- Steinhatchee's Fiddler Crab Festival kicks off Friday and lasts through Sunday showcasing local vendors and restaurants.
- For many, the event marks the reopening of Steinhatchee following Helene damage. Some neighbors said this is the first time they will receive a paycheck since the storm.
- Watch the video to hear why this community asks people to show out this weekend.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In Steinhatchee, preparations are finishing up for their annual Fiddler Crab Festival. The festival is usually a big money maker for this town and it kicks off Friday.
A remarkable effort after Hurricane Helene tore through this area, destroying upwards of 70% of properties in coastal areas according to the National Weather Service.
However, this community is feeling significant pressure for this year’s event to be successful because they know the town needs the income.
Hustle and bustle in Steinhatchee as locals and vendors prepare for the 17th annual Fiddler Crab Festival.
This busyness has been a missed sight in this town following Hurricane Helene's impacts.
This is just a fraction of the people this community is hoping will show out this weekend.
"We thrive on ecotourism and we're one of the biggest industries within our counties now that 2 mills have closed," said Anna King, General Manager at Fiddler's Restaurant and Resort.
For Keaton Beach Bums business owner, Jared Hunt, a high turnout is critical.
"This will be our first paycheck this weekend in about 5 months," said Hunt.
His business was completely decimated by Helene
Are you feeling the pressure for [the festival] to be successful this year?
"Absolutely," said Hunt. " I mean there's not been anything down here, going on, nobody doing a whole lot."
"We're in great need of just people to come, I think to not only spend money which we greatly appreciate but to understand kind of what we're going through," said King.
King said it's also a big weekend for their restaurant.
"We're literally opening up our 9 hotel rooms that we just renovated on the backside here, they had 8ft of water, so from floor to ceiling, they were full of water," said King.
Now, they're booked out for the weekend, a benefit they're hoping will multiply throughout the county.
"It increases your revenue source probably 10 x by having them stay in town vs just coming for the day," said King.
Non-profits, like Rebuilding the American Dream, will also be on-site at the Steinhatchee Community Center, helping people out with missed electricity or property tax bills.
"We do address the immediate financial needs of the community and there are a lot of them still," said Hope Webb, President of Rebuilding the American Dream non-profit.
However, there's optimism in the air for this weekend, an upbeat energy they're hoping will set the tone for the rest of the year.
"People love to come and play in Steinhatchee but we also want to encourage people to help us rebuild the community so we'll still have a community for you to come play in at scallop season," said Webb.
The Fiddler Crab Festival lasts until Sunday 16th February. Neighbors here say there are even more vendors this year. A full list can be found on the Steinhatchee River Chamber of Commerce's website.
