Annual Scallop Festival Kid Digging Contest: Top Tide-Time Tips

Picture this: your kids (or grand-grands!) bobbing in the clear St. Joe Bay, goggles fog-free, mesh bag filling up with little, blinking blue-eyed scallops—while your RV sits just three minutes away, fridge chilling the butter for tonight’s camp-stove feast. Sound like the kind of memory you’d brag about back home? Then you’ll love our quick-read guide to the Annual Scallop Festival’s kid-friendly digging contest. 👍

Keep scrolling if you’ve ever asked…
• “Can my seven-year-old really compete safely?”
• “Where do I stash a 30-ft motorhome during the contest?”
• “Do I need a license or just a bucket?”
• “How do I rinse off, cook up, and still make a 2 p.m. Zoom?”

We’ve packed the answers—and a handful of pro tips you won’t hear at the registration booth—into the next few minutes of reading. Grab your snorkel (or coffee), and let’s dive in!

Key Takeaways

• Kid-only scallop hunt happens the second weekend of August at George Core Park in Port St. Joe, Florida
• Ages 6–15 may enter; each heat lasts 30 minutes (Saturday 9 a.m. starts, Sunday finals 10 a.m.)
• Entry fee is $5 per child; online sign-up closes Wednesday before the event
• Required gear: mask, snorkel, fins, mesh bag, and a 14 × 16 in. dive flag; rentals and sales on site
• Safety extras: lifeguards, 100-ft swim zone ropes, shaded bleachers, ADA restrooms, rinse taps, and festival Wi-Fi
• Best scallop spotting: mid-morning incoming tide, calm winds under 10 knots, sunny skies
• Harvest rules: 2 gal whole shells or 1 pt meat per person (kids license-free; helping adults need fishing license)
• Eco tip: glide over seagrass, leave empty shells, and earn prizes for picking up litter
• RV help: overflow parking on 8th St.; Port St. Joe RV Resort is 1 mi away with full hookups and rinse stations
• Sample day plan: sunscreen & breakfast by 8 a.m., gear check 8 :30, swim 9 :00, weigh-in 9 :30, scallop lunch by 10 :00.

Festival Fast Facts You’ll Want on Speed-Dial


The Annual Scallop Festival splashes down the second weekend of August at George Core Park, a shoreline green space hugging downtown Port St. Joe. Families flock for live music, arts-and-craft tents, and, of course, the star attraction: a kid-only scallop-digging contest that turns St. Joseph Bay into a shallow-water treasure hunt. Gates open early, but the children’s heats start Saturday at 9 a.m., with Sunday finals at 10 a.m., each round capped at a manageable 30 minutes so even first-time snorkelers stay energized.

Entry remains budget-friendly at just $5 per child ages six to fifteen, and online slots close the Wednesday prior—walk-ups are possible yet limited. Overflow RV parking for rigs up to thirty feet sits on 8th Street, though guests at nearby Port St. Joe RV Resort often choose to bike the quick three-minute ride, sidestepping downtown traffic jams. On-site perks include lifeguard patrols, shaded bleachers, ADA restrooms, rinse spigots, and a Wi-Fi hotspot near the main stage so Remote-Work Weekenders can fire off one last email while the kids suit up. For a full festival snapshot, check the official listing on Visit Gulf County.

Gear Checklist: Pack It or Rent It?


Florida law keeps young scallopers safe with a short but strict list: mask, snorkel, fins, mesh catch bag, and a dive flag measuring at least 14 × 16 inches with a stiffener and 360-degree light if dusk approaches. Skipping the flag invites fines and puts swimmers at risk, so grab one early; festival pop-ups sell out fast. Parents aiming for extra comfort often add shorty wetsuits for buoyancy and sun protection, plus anti-fog spray and a waterproof phone pouch for quick tide checks.

