Texas Crab Festival
The 37th annual Texas Crab Festival is going big for 2022. The iconic festival will run from May 6-8 at Festival Park, located 1605 Hwy 87 in Crystal Beach, Texas, on Bolivar Peninsula. Celebrate Mother’s Day weekend with crabs of all kinds, live music, a 5k run, and three days of fun-filled activities. The Texas Crab Festival has nine musical artists taking the stage, over 60 food and shopping vendors, and is expecting over eight-thousand festival-goers during the three-day run. Boiled crabs, soft shell crabs, crab cakes, crab nachos and more will be on the menu. “We’ve been doing this a long time; it is an event that we look forward to as locals, and we welcome those who want to be a part of the Texas Crab Festival experience. We have something for everyone to enjoy,” says Tom Osten, Texas Crab Festival Board President.
Bring your game! The festival is full of contests for all to take part in. A Texas 2 Step dance contest takes place on Friday; the crowd favorite wiener dog races are returning on Saturday, strut your stuff in the Crab Legs contest, and cheer on your favorite crab in the famous crab races, and a washer and cornhole tournament are also on the schedule. Stir up the roux, a Crab Gumbo Cookoff is set for Saturday, and cash prizes will be awarded. A scavenger hunt for the entire family is set for Sunday. New this year is a Catch-A-Crab tank, and returning will be a raffle, and live and silent auctions.
The musical lineup is jammed with over-the-top talent. On Friday, May 6, George Dearborne and Bag of Donuts will be both taking the stage to keep you on the dance floor. Dearborne will bring his blend of traditional county and toe-tapping sounds, while the New Orleans-based Bag of Donuts will bring the rocking vibes. On Saturday, legendary Hall of Famer and Cajun music extraordinaire Wayne Toups will be headlining. In addition, David Joel, Thick as thieves, Salty Sounds Band, and Pure Atlantic will be taking the stage throughout the day, starting at noon. La Mentira Norteña will bring their Latin accordion sounds to entertain the crowd on Sunday. And closing out the Texas Crab Festival are local favorites, Bayou Sounds.
Proceeds from the annual Texas Crab Festival and donations from festival visitors are reinvested in the community and help fund youth scholarships and camps, local schools and volunteer fire departments, and various outreach initiatives. The Texas Crab Festival is offering weekend passes for $20 purchase. All-day admission is $10 Friday, $15 Saturday, and FREE on Sunday. Kids 15 and under are always FREE. Parking is also FREE. Festival Hours are Friday 6 pm to Midnight, Saturday 10 am to Midnight, and Sunday 10 am to 6 pm. For more information on the contests, tickets, or schedule, visit texascrabfestival.com.
