CORTEZ, Fla. — The historic fishing village of Cortez is hosting its biggest fundraiser of the year this weekend — a seafood festival designed to support the community's ongoing recovery from the devastating 2024 hurricane season.
The annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival showcases the village's boat-to-table approach while supporting one of Florida's last remaining working waterfronts. The event has raised enough money over the years to preserve nearly 100 acres of pristine waterfront on Sarasota Bay from developers.
During a recent visit to the village, I toured two fish houses with Karen Bell, owner of AP Bell Fish Company, witnessing the intricate process of bringing fresh seafood from boat to table.
"It's very cool. What you got to see today was a swordfish boat unloading. He's been out in the Gulf, I'd say, 10 or 12 days. Had an awesome trip, about 17,000 pounds," Bell said.
The festival emphasizes supporting domestic seafood production, a mission that has become even more critical following the challenging hurricane season.
"And we're, we're really trying hard this year with the food vendors to request that they use domestic seafood," Bell said. "It, in turn, supports our domestic fishermen, who work so hard. They're great people. You know, the women and men. They just do a good job.”
The area where Bell's Fish House operates was underwater during Hurricane Helene.
“The entire village was underwater,” Bell said.
“You're very resilient,” Tampa Bay 28 reporter Michael Paluska said. “We try, we are tired though," Bell said.
"It's been a difficult 2025 getting through that, just getting everything fixed. But I will say we're lucky. They even stood like we didn't lose anything. They were just a mess, yeah, but we're good," Bell said.
At John Banyas’ Fish House, another local operation, Banyas — a fourth-generation fisherman — continues rebuilding after the storms. He just moved back into his house about a month ago.
"I don't think it's gonna die. I think we're gonna stay going strong. I mean, people are building back. We're not giving up. So we're gonna, we're gonna keep it alive. I got my new generation of my kids in the business, so we're gonna keep it going. Yeah, that's a beautiful thing. Yeah, when your kids are involved in it, it's great," Banyas said.
The festival provides locals and tourists a chance to see the fishing industry up close while supporting the community's preservation efforts.
Angela Collins, an extension scientist with the University of Florida and Florida Sea Grant, conducts educational dock talks during the festival.
"These places are very few and far between and Cortez truly is Old Florida. It looks like it did 100 years ago, as you said, and it truly is a working waterfront. The people that live in Cortez, a lot of them are fishing families with the same last names of the fishing families that settled Cortez 150 years ago. So there really is no place like Cortez on the planet," Collins said.
"There are trails now that the public can walk on. And this habitat is so important, not just for beauty, and you know, the animals that live in the habitat itself, but also because it helps support our commercial fisheries and our recreational fisheries," Collins said.
The family-friendly event features live music, fresh seafood, art vendors, a kids zone, educational dock talks, touch tanks, and beverages.
"We got live music. We got fresh seafood, lots of cool art, and vendors. We've got a kids' zone. We've got doc talks, the educational doc talks that Florida Sea Grant puts on, so you can learn, get up close and personal with some of the sea life. We've got touch tanks, cold beverages for adults and youth alike. So yeah, it really is a party with a purpose," Collins said.
The festival represents more than fresh fish — it's about resilience, community, and sustaining a traditional way of life in one of Florida's most historic fishing villages.
This story was reported on-air by Michael Paluska and converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Paluska and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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