Forgot something? The resort office stocks kid-sized masks, fins under shoe size five, and mesh bags, while vendors at George Core Park hawk flag kits and snorkel upgrades. Pro tip: snag gear on Friday afternoon, before the Saturday surge, and let the kids test-fit straps back at the pool. A quick lap with new fins ensures no blisters sabotage game day. Review specific dive-flag rules via the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s summary at FWC diving regulations.

Poolside Skills Tune-Up That Doubles as Playtime


Confidence blooms in calm water, so start with a resort-side warm-up. Have kids practice breathing through a snorkel while standing in the shallow end, then add gentle kicks to learn how fins move without banging knees or pool walls. Slide in a game: drop brightly colored seashells and time retrievals, turning skills into laughter-filled competition.

Next, teach the two-hand rule—one hand lifts a blade of seagrass, the other sweeps in for the shell—so tiny fingers avoid cuts and fragile grass stays rooted. Pair siblings or parent-child duos and rehearse buddy swimming within arm’s reach, using simple hand signals for “all good,” “need help,” or “look here.” By the time festival morning dawns, your crew will slip into St. Joseph Bay feeling like mini marine biologists.

Best Tide, Weather, and Clarity Windows


Scallops flash their electric-blue eyes most vividly during a mid-morning incoming tide, when fresh Gulf water floods the bay and sunlight slices through the shallows. Aim to suit up an hour before the day’s high-tide peak; local charts are posted in the resort lobby and updated nightly. Calm winds of ten knots or less keep surface chop minimal, letting kids focus on spotting shells instead of fighting waves.

Watch the sky, too. Bright sun lights up the sandy bottom, making scallop silhouettes pop, whereas heavy clouds mute colors. Keep a waterproof watch or tide-tracking app sealed in that new phone case; when the water starts to ebb, head for shore before the outgoing flow strengthens. Parents who time it right usually score both a full mesh bag and wide-eyed “Did you see that?” moments on the walk back to shore.

Contest-Day Game Plan: Sunrise to Skewers


Start the morning between 7 and 8 a.m. with reef-safe sunscreen, a light protein-packed breakfast, and a cooler half-filled with ice slush waiting to chill your future catch. By 8:15 a.m., hop on bikes or the shuttle, stash the cooler in the family shade zone, and attend the 8:30 a.m. gear check where lifeguards confirm dive flags and fit goggles. Doing these tasks early keeps stress low and leaves room for last-minute bathroom breaks.

The first heat kicks off at 9 a.m.; stay within arm’s reach of younger swimmers, as FWC safety guidelines encourage active adult supervision. At 9:30 a.m. volunteers tally each child’s haul—yes, bragging rights are earned!—and by 10 a.m. you’ll be munching lemon-pepper scallop skewers from vendor row while reapplying sunscreen. Remote-Work Weekenders often duck into the Wi-Fi hotspot to catch a quick video call before rejoining the festival buzz.

Know the Rules, Love the Bay


Kids under sixteen are exempt from Florida’s saltwater fishing license, but parents who plan to assist must confirm their own status before stepping into the bay. Harvest limits sit at two gallons of whole scallops or one pint of meat per person, with a vessel cap of ten gallons in shell—numbers that safeguard future festivals. Read the full breakdown on the FWC scallop regulations page.

Eco-manners matter just as much. Encourage children to glide rather than stomp through seagrass, leaving undersized or empty shells behind for future generations. Turn the mesh bag into a dual-purpose tool by scooping any stray litter on the swim back; festival volunteers hand out prize tokens for kids who return with trash—an easy way to nurture junior conservationists.

Comfort & Safety Stations You’ll Actually Use


Lifeguards patrol a marked 100-foot swim zone, and floating ropes make boundary-spotting simple for young eyes. Just behind the sand, shaded bleachers welcome grandparents seeking a reprieve from direct sun, while ADA-friendly mats help mobility devices roll within cheering distance of the action. These thoughtful touches transform the shoreline into a spectator-friendly arena.

