2019 Crawfish Festivals
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It’s that time of year again. The weather is warming up, the trees are beginning to turn green and the smell of crawfish is in the air. In Southern Louisiana, the distinct scent of boiling crawfish is one of the sure signs that Spring is finally here. Crawfish are a long-standing tradition down here, and we show our love of these crustaceans with festivals throughout the state.

Louisiana isn’t the only state that celebrates the crawfish, however, and there are a number of festivals throughout the United States. Here are a few of our favorites:

Louisiana:

  • Mudbug Madness in Shreveport, LA – On Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-26 2019, head on over to Shreveport for Mudbug Madness. Voted one of the 100 best events for 2019, Mudbug Madness celebrates all things Louisiana for their 31st year. They must be doing something right.
  • Crawfest in New Orleans, LA – On April 6, Tulane University in New Orleans offers up more than 20,000 pounds of Crawfish, music, art, and fun at the Uptown campus for the annual Crawfest. Tickets are only $10 and free for Tulane students, which includes UNLIMITED Crawfish!
  • Louisiana Crawfish Festival in Chalmette – On March 21-24, 2019 cajun bands provide the music, and arts and crafts booths showcase local talent. There’s always a giant midway with carnival games, cotton candy, candied apples, and fun rides. You can dine on several different crawfish dishes while there.
  • Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival – Come to watch the world famous race of the crawfish! Enjoy crawfish prepared in anyway you can think of from boiled to a pie. It takes place May 3-5, 2019.
  • Crawfish Mambo: Cook Off & Music Festival on the Lake – New Orleans’ largest cook-off, will be held May 11, 2019. You can sample dozens of different crawfish boils cooked by teams competing for “Best of Boil”. Feast on all-you-can-eat crawfish, while dancing the Mambo or take a break to shop the Mambo Artists Village.

Texas:

  • Kemah Crawfish Festival – Takes place under the Kemah Bridge in Kemah, Texas, April 19-21, 2019. There will be crawfish, beverages, live music, and fun, all with a free admission.
  • Woodlands CrawPHish Festival – On March 23, 2019 in Woodlands, Texas, event attendees will enjoy crawfish and a variety of refreshments while listening to live music. A designated Kids Zone will feature a variety of activities including a bouncing moonwalk, inflatable slide, face painting and more!
  • Bigass Crawfish Bash – Scheduled events include the crawfish cooking competition, live music, kid zone, vendors market, Veterans VIP tent, food court and more! All of this is taking place on April 20, 2019 in Hitchcock, Texas.
  • Llano Crawfish Open – A two day event held on April 26-27, 2019 in Llano, Texas. You can enjoy crawfish team roping, arts and crafts for kids, live music, food to be served, a charity golf open, 5K walk/run, and also a motorcycle fun run.
  • Mauriceville Crawfish Festival – Festival features music lineup , entertainment, creole cooking demos, competitive crawfish cook-off, and more all on May 3-4, 2019 in orange, Texas
  • Crawfish Festival – Located in DeSoto, Texas at the DeSoto Amphitheater on June 1, 2019, including tons of delicious spicy crawfish, great food live music, vendors, and games at this friendly, relaxed, and fun event.

Arkansas:

  • Crawdad Days Music Festival – Held every year in Harrison, Arkansas and held the third weekend of May around the banks of Lake Harrison. This year it takes place in May 2019, dates not updated,  where you can enjoy food, crafts, clothing items, and the STAR attraction… crawfish!
  • Hot Springs Gumbo & Crawfish Festival – Takes place on April 20, 2019 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where you can sample gumbo from the areas cooking teams fighting for “Best Hot Springs Gumbo”, purchase a crawfish dinner, and also enjoy some dance music!

Florida:

Mississippi:

California:

  • Gator by the Bay Festival in San Diego, CA – For four days, from May 9-12, 2019, the San Diego Bay area pulls out all the stops with Zydeco, Blues, dancing and more than 10,000 pounds of Crawfish! Put on in part by the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the Gator by the Bay festival is the “most Fun You’ll Find This Side of the Bayou”.
  • LSU Alumni of San Diego – This crawfish boil happens on May 26, 2019 @ the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. Go to enjoy hot and spicy boiled crawfish by Cajun Chefs, with seasoned corn and potatoes, cold and premium beer, live music all afternoon, with a selection of soda bottles water food and drink.

Illinois:

  • Gumbo Ya Ya in Rock Island, IL – Catch the spirit of the French Quarter as they celebrate in downtown Rock Island, Il in the District! Cajun foods, Cajun music, and of course a lot of Crawfish make Mardi Gras in the District a great time every year! This year’s Gumbo Ya Ya takes place June 2019, dates not updated.

Georgia:

  • Frogtown Crawfish Festival – Fresh Louisiana crawfish, live music, arts and crafts, kids zone, food, adult beverages, inflatables, face painters, games, contests, and much more. Its $10 a day entry fee, but kids 12 years old and under get in free! It will all start June 21-22, 2019 in Columbus, Georgia.
  • Woodbine Crawfish Festival – Family oriented event for all ages offering children’s amusements to arts & crafts, to cloggers, square dancers, and live bands, This years festivities have not been finalized just yet, at the Satilla Waterfront Park Stage and gazebo stage.

New Jersey:

  • Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest – Camping weekend event will consist of not only live bands, but great food options and crafts for all ages attending! All taking place in Augusta, New Jersey on May 31- June 2, 2019.

Oklahoma:

  • Chisholm Trail Round-Up Crawfish Festival – Enjoy a taste of Louisiana at the Chisholm Trail Crawfish Festival in Yukon. This annual outdoor event celebrates Cajun culture with food, history and music. The festival is family-friendly and features numerous activities for all age groups, including the Kid’s Kreative Korral, chicken and crawfish races and pony rides. A live Cajun band will perform and give dance lessons throughout the day. Taking place in Yukon, Oklahoma on June 1, 2019.

Oregon:

  • Annual Tualatin Crawfish Festival – This festival has a crawfish cooking contest, a crawfish crawl relay, 5K, & half marathon, Food booths, Beer garden, vendor village, crawfish eating contest, fireworks, and a silent disco all while being able to enjoy quality family time in August, dates unconfirmed as of yet.

Tennessee:

  • Porter-Leath Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival – Over 30,000 festival goers will enjoy live music on three stages from nationally known Louisiana Zydeco bands and local award-winning artists in Memphis, games including crawfish bobbing, eating, and racing, arts & crafts vendors, and a play zone for children ages 12 and under. VIP experiences are available and include the Swamp Tent featuring an all you can eat crawfish and cajun cuisine and CashSaver Louisiana Gumbo Cook-off which offers cash prizes. All events start on April 28, 2019 for free admission Wagner Place and Riverside Drive in Memphis Tennessee .
  • Ragin’ Cajun Crawfish Boil – Over 2,000 people, 4,000 pounds of all-you-can-eat crawfish, over 80 kegs of all-you-can-drink beer and ciders, and 7 of Nashvilles hottest Bands. All on April 13,  2019 in Cumberland Park, Nashville, Tennessee.

Washington D.C.:

  • Bayou Fete XIII- DC-LCC Annual Crawfish Boil – 10,000 pounds of all you can eat crawfish and 50 kegs of beers, cokes, and water all day long while being able to listen to live music and a day packed full of event that include softball, volleyball, and other park games, but you must bring your own equipment. This event takes place in June, dates unconfirmed as of yet, at Fort Hunt Park- Area-A in Alexandria, Virginia.

 

Have any other crawfish festivals you think we missed? Leave a comment below and let us know!