 2026, on the grounds around the lighthouse and at homes across the island for the Chili Crawl. Organizers had yet to set the 2027 date as of late October.

Is the St. George Island lighthouse the original?

It is the 1852 Cape St. George Light, rebuilt. The tower collapsed into the Gulf on October 21, 2005. The St. George Lighthouse Association salvaged the pieces with the state and reopened it in the center of the island in December 2008.

Can you harvest oysters near St. George Island?

Only with an Apalachicola Bay Recreational Opportunity permit, which the FWC awards by lottery to Florida residents. The 2026 season runs October 1 to February 28 on three restored reefs, with harvest on weekends. Everyone else can buy from the seafood houses in Eastpoint and Apalachicola.

Is the St. George Island State Park campground open?

Not right now. Florida State Parks closed the campground for renovations on July 13, 2026. The beaches and day use areas are open from 8 a.m. to sunset.

Do you ship to St. George Island?

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 St. George Island? 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 St. George Island

Franklin County

Apalachicola, Florida

Apalachicola Bay oysters and Florida's oldest maritime festival

Franklin County

Carrabelle, Florida

A phone booth police station, a WWII training camp and a working harbor

Gulf County

Port St. Joe, Florida

St. Joseph Bay scallops, a Labor Day festival and Florida's first constitution

Bay County

Mexico Beach, Florida

Hundreds of artificial reefs, grouper and snapper, and a February gumbo day

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

St. George Island Charity Chili Cookoff and Chili CrawlEarly March, on the lighthouse grounds in the center of the island and at homes across it

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 St. George Island, 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