Pet-friendly corners complete with water bowls keep leashed dogs comfy on the grassy berm, though no paws are allowed in the swim area. A portable USB tower near the info booth powers drained phones, ensuring tide-chart apps and photo ops continue all morning. Combined, these stations transform contest day from a logistical puzzle into a smooth, family-focused adventure.

Why Port St. Joe RV Resort Makes the Ideal Base Camp


Location is everything: the resort sits one mile from downtown, translating to a three-minute drive or ten-minute bike ride, so you can stage gear at your site, dash to the festival, and pop back for midday naps. Rinse stations beside most 65 × 35-foot pads blast away salt and sand before corrosion creeps into buckles. Many families drape fins and wetsuits over folding mesh racks under their awnings; Gulf breezes typically dry everything overnight.

Waterfront pads pair perfectly with small boats, and an adjacent marina offers day-slip rentals if you’d rather off-load scallops dockside than wrestle downtown traffic. Friday at 6 p.m., the resort clubhouse hosts a quick briefing—ideal for Snowbird community leaders lining up carpools or assigning potluck duties. With full hookups, a pool, dog park, and complimentary morning donuts, the resort turns festival weekend into a seamless extension of your RV lifestyle.

Catch, Chill, Cook: Ten-Minute Scallop Feast


The faster you chill the haul, the easier shucking becomes. Layer scallops over ice slush in a small cooler; the cold pops shells open just enough to give dull spoons a purchase point. Set up an outdoor prep table covered with a plastic trash bag, slip a glove on the holding hand, and twist the spoon to pry the hinge before one smooth scrape frees the sweet meat.

Rinse nuggets in a colander, drain well, and store them in a zip-seal bag on fresh ice—most RV fridges keep seafood safe for up to forty-eight hours. When hunger hits, melt butter in a skillet, add minced garlic, tumble in scallops until opaque, then toss with al dente pasta, a squeeze of lemon, and chopped parsley. Cleanup is a breeze: wipe the skillet while warm and you’ve conserved precious gray-water capacity.

Beyond the Contest: Extra Fun That Stretches the Weekend


Swap snorkels for handlebars and ride the Loggerhead Run Bike Path toward Cape San Blas, snapping lighthouse selfies en route. Wildlife watchers often spot dolphins arcing alongside the trail, giving kids another story for Monday’s show-and-tell. The flat pavement and frequent rest stops make the route doable even for wobbly first-time bikers.

Prefer paddles? Rent kayaks or stand-up boards at the marina and glide through coves north of Eagle Harbor, where clear flats reveal sand dollars and starfish. Secure an evening beach-bonfire permit through Gulf County, roast marshmallows, and let everyone recap their day’s scallop tally under a Gulf Coast sunset. If summer storms roll in, pivot to the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve visitor center—twenty minutes east—for interactive touch-tank exhibits that tie the entire marine adventure together.

The only thing sweeter than a mesh bag full of blue-eyed scallops is knowing your rig is parked minutes away at a Spacious RV Site, butter chilling and sunsets queued up. Turn this year’s contest into a stress-free, story-packed Gulf Coast escape by reserving your pad at Port St. Joe RV Resort now. Click “Book Now” or give us a quick call—festival weekend sites disappear faster than a scallop in seagrass. We’ll handle the modern comforts, quiet retreat, and morning donuts; you handle the “I found one!” moments. See you bayside.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the age limits for the kids’ scallop-digging contest?
A: Children must be at least six and no older than fifteen on contest day; heats are divided by age brackets so six- to nine-year-olds wade in separate from ten- to fifteen-year-olds, keeping skills and water depth nicely matched.

Q: Does my child need a fishing license to participate?
A: Kids under sixteen are automatically covered, but any adult who plans to step into the bay to help must have a current Florida saltwater fishing license or stay shore-side and cheer.

Q: How long does each heat last, and when should we arrive?
A: Heats run a brisk thirty minutes, but you’ll want to check in at the gear-inspection tent forty-five minutes before your scheduled start to clear the dive-flag check and hear last-minute tide notes.

