A little bit of New Orleans and a whole lot of southern fun is headed to downtown Fredericksburg, Texas, as the Jaycees invite everyone to laissez les bon temps roulet at the Fredericksburg Crawfish Festival Friday and Saturday, May 22-23.
Enjoying freshly boiled crawfish is a big part of the event, but the festivities have expanded to include more food, more music and lots of family fun, says Debbie Farquhar-Garner, event coordinator.
“This event started out because some of our Jaycees members liked crawfish, but it has grown into a celebration of New Orleans-style proportions,” she says. “It’s a good way to support the community, and we want the community to have a good time.”
In addition to crawfish, revelers can dig into mounds of gumbo, red beans and rice, shrimp and boudin, plus hamburgers, corn dogs and German sausage. Volunteers will stay busy pouring thirst-quenching cups of beer, wine, soda and water.
The second annual Gumbo Cook-off is set for Saturday, with delicious gumbo prepared by contestants and ready to be sampled.
The Crawfish Festival is a family-friendly event. A jam-packed Kids Area will let youngsters climb, jump and slide to their hearts’ content.
Six live bands are warming up to provide upbeat music for every taste, with touches of country and western with lots of Cajun and Zydeco. Scheduled to appear are Brandon Rhyder, Zydeco Blanco, T-Broussard & The Zydeco Steppers, Ponty Bone & Danny’s Dream, and Frenchie Burke.
Hours for the festival are Friday, 6 p.m. to midnight; and Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight. Admission is $6 for adults and $1 for ages 12 and under. After 8 p.m. Saturday, $10 per person for adults. Two-day passes are available for $10.
The event takes place on Marktplatz, the public square in downtown Fredericksburg, easily accessible to shopping, dining, sightseeing and free parking.
The Jaycees is a national organization that emphasizes leadership and fundraising. Proceeds are distributed to charities. For more information on the event, visit the website, call locally 830-997-8515 or call toll-free 866-839-3378.
