Crawfish Fest vendors say don't worry about festival foods

AUGUSTA — Crawfish Fest vendors want the public to know they have already purchased the shrimp, oyster meat, catfish, crabmeat and crawfish tail meat they are serving at this year’s Crawfish Fest to be held on June 4 and 5, so the BP oil spill won’t affect them or the food served at the festival. Officials said the food to be prepared is already in a USDA inspected and approved cold storage facility and all of the crawfish to be shipped are shipped live from fresh water ponds. However, while acquiring Louisiana raw oysters may be nearly impossible, vendors have oyster meat for the oyster po-boy. Raw oysters and grilled oysters may have to be removed from the Crawfish Fest menu. The decision will be made one week before the event. Each year, the Crawfish Fest features a variety of authentic New Orleans fare including boiled crawfish with corn and potatoes, chicken and sausage jambalaya, grilled alligator sausage, shrimp Creole, red beans and rice with pork sausage, catfish, crawfish, oyster, shrimp Couchon de Lait, hot sausage Po-Boys, crawfish pie, crawfish bread and Crawfish Ettoufee. Festival goers who want a more traditional menu can choose from grilled Portabella mushroom sandwiches, vegetarian red beans, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, fruit cups, sno-balls, beignets and other desserts. The campgrounds open for campers on Friday June 4 at 10 a.m. and from 8 until 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 5. For a complete menu, stage schedule of this year’s performers and this year’s menu, visit www.crawfishfest.com.