Friends and the Cedar Key Seafood Festival

Vendors and visitors were excited to be at the Cedar Key Seafood Festival.
 
It was good to be back at the city park talking to visitors about the Lower Suwannee and Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges. For Friends, the reason to have a booth at a festival is not raising money – although that is important – but it is learning all the reasons people like the refuges. The Friends volunteers in the booth struck up conversations on hunting, fishing, kayaking, butterfly watching, hiking, driving tours and bats. There was a lot of interest in bats. Our bat earrings, bat brochures and upcoming Halloween probably spurred the topic. 

Friends president-elect Debbie Meeks talks to a visitor.

Visitors from The Villages admire Friends earrings that are for sale

A new photo-printed table cover improves our booth appearance

Friends president Peg Hall talks with a visitor about places to visit on the refuge

Debbie and a visitor

Peg shows off the new table cover

Both days of the event were crowded with visitors from outside the area who kept our booth volunteers busy. We sold all the remaining owl and eagle t-shirts for which Friends member Ann Kamzelkski had provided the art and many of the new butterfly t-shirts for which Friends member Barbara Woodmansee provide the art. Overall sales were in-line with past festivals. ​

Owl and eagle t-shirts on display

Butterfly t-shirts on display