The Pensacola Crawfish Festival returns April 25–27

At the heart of the festival is the crawfish — thousands of pounds of it, freshly sourced from Louisiana and boiled by the local experts at Cordova Crawfish Company. [Photo by Maryna Laroshenko]

The Pensacola Crawfish Festival returns with three days of spicy fun, music and family festivities April 25 to 27 at Seville Square and Fountain Park in downtown Pensacola.

Presented by Fiesta Pensacola and sponsored by the Pensacola Ice Flyers, the annual spring celebration draws thousands to enjoy Louisiana crawfish and Cajun-inspired delicacies.

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Entry is $5 per day for adults, $2 for ages 6 to 12, and free for ages 5 and under.

A Feast of Flavors

Crawfish are at the heart of the festival — thousands of pounds, sourced from Louisiana and boiled by the local experts at Cordova Crawfish Co. Other Cajun and Creole favorites available include boudin, jambalaya, etouffee, gumbo, fried seafood and po’boys, as well as such festival fare as chicken baskets, bloomin’ onions, hot dogs, fried Oreos, funnel cakes and ice cream.

A crawfish eating contest will be held in Fountain Park.

Live Entertainment

The lineup of live music spans from zydeco to brass bands to rock:

• Friday — 9th Avenue Brass Band, Tim Roberts, Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers, and Paperchase.

• Saturday — Gulf Breeze Middle School Jazz Band, Heat and the Zydeco Gents, Boukou Groove, Swampland Revival, and Nashville South.

• Sunday — Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble and Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band.

Family Fun and Festive Extras

Kids can enjoy inflatables and games, while the grown-ups can relax with beverages from the Lewis Bear Co. and Coca-Cola United.

Local vendors offer crafts, festival merchandise and other goods, and attendees are encouraged to visit the Cat Country tent for activities and updates.

Know Before You Go

While service animals are welcome, pets are not allowed on the festival grounds. Paid parking is available at downtown lots, with designated accessible parking at Bartram Park.

For the latest updates, entertainment schedules and more, visit www.fiestapensacola.org/crawfish-festival.