Dive Into the Venice Sharks Tooth Festival

Sharks. The mere mention of these carnivorous creatures makes some people cringe. In Venice, however, it's actually cause for celebration. The Sharks Tooth Festival, which first began in 1992, returns every year to Venice, FL—aka "The Sharks Tooth Capital of the World".

The family-fun celebration hosted in the small, beachside community attracts thousands every spring to come experience this unique claim to fame for themselves while enjoying an exciting weekend filled with live music, delicious food and fun activities for the kids. 

What To Expect

The 2025 Sharks Tooth Festival will be back on Saturday, April 12th, 2025 and Sunday, April 13th, 2025 at Venice's Historic Downtown in Centennial Park. Explore a magnificent showcase of prehistoric fossil collections, including Megalodon-size teeth, sharks' jaws, stingray spine fragments, stingray teeth, alligator teeth, sea biscuits and more. 

In between checking out underwater treasures, shop around the many local vendors and artists selling beach-themed merchandise at the event. Food vendors serve up streetside fare such as seafood and BBQ, plus live entertainment is on stage all weekend. Kids can dive into hands-on exhibits such as a shark tooth dig, enjoy fossil talks, face painting, kids crafts, plus so much more. 

This event is free and open to the public. For up-to-date information, go to venicesharkstoothfestival.com.

Hunt For Yourself

The festival, just a short drive away from Venice's best shark tooth hunting spots, Venice Beach will give you a chance to go try and unearth some yourself before or after the event. As one of the few cities on Florida's southwest coast without a barrier island, Venice shores see millions of prehistoric sharks' teeth wash up on its sandy beaches annually.

Combing these shores to look for the dark gems has always been a favorite pastime of visitors and residents here. Success is basically guaranteed. Anthropologist-wannabes also delight in the occasional lucky find of fossilized bone fragments from other prehistoric animals such as bison, sloths and tapirs.

Fun Shark Facts

Sharks have lived in the Gulf of Mexico for millions of years and have evolved very little over this time. Since sharks regenerate their teeth, a single shark may produce thousands in a lifetime. Sharks' teeth may be black, brown or gray, depending on the minerals in the sand. Despite having fabulous chompers, most sharks do not chew their food, but gulp it down whole in large pieces.

Explore Venice Island

Just minutes from the beach, visitors exploring the historic downtown area can take a self-guided sculptural Shark Spotting tour – featuring 10 bronze sculptures of native species of living and prehistoric sharks. These works of art were specially created by internationally known fine artists at Sarasota’s Bronzart Foundry. Walk the downtown loop around Venice Ave, Tampa Ave and Miami Ave to find all 10 utilizing this brochure and map of clues!

Surrounded by waterways and graced by Northern Italian architecture and beautifully landscaped boulevards dating back to the original city plans of 1925, Venice remains a lovely and picturesque place to walk around enjoying the parks, fountains, statuary benches and nostalgic streetlights with Old World ambiance. Grab a bite to eat, shop and check out local art. Downtown's "island avenues" are lined with gift and clothing boutiques, craft stores, antique shops, sidewalk cafes and gourmet restaurants. 

In addition to sharky discoveries, beaches in the Venice Island area offer excellent shelling, smooth golden sand, crystal-blue waters, lifeguards and the coveted Blue Wave certification, a Clean Beach Council designation indicating superior water quality, cleanliness, safety, services and maintenance, conservation efforts, warning/information systems and erosion management.