April 1, 2 & 3 - Back Under the Kemah Bridge

Make plans to attend the sixth annual Kemah Crawfish Festival on April 1, 2 and 3. Experience the sights of the water, the thrill of a big party with like-minded individuals, the sounds of the best zydeco, country and Texas party rock music, and the taste of ice cold beer as it combines with the seasoning on hot, scrumptious crawfish.

Whether you plan “to keep calm and peel on,” or “go get your peel on,” partying and having a great time is on the top of the list of things to do.

This crawfish celebration is returning back under the Kemah bridge on Third Street where it started. The waterside location provides a better ambience.

“We will be cooking crawfish out of our brand new cooking units that will be able to produce 6,000 pounds of delicious boiled crawfish per hour!” said Doug Davenport of Gulf Coast Festivals.

These mudbugs are “spiced right and priced right.” And you better bet they will taste fresh, too, since they are trucked in daily from farms in Louisiana. In addition to the crawfish, the festival will offer other Cajun dishes and festival cuisine. Wash it down with a cold Budweiser – the official beer of the Kemah Crawfish Festival.

“We are all about eating and music,” said Davenport. He recounted that in the years past, the event became one big dance floor.  The live musical entertainment kicks off early at 1pm Friday, April 1 with Keyun & the Zydeco Masters, who will play until 5:30pm. Popular party-rock band Rat Ranch will quickly follow at 6pm as the Friday headliner. On Saturday, April 2, Bon-ton Mickey & The Zydeco Hot Steppers start the party from noon to 2:45 p.m. Afterward, enjoy T-Broussard & The Zydeco Steppers 3:15 to 6:15 p.m.

Headlining the stage that night from 7 to 10 p.m. is Louisiana’s high-energy showman, and Grammy award winner Wayne Toups, who has long been dubbed “The Cajun Springsteen.” Toups mixes Cajun sounds with the rhythms of zydeco, adding elements of soul music and Southern rock. He calls the revved-up result “zydecajun,” and his electrifying group, “a Cajun fusion band with a rock ‘n’ roll attitude.” He has more than a dozen records and has toured in more than 20 countries. You do not want to miss the electrifying performance of Wayne Toups.

The action Sunday, April 3 kicks off at noon with Jerome Batiste & The Zydeko Players entertaining until 2:30pm.  At 3pm. Curtis Poullard & The Creole Zydeco Band takes the stage from 3 to 5:30pm.

If you have not been to the Kemah Crawfish Festival before, Davenport offers this advice, “The earlier you get there, the better.” General admission is $8. Kids 12 and under are free.

Those ready to start the weekend early on Friday get in free from noon until 3pm (Friday only). The event hours are Friday from noon to 10 pm, Saturday from 11am to 10 pm, and Sunday from noon to 7 pm. Purchase your ticket at the gate or online at www.gulfcoastfestivals.com. For sponsorship or other information, email [email protected].