More than just your typical crawfish boil: compete to be the Crawfish Eating Champion and race live crawfish!
In South Louisiana, crawfish are more than just something to eat. They are a reason for people to gather together when the weather starts to warm up and indulge in their favorite traditions built around the mudbugs. Louisianians anticipate the start of crawfish season all year and when it’s finally time to eat them, people travel to their favorite local restaurants and seafood markets to buy them already prepared or buy sacks of live crawfish to boil in their backyards with friends and family.
Family owned and operated for more than 50 years and as one of the first restaurants and seafood markets to sell boiled seafood to locals, Deanie’s Seafood loves Southern traditions, especially boiled crawfish!
That’s why we decided to create our own tradition around crawfish. Our very own Pinch A Palooza Festival & Crawfish Eating Contest has been all about crawfish and bringing together the community since its beginning six years ago.
Not only will we be boiling and serving more than 2,500 pounds of crawfish, the Pinch A Palooza Crawfish Eating Contest will be back for the sixth year in a row and the Crawfish Races return for the second year.
Crawfish Eating Contest
Avid crawfish eaters who believe they are the quickest peelers, eaters and head suckers come from near and far to Pinch A Palooza to compete to be the Pinch A Palooza Crawfish Eating Champion. The champion will win a complimentary crawfish boil for 20 people and other great prizes will be awarded to the runners-up.
Two heats of contestants who register to compete in the crawfish eating contest will all receive five pounds of crawfish to eat as fast as they can as the crowd cheers them on. The winner from each heat will go on into the final round, when the two runners-up will compete for the title of the Pinch A Palooza Crawfish Eating Champion.
Last year, for the first time Deanie’s introduced the exciting Crawfish Races in the Kid’s Area.
Five critters at a time make their way to the edge of the race table as their “keepers” cheer them on and the race caller announces the mudbugs’ progress to onlookers. Last years racer’s included Cajun crawdads Boudreaux, Clementine, Desiree, Jacques, Evangeline and 20 others for a total of five races of five.
Crawfish “keepers” take special prizes home when their designated crawfish is the first to reach the edge of the table.
We hope to see you at Pinch A Palooza on April 19 in Bucktown to celebrate Louisiana’s favorite crustacean! Entertainment and fun are provided free to the public and food and beverages are available for purchase (no outside food or beverages, please.) Visit http://www.pinchapalooza.com for more info.
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