The 50th Anniversary of the Annual Conch Sell Blowing Contest will happen on March 3, 2012 starting at noon. There's no fee, no age limit and no experience required to enter. Don't have your own conch?  No worries!  You can buy one at the contest.

Sponsored by the Old Island Restoration Foundation, this contest celebrates the important history of the conch in the Florida Keys. Here are details from the website:

Watch enthusiastic contestants pucker up and demonstrate their shell-blowing talents. Sometimes called the Conch Honk, there is no cost to enter or to compete, and no experience is necessary. Conch shells are available for purchase for those who do not have their own.

This annual Contest celebrates the historic importance of the conch in the Keys, where the far-reaching sounds from conch shells were used by the Calusa Indians for communication, by sailors as fog horns, and by early Key West citizens to signal salvagers that a sinking ship was spotted offshore. The conch itself, a sturdy sea mollusk, is deeply entwined in the Key West's heritage and tradition. As well as savoring conch meat in fritters and chowder, native-born islanders proudly call themselves Conchs (pronounced "Konk"). Their island home is known as the Conch Republic. Entrants are judged on the quality, duration and loudness, and novelty of the sound they produce. Mercifully, for most contestants, musical ability is not a requirement. The winners take home trophies; ribbons are awarded to those who take second place.

Watch this site for more information or call 305.294.9501.

For more information check out http://www.oirf.org/event.php?id=10.