By Georgia Osten
Bye Bye 2021 Texas Crab Festival. Whew!
We’ve had some rocky years since 2019. The 2019 Texas Crab Festival was a soppy mess, but we trudged on through it somehow. The Big Store made a killing on rain boots! Then, COVID put the brakes on the 2020 Crab Festival. We had to cancel it for Mother’s Day weekend in May of 2020, and we tried to revive it in September of 2020. Common sense and Governor Abbot put the skids on that one too. We were beginning to think we were jinxed. Like maybe the Indian Gods were rebelling against us buying their burial grounds or something.

We marched ahead, against all odds. Many of our vendors from 2020 held on, “Keep us on the lists, keep our booth fees, I want the same space I had in 2019!” And, so we did. And, so we kept on taking vendors. In 2021, we had more vendors than ever.

It was a record year for attendance, not to mention the silent and live auctions. The live auction was, of course, conducted by our own icon, Larry “Bid Daddy” Flanagan. Whom other than Big Daddy to get $2000 for one of Elaine’s elaborately decorated chocolate cakes!

And the fireworks – Holy Cow! Thank you, Randy & Hollie, Ray’s Fireworks and Crystal Beach Golf Cart Rentals! If you thought Friday night’s fireworks were amazing, you should have seen the show on Saturday night. I thought they would go on forever!

We ran out of Crab Festival T-Shirts. Jose’s ran out of crabs, Delano was crabbing as fast as he could to keep up with the demand. At one point, we ran out of Dos Equis, early on Saturday. No Way Jose! One visitor requested his money back from his token purchase because we had run out. Nothin’ doin’ Partner, we’ll get some right away. As luck would have it, Giglio found some at a distributor in Beaumont and it was delivered pronto!

The weather cooperated. The Festival Grounds were dry and grassy, perfect for the Wiener Dog Races, over 30 little wieners competed. Dottie won again, of course.

Everyone loved the wide-open spaces. Guests came out in droves! So many volunteers, and of course, we had a place for everybody. There was never a lull in the action, something going on all the time, bands and Crab Legs Contests, thanks Debbie and Katie, you nailed it!

The carnival was rolling, cotton candy swirling and popcorn popping. Jack promised he’d have the Ferris Wheel running for me next year. I’m going to hold him to it!

If you didn’t get a chance to come out this year, I’m so sorry. It was a phenomenal year, several scholarships to be given out, lots of happy vendors ready to come back, so many dying to join in on the fun! It’s the perfect place to enjoy life with your family. How appropriate for Mother’s Day!

We’ll see you next year for the 2022 Texas Crab Festival. Trust me, it’ll be here again before you know it!

[May-24-2021]