Saturday, May 8th begins a major celebration to last all month around the beautiful Fort Pierce Inlet! It took the incredible perseverance of an intrepid community of fishermen, business moguls, and visionary hard-working families to make the Fort Pierce Inlet the international shipping port that it has become today.
But before there was a port, it was a prosperous fishing village faced with the disaster of the natural inlet they had used for half a century to access the fishing grounds closed by sand bars. The fishing interests and community leaders then had to overcome repeated challenges, financial hurdles, and naysayers to push this feat of engineering through and create a new path to the sea that would bring economic opportunity and the pleasures of deep-water sports for generations more than a century later.
Now the port is a bustling hub of traditional and new activity and Fort Pierce has undergone an astonishing revitalization making the Sunrise City one of the most vibrant hot spots on the Treasure Coast! From the Jetty Park at the end of Seaway Drive to Marina Square, the heart of Downtown Fort Pierce, the area is brimming with vibrant shopping, dining, entertainment, arts, culture and, of course, world class fishing.
The official celebration kicks off with a boat parade and the blessing of the fleet on May 8th at 11:30 AM. Here are the rest of the events planned throughout the month:
May 12 | 6PM Boating Education Course: Cruising North
Fort Pierce Yacht Club is hosting boating education courses all through the month of May.
May 15 | 7:30 AM Main Street’s Fort Pierce Inlet Celebration Golf Tournament
Main Street Fort Pierce extends a grand invite to all golfers to join them at Gator Trace Golf & Country Club on May 15, 2021. Participants can enjoy a round of golf while helping fund the programs and events of Main Street Fort Pierce.
May 15 | 9:00 AM Plein Air
Artists will be painting from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Fort Pierce Inlet State Park (North Jetty) and South Jetty Park (South Jetty).
May 15 | 10:00 AM Downtown Bingo 100
Celebrating the Ports 100th birthday! Grab your bingo cards at the Ft. Pierce City Marina for $5 ea. Go to participating locations and answer historical questions about Ft. Pierce and the Port.
May 21 | 5:00 PM Art Walk
Art Walk sponsored by the St. Lucie County Cultural Alliance. Plein air artwork will be on display and available for purchase! The Art Walk will take place on 2nd Street between Orange Avenue and Avenue A.
May 22 | 11:00 AM Summerlin Fish Fry
The St. Lucie Historical Museum will host a fish fry complete with coleslaw, baked beans and bottled water for $15.
May 22 | 1:00 PM Inlet 100th Anniversary Fishing Tournament
From Little Jim’s Bait & Tackle it will be live bait and/or artificials for snook, redfish, and trout with 100% pay out. Anglers can fish the river, lagoon, and the inlet but cannot breech the inlet.
May 26 | 6:00 PM Cider & Sea Shanties
Pierced Cider will host a night of fun and nostalgia and release "Sailor's Delight," a citrus infused apple cider, as a nod to Dr. James Lind's cure for scurvy. They will also be holding a sea shanty singing contest!
To find out more about the celebration visit the website. Learn more about the history of Fort Pierce by visiting the St. Lucie County Historical Society & Museum.