The Mermaids & Margaritas Festival

Yash Rai
04/10/2018

Located just west of downtown Crystal River is the peaceful Fort Island Gulf State Park. But that beautiful beach is going to be anything but relaxing on Saturday, April 14 during the Mermaids and Margaritas Festival from 12 pm to 8 pm.

 

This all-day festival was created by “The Mertailor” Eric Ducharme, who has been selling the best swimmable mermaid tails on the market since 2009. Along with a great selection of mermaid apparel, the festival will also feature three local bands, lots of amazing food, and enough margaritas to make Jimmy Buffett jealous. 

 

The Mermaid Contests

When you attend a festival that is sponsored by a company that makes swimmable mermaid tails, you can certainly expect to find plenty of people dressed up as mermaids. Those people will be competing in a Mermaid Costume Contest sponsored by MezMerEyes starting at 2 pm.

There will also be a Ms. Mermaid and Mr. Merman contest held later in the day at 5 pm.

The Live Music

This fun-filled festival will kick off with live music right at 12 pm when The TJ Brown Band takes the stage. He might not be a Florida native, but Thomas Junior (T.J.) Brown has been a Florida resident since he was nine years old, and his version of country music feels well-grounded in our local Florida culture.

Following The TJ Brown Band, the parrot heads will be out for The Landsharks. This Jimmy Buffett tribute band has toured all over Florida while holding down a steady two-year gig playing at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville in Orlando. Add a Hawaiian shirt and a margarita to your mermaid tail and you will fit right in with this crowd!

After the Ms. Mermaid and Mr. Merman contest, Homosassa native Ashley Young will take the stage to perform for her hometown residents. After spending time in both Nashville and New York City, Ashley is on the move again and will be singing all over Florida for much of the summer. 

The Food

Spending the day at the beach can be a real blast, but you are going to get hungry at some point! Fortunately, there are plenty of Citrus County businesses that will be on hand to help you out.

When you are ready for a meal, you’ll be able to choose between pizza from Light My Fire Mobile Pizza Co., tacos and rice bowls from Riviera Mexican Cantina, seafood from Dan’s Clam Shack, and all kinds of bar and grill food from Dawg House Dogs & Grill, Inc.

If you’re just looking for something to munch on in between meals, there will also be snacks available from Kona Ice of Citrus County, Lynn’s Ice Cream, Calypso Concessions, Tropical Acai Bowls, and Pop Fusions Gourmet Ice Pops.

The Booze

With all of the exciting festivities planned for the Mermaids & Margaritas Festival, it’s easy to forget about the margaritas part of the event. But don’t worry, because Riviera Cantina will make sure to remind you that they will be selling those margaritas all day.

There will also be beer and wine for sale. Visitors can choose from Budweiser, Bud Light, Landshark, Bud Light Straw-Ber-Ritas, Bud Light Lime-a-Ritas, and Bud Light Mong-o-Ritas, as well as a selection of merlot, cabernet, and white zinfandel.

Getting to the Party

One important thing that every mermaid and merman planning to attend the event needs to know is that there will be no parking available at Fort Island Gulf Beach. Everyone attending will need to park at the lot on the corner of US-19 and Fort Island Trail, across from the Winn Dixie Plaza and Clawdaddy’s.

There will be a free shuttle taking people back and forth out to the beach from this free parking lot.

No matter how serious you are about your mermaid costume, just about everyone could benefit from just a little bit more glitter in their lives. So, grab your tail, and we’ll see you at Fort Island Gulf Beach on April 14!

Terms and Conditions:

No purchase necessary to enter or win. One (1) entry per tour will be provided upon completion of an in-person tour of The Villages of Citrus Hills between May 1, 2026 and July 15, 2026, regardless of the number of tours completed.
Prize consists of a trip for two (2) to the 2026 U.S. Open, including event tickets for one day of play, round-trip coach airfare, and standard hotel accommodations. Drawing will be held on or about July 17, 2026.
Winner will be notified via phone and/or email and must accept the prize within 5 days or an alternate winner may be selected. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.
Travel dates, event tickets, and accommodations are subject to availability and may be determined at Citrus Hills’ sole discretion. Prize is non-transferable, has no cash alternative, and cannot be substituted except at sponsor’s discretion. Taxes, upgrades, and additional expenses not expressly included are the responsibility of the winner.
Employees, affiliates, and immediate family members are not eligible. Offer subject to change or termination at any time without notice. Additional terms may apply.
The US Open is a registered trademark of the United States Tennis Association. This promotion is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the USTA. 

Terms and conditions:

Offer valid on new construction homes purchased through Citrus Hills Construction with a fully executed purchase agreement between May 1, 2026 and May 31, 2026. Citrus Hills Construction will pay the buyer’s customary lender and title closing costs when the home is closed through Manatee Title, LLC. Closing costs must be verified by an official Closing Disclosure prepared by Manatee Title, LLC. Citrus Hills Construction will provide a credit at closing for eligible closing costs as reflected on the final settlement statement. Offer does not include prepaid items, property taxes, homeowners insurance, optional upgrades, or non-standard lender fees.
Offer is non-transferable and may not be combined with other incentives unless expressly approved in writing. Offer subject to change or termination at any time without notice. Additional terms and conditions may apply. See Sales Executive for details.

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