KEY WEST, Fla. — Local 10 News and the South Florida community paid tribute Saturday to Jimmy Buffett with a weekend of celebrations leading up to the anniversary of his death.
“Jimmy Buffett: A Trip Around The Sun” aired on Saturday, showcasing the life and legacy of the beloved singer, songwriter, author, actor and businessman who made Key West his home.
Watch the Local 10 special here:
Labor Day on Monday marks one year since Buffett died at 76 in New York after a battle with Merkel-cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer.
The city that inspired “I Have Found Me a Home” and “Margaritaville” is marking the occasion with the “Just a Few Friends Festival,” a four-day event featuring everything from races and island strolls to music, lectures and a New Orleans–style second line parade.
“It’s a weird, quirky, funny, oddball kind of town. It has been that way for 200 years, and he got absorbed in that lifestyle, and then he started writing about it,” said Paul Menta, co-organizer of the festival.
Florida recently declared Aug. 30 as “Jimmy Buffett Day.” In Key West, Buffett’s sister, Lucy “Lulu” Buffett, said she was touched by a proclamation honoring him as the city’s “favorite son” and by plans to restore a building he loved.
“I am so thrilled,” she said during a ceremony with Key West Commissioner Donald “Donie” Lee.
Fans — known as “parrot heads” — have flocked to the island from across the country to celebrate his music and spirit.
The Parrots and Margaritas 5K kicked off festivities Saturday, with runners in everything from tennis shoes to flip-flops and costumes featuring feathers, tropical colors and even pets in tow.
“It encompasses all kinds of events from this to a Margarita stroll to historic walks culminating with the second line on Sunday — second line being a traditional New Orleans funeral march,” said organizer Kertis.
Some fans said the weekend was about more than music. “Jimmy sings about how we live,” Kertis added. “He’s singing about our lives, so when we hear it, he’s putting our experiences into words.”
For many, Buffett’s music remains a soundtrack of island life.
“Jimmy Buffett has been a big part of Key West,” said Arowynn, a fan attending the festival. “And every time I listen to his songs I always think of Key West, and it’s what made me fall in love with the place.”
Debbie, another fan, said Buffett’s passing left a lasting mark on her family.
“My husband’s been a fan since the early 70s and he just loves him. And when he passed away, we mourned for two weeks, listening to his music and drinking margaritas every day.”
Local 10’s special will highlight those memories and the enduring impact Buffett left on Key West and beyond.
Because in the Conch Republic, where Buffett found his voice, it will always be “5 o’clock somewhere.”
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