8 Unofficial Holidays Only Floridians Celebrate

St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights switches on Nov. 21.

For some Floridians, that’s a holiday, even though locals don’t get the day off for it.

Here are the unofficial holidays only Floridians celebrate.

1. Stone Crab Opening Day

Stone crab opening day falls on Oct. 15 each year, when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) opens state waters to harvest.

This year’s date has passed.

You still have time, though, since the season runs through May 1.

Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach has traditionally opened for the season on Oct. 15 at 5 p.m.

Miami New Times called being among the first to eat there an annual ritual for many Miamians.

Some locals still plan a dinner around the opener, so you might know a few who do.

2. Lobster Mini-Season

Lobster mini-season takes place on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July every year, a recreational harvest the FWC opens while the regular season is closed.

If you dive, you get a head start on the lobsters before commercial traps are set.

Keys Weekly calls it the busiest boating week of the year in the Keys.

It lasts two days.

In 2026, the window ran from 12:01 a.m. Wednesday through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, July 29 and 30.

The regular season didn't reopen until Aug. 6.

Some people plan their whole summer around it.

3. Light-Up Night

St. Augustine's Light-Up Night falls on Nov. 21 in 2026, when Nights of Lights switches on.

If you go, the ceremony starts at 4 p.m., and the lights come on around 6:30 p.m.

You can see the display through Jan. 18, 2027.

The area's visitors bureau says more than three million white lights decorate downtown.

Visitors hunt the display for a single red light among the white ones.

Nights of Lights began in 1993.

Tourism was the goal.

The festival drew its inspiration from the Spanish custom of placing a single white candle in a window at Christmas.

4. Gasparilla Pirate Fest

Gasparilla Pirate Fest has been a Tampa tradition since 1904, and the main parade is set for Jan. 30, 2027.

Many streets close.

The City of Tampa expects over 300,000 spectators, so you'll want a plan before you head to the route.

The children's parade comes a week earlier, on Jan. 23, 2027.

Axios Tampa Bay describes the main event as Tampa's take on a Mardi Gras-style street festival.

Louisiana lists the day of Mardi Gras statewide in its legal-holiday statute.

5. Strawberry Festival Days

If you're planning ahead, the Florida Strawberry Festival runs March 4-14 in 2027 in Plant City.

Hillsborough County commissioners issued a proclamation in 2024, declaring Feb. 29 through March 10 as Florida Strawberry Festival Days.

You can trace the festival back to 1930, when the Plant City Lions Club began it.

A war paused it.

It came back in 1948, after a six-year pause during World War II.

Some families plan a Plant City trip around it.

6. Conch Republic Days

Conch Republic Days mark April 23, 1982, when the Conch Republic was born in response to a U.S. Border Patrol blockade of the Florida Keys.

The mayor responded by seceding from the Union because the Keys were being treated like a foreign country.

It was a protest.

In 2027, the celebration runs April 16-25.

The celebration says its goal is humor, peace and respect.

If you go, you can buy a Conch Republic passport, and the Diplomat version promises discounts at restaurants, bars and attractions.

7. Mullet Toss

The Mullet Toss takes place on the last full weekend in April at the Flora-Bama, which sits on the Florida-Alabama line at Perdido Key.

In 2027, that's April 23-25.

Entrants throw a dead mullet across the state line, aiming for the longest throw.

Throws come from a 10-foot circle down a 200-foot course.

Gloves and sand on the mullet are banned.

No live fish are involved.

If you enter, you'll pay $20 and get a commemorative t-shirt.

Proceeds go to local youth charities, and organizers say they've raised over $40,000.

8. End of Hurricane Season

Hurricane season's last day is Nov. 30, closing a window that opened June 1.

The first named storm typically forms in mid-to-late June.

You typically see the first hurricane in early to mid-August, ahead of the statistical peak on Sept. 10.

Activity concentrates between mid-August and mid-October.

Late storms can happen.

Some locals breathe easier once the season wraps up, and you probably will too.

Scallop Season's Many Openers

Scallop season doesn't get one opening day because the FWC splits the Gulf Coast into zones.

In 2026, the zone that includes Steinhatchee opened June 15 and ran through Labor Day.

Levy, Citrus and Hernando counties, including Cedar Key, Crystal River and Homosassa, ran July 1 through Sept. 24.

Your zone sets your date.

Winter Manatee Gathering

From mid-November to March, manatees congregate in the spring run at Blue Spring State Park to seek shelter from the cold.

Timing matters.

If you're planning a trip, put that window on your calendar.

Legal Holidays on the Books

Florida's legal-holiday statute names Pascua Florida Day on April 2 and Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day on the fourth Thursday in March as legal holidays.

Good Friday made the cut.