Q: What gear is required, and can we rent it instead of buying?
A: Each child needs a mask, snorkel, fins, mesh bag, and a legal dive flag; Port St. Joe RV Resort rents kid-sized masks, fins, and bags, while festival vendors sell or loan certified flag kits on a first-come basis.

Q: Is there lifeguard or medical staff on duty for the contest?
A: Yes, certified lifeguards patrol the 100-foot swim zone and an EMT team is stationed at the first-aid tent, so help is never more than a whistle-blast away.

Q: Where can I park a 30-foot motorhome during the festival?
A: Overflow RV parking for rigs up to thirty feet is set on 8th Street, but most resort guests bike the one mile from Port St. Joe RV Resort to avoid tight downtown turns and limited back-in space.

Q: Are there shaded seating and ADA paths for grandparents who prefer to watch?
A: Shaded bleachers sit just behind the swim line, and ADA-friendly beach mats provide smooth rolling access so grandparents or anyone with mobility aids can cheer comfortably without entering sand drifts.

Q: Can we simply watch without digging, and is that free?
A: Spectators of all ages are welcome at no cost, and the bleacher zone plus boardwalk overlook offer clear views of every splash and high-five.

Q: What’s the entry fee and registration deadline for kids?
A: Entry is five dollars per child, and online registration closes the Wednesday before festival weekend; walk-up spots open at 7 a.m. Saturday until heats fill.

Q: May we keep the scallops our kids collect?
A: Absolutely, each child can keep up to two gallons of whole scallops or one pint of meat, so long as the family’s total haul stays within the legal vessel limit of ten gallons in shell.

Q: How do we clean scallops back at the resort, and are stations provided?
A: Port St. Joe RV Resort has outdoor rinse sinks beside most pads and a dedicated fish-cleaning table near the marina; chilling the catch on ice for an hour makes shells pop open for easy spoon shucking.

Q: Is festival Wi-Fi strong enough for a quick Zoom call?
A: The hotspot near the main stage reliably supports video chats, and shower pods by the rinse spigots let you swap wetsuits for work shirts in minutes, perfect for Remote-Work Weekenders.

Q: Are dogs allowed at the festival grounds and resort shuttle?
A: Leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome in the grassy pet zone and may ride the resort shuttle so long as they stay off the swim beach and boardwalk during active heats.

Q: How far is the drive or bike ride from the resort to George Core Park?
A: It’s a flat, one-mile stretch that takes about three minutes by car, ten on bikes, and fifteen on foot, making midday trips back for naps or lunch easy.

Q: Can large RV groups or Snowbird clubs register together?
A: Yes, email the festival coordinator for a group packet that bundles kid entries, secures a shared shade tent, and outlines a half-hour resort shuttle loop for caravans.

Q: Are there volunteer spots for adults who want to help instead of compete?
A: Festival organizers love extra hands; sign up online for roles like tally judge, gear runner, or conservation coach, and you’ll receive a free T-shirt plus backstage parking pass.

Q: Does the event happen outside of August for winter Snowbirds?
A: The official contest is locked to the second weekend of August, but informal “mini-digs” run on select winter holidays; check the Port St. Joe Chamber calendar for those off-season dates.

Q: Is there a fee for day parking if we’re local and arrive in a car?
A: No, street and lot parking around George Core Park is free during festival hours, though spots closest to the gates fill quickly after 8 a.m.

Q: What if bad weather rolls in—will heats be canceled or postponed?
A: Light rain doesn’t stop the fun, but thunder or lightning triggers a thirty-minute delay clock; if storms persist past an hour, heats shift to the next clear tide window, and texts go out to all registered numbers.

Q: Are there any discounts or coupons for local Gulf County families?
A: Yes, residents with a Gulf County ID can show it at check-in for a two-dollar rebate per child, keeping the community vibe friendly and affordable.