CrawFest

From the burrow to the boil, the CrawFest is a celebration of Mississippi Crawfish!

Join us for this exciting new event where crawfish take center stage through food, music, science, and hands-on fun for all ages.

This program is included with museum admission or MMNS Foundation Membership. Does not include food trucks and vendors. Event is rain or shine.

FOOD TRUCKS:

Sal & Phil’s Seafood

• $25 flat cost for a plate: 2lbs of crawfish, 1 corn, 1 potato, 1 sausage.

Dr. Flava’s Louisiana Kitchen

MUSIC:

Enjoy live music by TB Ledford and the Accumulators, whose sound blends country blues, bluegrass, and jug band traditions.

ACTIVITIES:

• Enjoy family-friendly activities and games like:
  • Crawfish Cornhole
  • Crawfish "Tattoos"
  • Crawfish Measuring
  • Crayfish chimney making craft
  • Crawfish anatomy investigation, and
  • "NAME THAT CRUSTACEAN!" map where you can pin your hometown and show the folks what you call the crayfish/crawfish/mudbugs back home!

MEET THE CRAWFISH SCIENTISTS:

Learn from area scientists sharing their research on crawfish diversity and ecosystems across Mississippi.

• Nathan Prine (pictured left) and Pedro Solas (pictured center)
  • Nathan Prine, an Aquatics Technician at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, teams up with Pedro Solis, a master’s student at Jackson State University studying crayfish, to bring you a hands-on, man-made crawfish burrow station at CrawFest! Explore how crayfish act as ecosystem engineers and discover the fascinating array of animals that take shelter in abandoned crayfish burrows.
• Calvin Rezac (pictured right)
  • Calvin Rezac is a crayfish biologist (astacologist) and museum curator who surveys and monitors species of conservation concern within the state of Mississippi. His exhibitor station will explore the diversity of crayfish (over 65 species!) in the Magnolia state.

VENDORS:

Mississippi Crawfish Co.: seasoning and merch

KCrenshaw Art: handpainted oyster art

MsT's Sweets and Treats: specialty jams and jellies, pickled veggies, pies/cookies/brownies

Wholly Fire Hotsauce: hotsauce

Watts Hollow Workshop: woodshop crafts (crawfish & gumbo paddles)

This program is included with museum admission or MMNS Foundation Membership. Does not include food trucks and vendors.