Key West is getting ready for five days of music, food, entertainment and island spirit as the third annual Just a Few Friends: Key West’s Favorite Son Celebration gets underway.
The festival officially runs Sept. 3 through Sept. 7, with more than 100 events planned throughout Key West. A pre-festival gathering is scheduled Wednesday at the Chart Room Bar at the Pier House Resort, beginning at 5 p.m.
The celebration was born after Jimmy Buffett’s death three years ago. Paul Menta and Jordan Upchurch helped organize a second-line parade that Labor Day weekend as a way for the community to mourn Buffett and celebrate his connection to Key West.
Upchurch said the response was far greater than organizers expected.
“It just kind of blew up,” Upchurch said. “The second line was very emotional. It was very important. It was kind of something that was just needed for everybody to mourn.”
The event also brought an unexpected economic boost to Key West businesses during what is traditionally a slower month.
“Businesses reached out to Paul and me, and they’re like, ‘We need to continue this because we need business in September,’” Upchurch said.
That led to the creation of Just a Few Friends, which has grown into one of Key West’s largest annual festivals.
Upchurch credited Jill and Sean of the Daily Plan-It with helping expand the celebration and develop its extensive schedule.
One of the central themes of the festival is friendship. Organizers encourage attendees to purchase a festival badge, with proceeds supporting local nonprofits, relief efforts, a Bahamas program and scholarships for high school students.
The badges also serve as a way for people attending the festival to meet one another.
“The idea is that you become friends,” Upchurch said.
The festival includes both free and ticketed events, with several major concerts available to the public at no charge.
The centerpiece Sunday will be a free concert at Truman Waterfront Park following the second-line parade. Howard Livingston and the Bucker 24 Band will open the evening at 6 p.m., followed by Will Kimbrough at 7:15 p.m. Grammy Award winner Mac McAnally will headline the celebration.
Kimbrough will return Monday night for the festival’s final event, an after-party at the new Smoking Tuna.
Another major event is planned Friday night on Duval Street, recreating the atmosphere of the 1998 Meeting of the Minds concert.
The Duval Street party begins at 6 p.m. and will feature the Land Shark Band, with Sloppy Joe’s, Irish Kevin’s and Rick’s Key West among the participating venues. The event will also include a Jimmy Buffett look-alike contest.
Upchurch said contestants can portray Buffett from any era, including a younger, older or barefoot version of the singer.
Hogfish is providing a $1,000 cash prize for the winner.
The festival also features a Cheeseburger Beach Battle Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Southernmost Beach Resort, along with a farmers market, walking tours and numerous musical performances.
A daily tribute show called “A Pirate Looks Back: The Jimmy Buffett Tribute Show” will be presented at the Key West Comedy Club from 12:30 to 2 p.m. The show is produced and hosted by Caleb Hogan of Comedy Key West.
Another daily event, “Tales of the Charter,” features Carol Shaughnessy sharing stories about Key West and Buffett, sometimes joined by special guests.
The Chart Room Bar at the Pier House will also serve as a gathering point throughout the festival, with a daily hangout running from noon to midnight.
Upchurch said the festival offers longtime Buffett fans an opportunity to celebrate his music and legacy while also introducing visitors to the Key West that Buffett helped make famous.
“Jimmy had a really good way of telling the world about what Key West really was,” Upchurch said. “That was very special for a lot of people, locals and visitors alike.”
The full schedule, event information and festival badges are available at JustAFewFriendsKeyWest.com. Festival headquarters is located at the Key West Legal Rum Distillery.
With more than 100 events taking place over five days, organizers are encouraging visitors to review the schedule in advance and plan which events they want to attend.
Just a Few Friends runs through Sept. 7, combining music, memories and the Key West spirit in a celebration of the island’s favorite son.