With the wealth of incredible food and regional musical talent, it somehow seems reasonable that Louisiana would have a festival every weekend. So, we do.
Because we are blessed with excess, sometimes the festivals can start to run together. But leave it to St. Tammany to create something that offers more than your typical weekend affair. The St. Tammany Crab Festival celebrates the delectable blue crab of Lake Pontchartrain with recipes featuring the crustacean. It has live music too. What sets it apart from other fests, however, is the inclusion of a car show, a BMX stunt show and boat rides. It even has its own seasoning.
The St. Tammany Crab Festival is both Saturday, Sept. 15 and Sunday, Sept. 16 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. in Slidell’s Heritage Park at 1701 Bayou Rd. Located approximately 20 minutes from downtown New Orleans, Heritage Park is on the shore of Bayou Bonfouca. For $10, you can experience the beauty of the bayou on a 30-minute boat ride, led by “Captain Dave” of Cat’s Meow Fishing Charters. Children 5 and under can ride free!
Mr. Crab’s Car Show returns for the fourth year. Classic and sports car enthusiasts will drool over the vintage and souped-up beauties. Trucks, rat rods, motorcycles and other “unique vehicles” will be there as well.
The BMX stunt bike show will be Saturday only starting at 12 p.m. with shows occurring throughout the day. The show will feature the BMX TrickStars and will also have a bike giveaway.
The music lineup isn’t just a music lineup. On Saturday, there will also be a Battle of the Bands at 6 p.m. hosted by radio DJ Chris Chaos of station Alt 92.3. Three rising local bands, Akadia, Remedy and Green Gasoline, will compete for the crown.
In the festival’s commitment to community, more than a dozen area nonprofit organizations will be participating. The organizations will have informational tables and are also allowed to fundraise for their individual causes. Charities helping children, working in healthcare and contributing to the arts will all be represented.
Can we talk about the seasoning? Crab Fest All Purpose Seasoning is a combination of crab boil, dried vegetables and spices. I couldn’t wait for the festival to try it so I bought some at Langenstein’s and put it on scrambled eggs. Then I made a compound butter with it and spread that on a biscuit. Later that day, I put it on popcorn. I wish I was eating something with the seasoning on it right now. The stuff is addictive and the food vendors at the festival will be using it in some of their recipes.
This isn’t a free festival, but it is worth the price of admission. Did I mention the carnival rides? One day passes can be purchased for $20 in advance online or at the gate. Children 12 and under are free. No outside food or drink is allowed, but you can bring chairs and umbrellas for shade.
St. Tammany Crab Festival Music Lineup
Saturday, Sept. 15
1:00 – Fremaux Ave. Band
2:30 – 90 Degrees West
4:00 – Louisiana Leroux
6:00 – Battle of The Bands featuring Akadia, Remedy and Green Gasoline
8:25 – Contraflow
Sunday, Sept. 16
1:00 – Voo Doo Gumbo
3:05 – Mardi Gras Indians
3:50 – Miche'le
5:20 – Partners-N-Crime (full band)
6:50 – Tucka
8:20 – Club Nouveau
