It’s been almost two years since Jimmy Buffett passed away and Key West is celebrating the singer-songwriter poet with another festival Labor Day weekend.  

It’s time for parrotheads to grab their flip-flops, cheeseburgers, “boat drinks” and margaritas to stroll down Caroline Street and Duval for another “waste away again” bar crawl.

Take a deep breath and get high by the sea “chewing on a honeysuckle vine”,  feeling the good energy in the ocean breeze,  listening and singing to his tunes.

Way back in November of 1971 when his friend Jerry Jeff Walker first brought Jimmy to Key West, his inspiration began to flow on the island that he became to love so much.

It’s called “Just a Few Friends” and it all kicks off on Friday, August 29th through Monday, September 1st.

The gathering is part memorial, part music festival and a unique opportunity to walk the same streets Buffett sang about, visiting the bars and marinas where his stories began and hear the musicians who knew him best perform in intimate settings. 

“This is about more than music” said co-organizer Paul Menta.   “We honor Jimmy’s memory by immersing people in the island he loved– the people, the history, the sunsets, the flavors.   It’s a celebration of the way of life he enjoyed here and made his own”.

The heart of the weekend is Sunday’s  “Just a Few Friends Parade”, a jubilant procession that winds down Key West Duval Street and ends at Truman Waterfront Park.  There the Free Party in the Park concert will carry the tribute past sunset with Howard Livingston and the Mile Marker 24 Band, vocalist Nadira Shakoor from Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band and a stage full of his musical friends. 

Concerts also are scheduled starring former Coral Reefer guitarist Roger Bartlett and the Nautical Wheelers on Saturday evening and Buffett’s “Bubbles Up” co-writer Will Kimbrough Monday night.   Both take place at the Ocean Key Resort Sunset Pier overlooking Key West Harbor.

Beyond music, the festival weaves in experiences that could only happen in Key West.   Among them are sailing adventures on schooners, catamarans and floating Tiki boats offering a taste of the Island from the water, while guided walking and trolley tours spotlight Buffett’s favorite places in Key West.

You can also take a visit by Shrimp Boat Sound, Jimmy’s recording studio or Margaritaville for a few drinks to find that “lost shaker of salt”.

Two ticketed highlights round out the weekends with Friday’s Cheeseburger on the Beach contest at the Southernmost Beach Resort, which pairs delicious competition with live music from The Margaritas in Paradise tribute band.   Saturday’s Milagro Margarita Bar Stroll is a lively tasting tour where 22 bars compete for the title of Key West’s Best Margarita.

 For Buffett fans who want to do more than listen, Just a Few Friends offers a chance to become immersed in the island that gave birth to a state of mind. 

And as Jimmy Buffett last said “What a hell of a ride, keep it going, keep the party going”.

Details, badges and ticket information are at: www.justafewfriendskeywest.com.