Dominic Mercurio enjoys reminiscing about the seafood of his childhood. He remembers eating peel- and -eat shrimp during family celebrations and the annual blue crab meal for Memorial Day in his native Philadelphia.
Today, after living in St. Augustine for 25 years, Mercurio is chairman of the St. Augustine Lions Club.
According to its mission, the Lions Club is a worldwide philanthropic club whose main focus is on service to the community. It is the St. Augustine chapter that is in charge of the planning and execution of the seafood festival.
Mercurio took over the planning of the seafood festival in 1999.
“I felt the festival could grow much larger than it was, so when asked by my club to lead the festival, I accepted the challenge,” he said.
While Mercurio is now an avid seafood lover, he admits it was not always his favorite. “I acquired the taste in my teens, but my childhood memory of seafood would have to be fish sticks,” he said.
As leader of the St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival, Mercurio refuses to give away his favorite seafood vendor at the festival. “That’s an answer that has to remain a secret,” he said. “However, each one is unique and offers different types of seafood and preparations. Where else can you have chargrilled octopus, championship chowder, and seafood medley on the same day?”
However, the seafood festival is not all about indulging oneself in seafood for an entire weekend. The planning of the three day event takes time and organization. Mercurio is in charge of finding vendors, exhibitors, sponsors, and requiring the right permits, insurances, and licenses.
Despite the hard work, Mercurio said it pays off.
“My favorite part of the festival is seeing it all come together and providing a family friendly event for the community,” he said.
