This weekend: John’s Pass Seafood Festival

The 41^st annual John’s Pass Seafood Festival takes place this weekend – Friday through Sunday – at John’s Pass Village, on the southern tip of Madeira Beach. It’s a full-bodied, full-service event with locally-caught seafood, locally-made art and crafts, performances on five stages by local musicians and bands, and activities for kids and families.

Gates open at noon Friday. Admission is free.

Step into history: John’s Pass is the stretch of water that divides Madeira Beach and Treasure Island. They were once part of the same barrier island, but the Gulf of Mexico punched through during the hurricane of 1848, its waters mingling forevermore with those of Boca Ciega Bay.

Legend says that John’s Pass was named for local fisherman Jean “John” Levique, who was the first to sail through after the big blow (in some stories, Levique was a pirate. It reads better that way, sure, but it’s not true.)

The John’s Pass area was home to bait and tackle shops, boat docks, gas pumps and repair services, the John’s Pass Aquarium (an early tourist attraction) and not a lot more until the mid 1970s, when charter boat captain Wilson Hubbard moved his operations there (from Pass-a-Grille).

Hubbard was instrumental in developing what we know today as John’s Pass Village. The Friendly Fisherman restaurant – named for one of his boats – opened in 1979. The boardwalk soon followed.

Michael Hubbard, one of Wilson’s five sons, helped develop the John’s Pass Seafood Festival, which began in 1982.

Things to know: The John’s Pass Village parking lot will be closed to public parking and only utilized for shuttle drop off and ride share; a free shuttle will run from the Madeira Beach Fundamental School (591 Tom Stuart Causeway) with stops at Madeira Beach City Hall, Archibald Park, County Park and John’s Pass.

Parking at Madeira Beach Fundamental School is only available Saturday and Sunday. Parking is available on a limited basis at various lots in Madeira Beach.

Ride share services such as Uber and Lyft are encouraged to utilize the delivery address: 12901 Gulf Blvd, Madeira Beach 33708.

Event hours are 12-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.