By Shannon Williams
As we begin to “open up” and have events and large gatherings, I am just getting excited to even think about making plans, Yes, I am a little anxious, but so ready for the events that we have all missed in this past year. One of those events is the CRABFEST and it is coming up soon! The first time I was set to go to Crabfest was in 2013. We had gotten married earlier that week and were planning on going to the Crabfest and check it out. My husband had been before, but I had not and was really looking forward to it. Well the weather turned bad, so we decided to take a Texas River Road Trip and go visit my mother. So, I missed my first chance to attend Crabfest.

Sometime before the next year, a new friend we had made on the peninsula asked us if we would be part of the group that handled the gate at Crabfest. We jumped right in and said “yes”. Having never even gone before, I had no clue what to expect. Our shift was to start at 10 am on Saturday at the front gate. We got there a little before 10 am and oh boy there was a line and it did not stop for two hours! It was a grand time for Paul and I, we greeted people, put on their arm paper bracelets and then said good bye as they left. OH, the smiles we saw and the joy you could see on their faces.

Our first shift was over before we even had a chance to take a breath. We decided to go see what had brought all the smiles. The food, the music, shopping, dog races, cold beer and tons of people watching to be done. We stayed all day and then took a nap and came back that night. Each year since then we have worked the Saturday morning shift at the main gate. We look forward to it each year. Listening to music outdoors has always been one of my favorite things and dancing under the stars at Crabfest is great fun. They have music for every type of music lover, but I have to admit, Andy and the Dreamsicles are my favorite; they sound so good and you can tell how much fun they are having making music.

We make sure that we keep that weekend open each year so we can be part of all the fun. I don’t worry about cooking during that weekend, we just street eat and try all the vendors we can and go back to ones we have loved in the past. When you add in all the good that the Crabfest Charites do with the money they raise, it is a win-win for all.

This event cannot happen without a ton of man hours and people helping in every way. I know there are many tasks and jobs that need people to volunteer for. I know you will find one that helps out the Crabfest and is fun for you. Crab Patrol is what the shirts for the volunteer say, and you always see big smiles on their faces, as it is just fun watching and helping people have fun. You can go to the website, www.texascrabfestival.org/volunteer and sign up and get your crab on and have some fun. It is a great way to meet people, get to know your community and enjoy sun, fun, food, beer and the music, see you as you enter the front gate!!

[March-8-2021]