HUTTO — Call them crawdads, crayfish or crawfish, if you weren’t at the Annual Crawfish Festival before 3 p.m. Saturday, you could call them gone.
According to organizers, about 5,000 people attended and 100 vendors signed up to participate.
“We sold out of 1,500 pounds of crawfish by 3 o’clock,” said Dena Ebeling, membership services for Hutto Area Chamber of Commerce.
She said H-E-B, 5000 Gattis School Rd., partnered with the chamber to make the annual festival happen.
“H-E-B actually brings the crawfish, corn and potatoes, cooks it all and helps us get it out to the public. They’re a wonderful partner,” Ebeling said.
Crawfish are small freshwater crustaceans that taste a bit like lobster or crab. The majority of crawfish used in cooking come from Louisiana, according to a New Orleans visitors’ guide. Ebeling said that the crawfish at the festival is cooked in a cajun-style boil.
Sheronika Denson and her son Liam were disappointed to find they’d arrived too late and the crawfish were sold out, but they still enjoyed the event.
“It was a beautiful day and I was in meetings all morning so I decided it was time for outside time,” Denson said. “We don’t get to go out a lot, so I love when they have these downtown events because we can be close to home. And, I just like the small town vibe you get here,” she said.
Denson wasn’t sure how well Liam would have enjoyed the crawfish, but since he is a fan of shrimp he was willing to give it a try. With crawfish off the table, he was enjoying bites of his mother’s funnel cake with his cotton candy ice cream and said his favorite part of the festival was being able to eat outside.
Crustaceans weren’t the only thing on the menu at the annual event. Vendors lined the blocks of downtown and patrons found more food, clothing, gifts and services available.
Easton Goodin and Kolby Robinson, Elders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, were manning a booth representing their church. The pair said it was their first time at the event and they enjoyed meeting new people.
“We had quite a few people interested in hearing about Jesus Christ and wanting to serve as well. It’s bringing together a community,” Goodin said.
Angela Meissmer and April Junge were also first time vendors at the event. They represented Park at Siena apartment community.
“We’ve had a lot of interactions, even though it’s the first one we’ve done. It was great. We likely will do it again,” Meissmer said.
The long-standing annual event is one of the chamber’s signature festivals. While the home of the Hippos may seem a stretch for a crawdad feast, Ebeling said the event has been going on for as long as anyone can remember and is always popular.
“Crawfish season is typically February through April or May. The chamber tries to do a couple of community events, so in springtime it just naturally fit that it was crawfish,” she said.
Sheronika Denson and her son Liam enjoy the community feeling of the festival, which she said reminds her of her own hometown in Georgia.
Dena Ebeling was one of many Hutto Area Chamber of Commerce staff and volunteers working at the crawfish event.
Angela Meissmer and April Junge talked to fairgoers aboutlifeatParkatSienaapartmentcomplex.
