Annual show, festival to showcase all things shell
Shell lovers will have an opportunity to celebrate everything shell related at an upcoming event.
The Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club and Sanibel Community Association will host the 89th Sanibel Shell Show & Festival on March 5-6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and March 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Community House (TCH) on Sanibel. It will feature a juried show with scientific and artistic exhibits, shell and shell craft vendors, live mollusk tanks, family-friendly activities, an auction and more.
Sanibel Shell Show Chair Beryl Hosack explained that the club has been organizing the event for decades and its mission is to provide information in the fields of conchology and malacology.
“To foster public education and intelligent conservation and to encourage and support studies and research activities,” she said. “The show is our club’s largest, annual fundraising event.”
Organizing the festival segment of it, TCH Executive Director Emily Ankerson explained that the facility has a decades-long tradition of hosting the event. Following the hurricanes in recent years, the club held its show as a separate event in Fort Myers, but the two segments are reunited once again.
“We thought it made a lot of sense to being them back together,” she said.
As in the pre-hurricane years, the club and TCH will split the proceeds raised at the event. TCH’s funds will support its programs and operations, while the club’s funds will benefit its annual grant program. The grants are given toward education and research in the fields of conchology and malacology, as well as for conservation and water quality projects, primarily in Southwest Florida.
For the show, more than 200 artistic and scientific exhibits will be on display, from as far away as Japan, the Virgin Islands and New England. Hosack reported that the scientific ones focus on a particular shell, one type of shell, unusual or rare shells, and such, while the artistic exhibits cover everything from mirrors and shell mosaics, to jewelry and sailor’s Valentines.
“And they’re all ornamented with shells,” she added.
The show is a juried competition.
“We have different categories,” Hosack said, noting that the entries are divided by professionals and hobbyists. “It is a juried exhibition, it is judged — we hand out trophies and big splashy ribbons.”
The judges making up the panel are all professionals in their field.
There is also a People’s Choice Award for both artistic and scientific, which attendees get to vote on.
Ankerson reported that there will be about two dozen vendors offering jewelry, clothing, pottery, specimen shells and corals, shell art and bags, paintings and watercolors, seashell candles, block print apparel and decor, shell crafts, mosaic shell art and more — all sporting the beach or shell theme.
In addition, the Shellcrafters from TCH will present shell crafting demonstrations.
“And they’ll have a whole section inside with their creations,” she said.
The club will also have a table set up, including a donated sailor’s Valentine by Judy Dinnick.
The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium and students from The Sanibel School will have live mollusk tanks available for attendees to learn more about the creatures that make seashells.
“The kids will be there to talk about them and answer questions,” Ankerson said.
There will be a children’s activity area, provided by a grant from the Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club.
“We’ll have some face painting, balloon artists and small crafts,” she said. “Also a silt walker.”
Attendees can bid on dozens of goodies in the silent auction.
“It’s a big variety of stuff,” Hosack said, adding that there is a shell mirror, wall ornaments, jewelry, baskets, shell tours and more. “We have a lot of gift certificates for different kinds of services.”
Bidding will close on March 7 at noon.
“There will be a buy-it-now option,” she noted.
Also, tickets will be available for purchase for a 50/50 raffle.
Attendees can fill their bellies from food trucks, such as Fork In The Road, Hot Off The Press, J Dubs Chi-Town Dawgs, Mother Theresa’s Italian Soups and Catering, Paco’s Taco, and Sweeter Society.
Pine Islander Sydney Patrick won the design contest for the event shirt, which will be for sale.
Both TCH and the club extended their thanks to the supporters of this year’s event.
“We’d really like to express our gratitude to the sponsors,” Ankerson said. “It helps make the event a success.”
“As always, we have generous sponsors from the community who help make this the success that it’s been for close to 90 years,” Hosack added. “We’re filled with gratitude for our sponsors.”
Admission is a $5 minimum donation, and it comes with a small bag of shells and a coupon for a discount to the shell museum on Sanibel. Ages 12 and under are free with a paid adult entry.
The public is encouraged to come out.
“Shelling is one of the biggest attractions on Sanibel,” Ankerson said. “This is a great way to come and see some amazing exhibits, shells for purchase. It’s a fun activity for spectators and collectors and something for kids, as well.”
“It’s a terrific show, it’s really fun,” Hosack added. “They will be blown away — you will see in one place the best of the best.”
For more information, visit https://sanibelcommunityhouse.net/ or https://sanibelshellclub.com/.
The Community House is at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.
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IF YOU GO
What
89th Sanibel Shell Show & Festival
When
March 5-6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and March 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where
The Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel
Details
Admission is $5 donation, with ages 12 and under free with paid adult