MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. - John's Pass Seafood Festival is back in business this year after suffering major damage from last year's hurricanes.

What they're saying:

By early Friday afternoon, there were hundreds of people traipsing up and down the main drags in John's Pass, eating, drinking and shopping.

"It's amazing, the weather is great, everyone is walking around happy, there's no drama," said one reveler.

The backstory:

A year ago, there was destruction, shock and hopelessness.

"[The recovery was] very, very difficult," said Justin Benedetti of Creative Coastal Cuisine. "A lot of people lost their homes. Friends and family had four, five, six, eight feet of water in the house."

Dig deeper:

In John's Pass, city officials say 98 percent of businesses have been able to reopen and ar

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