Key West · July
Key Lime Festival
The Key Lime Festival is Key West celebrating the one food the whole island agrees on. Five days built around the Fourth of July, filled with pie tastings, cocktail strolls, cooking events and the main event: a no-hands pie-eating championship where contestants go face-first into a whole key lime pie with their hands behind their backs.
The 2026 festival ran July 1 through 5. Dates for 2027 have not been posted yet, but the festival anchors itself to the Fourth every year, with the pie-eating championship on the holiday itself.
Quick Facts
- When
- Fourth of July week; 2026 ran July 1 to 5
- Where
- Venues around Key West
- Signature event
- No-hands pie-eating championship, July 4
- Cost
- Free events plus ticketed strolls and dinners, $55 to $87
- Since
- 2013
- Fun fact
- Key lime pie is Florida's official state pie, and the Keys claimed it locally back in 1965
The pie-eating championship
The festival's main event happens July 4 at Southernmost Beach Café: rows of contestants, whole key lime pies, hands behind backs, faces down. First one to finish wins. It is exactly as ridiculous and as fun to watch as it sounds, and it draws a real crowd, so stake out a spot early.
The rest of the lineup
Around the championship, the festival runs a full week of eating and drinking. The ticketed events sell out, especially the strolls, so buy ahead once the schedule posts.
- · Key Lime Sip and Stroll: a walking tour of key lime cocktails and bites around Old Town, around $55.
- · Key Lime Pie Hop: a guided crawl of the island's best pie slingers, around $55.
- · Ticketed dinners and pairings in the $85 range.
- · A free kickoff party and the Key Lime Pie Smash, which is exactly what it sounds like.
A short history
Authors David Sloan and Marky Pierson started the festival in 2013 as a half-serious love letter to the island's dessert. It stuck. The Keys named key lime pie their official pie back in 1965, and Florida made it the official state pie in 2006, so the festival has plenty of standing to celebrate. July in Key West is hot and slow, and this week gives the island a reason to throw a party in the middle of it.
Want more on Key Lime Festival?
Official details from the organizers, plus Keys Weekly's coverage from the newspaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Key Lime Festival?
Fourth of July week every year. The 2026 edition ran July 1 to 5, with the pie-eating championship on July 4. Watch keylimefestival.com for 2027 dates.
Is the festival free?
The kickoff party, the Pie Smash and watching the pie-eating championship are free. The strolls, pie hops and dinners are ticketed, mostly $55 to $87, sold through the festival site.
What is the no-hands pie-eating contest?
Contestants race to finish a whole key lime pie with their hands clasped behind their backs. It happens July 4 at Southernmost Beach Café and it is the festival's signature event.
Why key lime pie?
It is the island's dish. The Keys named it their official pie in 1965 and Florida made it the official state pie in 2006. The festival started in 2013 as a celebration of it and grew from there.
More Annual Events in the Keys
Key West · June
Key West Pride
Five days in June, a street fair, and a parade up Duval in the town that once flew a rainbow flag from the Atlantic to the Gulf.
Key West · December
Key West Lighted Boat Parade
Decorated boats, a dark harbor and the whole Historic Seaport out on the docks. Free, and one of the best nights of December.
Key West · January
Key West Food & Wine Festival
Five days of tastings, wine strolls and chef dinners across the island, in the best weather week of the Key West year.
Key West · November
Key West Powerboat Races
Offshore race boats hitting triple digits in the harbor, three race days, and a parade of them down Duval to open the week.