Arts & Culture

Key West’s annual Key Lime Pie Eating Championship returns for Fourth of July

WLRN Public Media | By Mohamed Alkawaja

Published July 2, 2026 at 6:00 AM EDT

Tom Luciano of Venice, Fla., triumphed in last year’s World Famous Key Lime Pie Eating Championship by devouring a complete Key Lime pie in 2 minutes, 46:49 seconds, without the use of his hands. The competition, held on the Fourth of July, is one of numerous Key Lime Festival events set to take place July 1-5, 2026. (Photo: Carol Tedesco – Key Lime Festival)

Dozens of fearless competitors will bury their faces in whipped cream-crowned citrus pies this Fourth of July as Key West's World Famous Key Lime Pie Eating Championship returns to the sun-soaked sands of the Southernmost Beach Café at 1405 Duval Street with the clock ticking and no hands allowed.

The competition kicks off at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, as part of the broader Key Lime Festival, a five-day celebration of the island's signature citrus fruit and iconic key lime pie, running from July 1st to 5th.

"There's no eating competition anywhere else in the world as citrus-charged and sloppy as this one," said Nadene Grossman Orr, Key Lime Festival Director and CEO of We've Got the Keys. "We're immensely proud to be the purveyors of this Southernmost celebration of competitive pie consumption.”

Up to 25 contestants will face off against a 9-inch key lime pie and each other, racing to finish without utensils or their hands. Goggles and dive masks, however, are fair game.

Tom Luciano from Venice, Florida, claimed last year's title with a time of 2 minutes, 46.49 seconds. The record to beat, however, remains a blistering 40.57 seconds, set in 2018 by Houston attorney Trey Bergman, who also won in 2017. Local champions include Chris Shultz (2022), David Johnson (2019) and Steve Carr (2015).

The July 4 World Famous Key Lime Pie Eating Championship welcomes up to 25 contestants to compete in a timed race to consume a 9-inch Key Lime pie, topped with whipped cream, without using their hands. The sensationally sloppy competition is part of Key West’s annual Key Lime Festival, which runs July 1-5 this year. (Photo: Carol Tedesco – Key Lime Festival)

The competition, which started in 2013, was inspired by New York's famous Fourth of July hot dog eating competition. Key lime pies are traditionally made with condensed milk, egg yolks, and key lime juice in a graham cracker crust, a recipe with deep Florida roots. The Florida Legislature designated key lime pie the official state pie in 2006.

Festival grounds open at 10 a.m. with the Key Lime Vendor Village. The week's lineup also includes a Duval Street kick-off party, a Key Lime Pie Hop, an Ultimate Key Lime Smash Party, and a 5-Alarm Pie Challenge at the Alex Vega Key West Firehouse Museum.

The championship is free to watch. To compete, pre-registration is $30 and day-of entry is $50. Contestants must be 18 years or older. The event is sponsored in part by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council and We've Got the Keys.