The 80th Annual Sanibel Shell Show and Festival
Talk about longevity! The Sanibel Shell Show and Festival, now in its 80th year, is hosted by the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club at the newly remodeled Community House. More than 500 volunteers help make this popular event a world-class shell show. This year’s show will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 2-3 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 4, with a 3 p.m. raffle drawing.
The theme for this special anniversary of the Festival is “Around the World in 80 Shells” and there will be a special class of competition in both the scientific and artistic categories based on this theme. Each entry must contain exactly 80 shells. Exhibitors this year are coming from all over the United States, Canada, and as far away as Japan.
On the Show weekend at the Community House, you’ll find the judged Artistic and Scientific displays, while outside are more shells, floral arrangements, demo tents and more. The outdoor shell area and tents are open to the public with free admission.
A $5 donation will provide entry into the Shell Show, plus a free pass to the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum with your ticket. Be sure to pay a visit to the live tank area and hear local school children share their knowledge of these fascinating live shells and practice their presentation skills.
The Judges and Awards Reception will be held at the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1. Seating is limited and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Scientific judges for this year’s show include José H. Leal and Robert Janowsky. Artistic judges include Sharlene Totten and John Whitenight.
After the awards reception, those attending will be invited to a sneak preview of the Shell Show at the Community House. Come join in a longtime Sanibel tradition and enjoy seeing all the seashells on display when you’re on the island in early March.
The Sandalfoot Team
Located on the east end of Sanibel Island, just one mile from the historic Sanibel Lighthouse, our vacation rental condo community is nestled beachfront on the Gulf of Mexico. Sandalfoot Beachfront Condominium has been consistently ranked #1 and #2 in our category by TripAdvisor, also receiving their Certificate of Excellence three years in a row. Sandalfoot Beachfront Condominium. So much more than a room with a view!
