Upcoming Events

This is a great opportunity to learn about what Coral Restoration Foundation is all about, and give back to the environment we all treasure so much. Please visit the Coral Restoration Foundation website for more information on how this program works, and how you will be helping!

After much consideration, the Rotary Club of Key largo has cancelled the 2012 Original Ladies Dolphin Tournament due to a conflict in scheduling.

Blackwater Sound provides a mirror-like surface designed to make the annual fireworks display seem like a 3-D viewing experience from either land or sea. The show is to take place bayfront in Key Largo at 10 p.m. Monday, July 4. The best seating is at Sundowners and Señor Frijoles restaurants, the Caribbean Club and Marriott Key Largo Bay Resort, all located around mile marker (MM) 104 bayside. Reservations are suggested because seating fills up early. For more information, visit www.keylargofireworks.com.

Anglers targeting dolphin fish also can “catch” cash and prizes totaling more than $35,000 in the 19th annual Big Pine & Lower Keys Dolphin Tournament.

The long-running tournament’s action is set for Friday through Sunday, June 8-10. Events are to be headquartered at Boondocks Grille, Draft House & Miniature Golf at mile marker 27.5 bayside on Ramrod Key.

Any tournament angler who catches a dolphin weighing more than 50 pounds is to earn a cool $20,000.

In the open division, a guaranteed first prize of $7,500 cash awaits the angler who catches the tournament’s largest dolphin. Second- and third-place winners and the top female angler are to receive cash awards as well. Entrants who catch the largest wahoo and tuna can expect prizes

Awards in the tournament’s youth division, created for anglers age 15 and under, are to include rods and reels and trophies through third place.

Presented by the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce, the tournament is set to kick off at 5 p.m. Friday, June 8, with a registration party featuring hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar at Boondocks. A mandatory captains meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m.

Anglers can begin their pursuit of dolphin at 8 a.m. the next two days. Scheduled weigh-in times are 4:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 9, and 3-5 p.m. Sunday, June 10.

The tournament dinner and awards ceremony follow the close of Sunday’s fishing.

Entry fees are $150 per angler in the open division and $50 per angler in the youth division. Proceeds from the event benefit the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce.

Thank you to our sponsors who make this event happen Boondocks Grill & Draft House and Miniature Golf, Cudjoe Sales Fishermen’s Warehouse, Sea Center, Dolphin Marina & Cottages, Panama Jack, Unique Marine, Royal Plus, Inc., ReelFlip-Everything Fishing Classifieds, Twin Peaks Insurance, Edward Jones Financial Services, Capital Bank, Centennial Bank, A Caribbean Dream Salon & Day Spa, Big Pine Key Resort Motel, floridakeys.com, Dion’s Quik Mart, News Barometer and AT&T, The Real Yellow Pages. Brought to you by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

Event information and registration: www.lowerkeyschamber.com Lower Keys visitor information: www.fla-keys.com/lowerkeys or 305-872-2411 Florida Keys fishing information: www.fla-keys.com/fishing Social: facebook.com/floridakeysandkeywest • twitter.com/thefloridakeys • youtube.com/FloridaKeysTV ###

Whether composing novels in his Whitehead Street writing studio or fishing for big game in local waters, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway left a powerful legacy in Key West. His zest for life, literary accomplishments and enduring affection for the island he called home throughout the 1930s are to be commemorated Tuesday through Sunday, July 17-22, 2012, during the annual Hemingway Days celebration.

Scheduled events include a look-alike contest for stocky white-bearded men resembling Hemingway, readings and book signings by nationally acclaimed authors, an awards ceremony for the renowned literary competition directed by author and Hemingway granddaughter Lorian Hemingway, a book debut by Hemingway grandson Edward Hemingway, a commemoration of the 113th anniversary of Ernest’s July 21 birth, a one-man play exploring the literary legend’s life and motivations, a museum exhibit of rare Hemingway memorabilia, a zany “Running of the Bulls” and a three-day marlin tournament recalling Hemingway’s devotion to the deep-sea sport.

During his Key West residence, Ernest Hemingway wrote some of his most enduring works and spent his leisure hours fishing and socializing with local and literary cohorts. Each year, fans of his writing and exuberant lifestyle come together for Hemingway Days.

Come on down and enjoy all of the tasty temptations, and some of your favorite wines, as Key Largo’s culinary experts step up to the plate to show you what Key Largo has to offer. 10 glorious days of wine tasting events, cooking demonstrations, themed wine dinners, food and wine pairing classes, progressive wine dinners, art and wine shows.

The Festival’s inaugural ‘Grand Tasting’ on Saturday August 6th offers a multi-sensory experience not to be missed as area restaurants and wine experts join together to present samples of their finest cuisine and world-class wines. Live music, celebrity chef appearances, cooking demos; wine seminars and Key Largo-style beach parties combine to serve up the recipe for a spectacular day of tasting by the beautiful Florida Bay.

Grab your oars and anything that floats and come on down and enjoy this family-fun Key Largo festival, 2012 Anything that Floats Race, Regatta, and Fireworks on Blackwater Sound, mile marker 104, bayside in Key Largo, Florida Keys.

That’s right. It’s anything that floats. Homemade vessels of materials that you can find around your house: cardboard, wood, PVC, duct tape, milk jugs, 5 gallon buckets, saran wrap, old t-shirts, outdoor furniture, old bikes, and pool noodles. Just no motors, inflatable rafts, foam, or pool toys are allowed.

Prizes will be awarded for: Fastest: 2 person team, 4 person team, or unlimited team, Best decorated boat under 18 feet, best decorated boat over 18 feet, Best Looking Crew (in costumes), and the best hard luck story. Everyone that enters and competes is a winner!