Hollywood Beach to Host Clambake on the Broadwalk

Hollywood, Florida --- A bounty of fresh seafood, live music and entertainment are in store Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 at the 5th Annual Hollywood Beach Clambake, where that tasty, time-honored New England tradition takes on a tropical twist. The festival will take place along Hollywood Beach’s beautiful oceanfront pedestrian promenade – the Broadwalk.

Throughout the weekend, a sumptuous South Florida feast of fresh clams, oysters, shrimp, fish, lobster, conch and crab cakes will be served up by festival vendors and numerous beach eateries. Seafood-lovers can enjoy a traditional New England clambake at Nick’s Bar & Grill, 1214 N. Broadwalk, and steamer clams, corn on the cob and more will be available in the Clambake Pavilion.

Nonstop live music on two stages will include popular local performers as well as nationally known concert acts, including folk-rock group Edie Brickell & New Bohemians (9 p.m. Sat., Sept. 30), Louisiana-based Chubby Carrier and The Bayou Swamp Band (9 p.m. Fri., Sept. 29) and harmonica virtuoso Fingers Taylor (6 p.m. Sun., Oct. 1).

Among the other festival highlights will be a sand-sculpting exhibition, the annual Best Chowder Contest among beach-area restaurants, an art display by youths in the City’s S.E.A. Camp (Science, Education & Adventure) summer program, arts & crafts activities for children utilizing eco-friendly materials and a volunteer beach cleanup (9 a.m. to noon Sat., Sept. 30).

The festivities along the newly renovated Broadwalk will introduce visitors to the natural beauty of Hollywood’s award-winning coastline; charming assortment of retro beach shops, boutique hotels, luxury resorts and waterfront dining options ranging from casual to sophisticated; and a variety of free cultural offerings such as the Hollywood Beach Clambake. Named one of the country’s top nostalgic boardwalks by USA Today in 2005, the new-and-improved Broadwalk, along with a series of exciting high-profile public and private redevelopment projects, is helping to transform the quaint seaside city of Hollywood into a major regional tourist destination.

There is no charge for admission to the Hollywood Beach Clambake, which is presented by the Hollywood Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. Founded by Fiesta Tropicale of Hollywood, Inc., a 501C3 nonprofit organization, the Hollywood Beach Clambake is an award-winning event recognized by the Florida Redevelopment Association as “Best Festival.” Last year, thousands flocked to Hollywood Beach over the three-day weekend for the fresh seafood and free concerts by renowned acts that included Grammy-winning reggae band Toots and the Maytals.

Festival hours are 5 to 11 p.m. Fri., Sept. 29; noon to 11 p.m. Sat., Sept. 30; and noon to 9 p.m. Sun., Oct. 1 along the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, just east of State Road A1A at Johnson Street.

Arrive by car, boat or bicycle. Paid festival parking is available at the Johnson Street municipal garage and surface lots, and at the Oceanwalk Mall next to the Ramada Inn Hollywood Beach Resort at Hollywood Boulevard.

For the perfect weekend getaway, a variety of quality accommodations are available on Hollywood Beach, from quaint Superior Small Lodgings to the boutique-style Marriott Hollywood Beach to the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa.