COLUMBIA — On Saturday, May 4, the South Carolina State Fairgrounds will host the 18th Annual Rosewood Crawfish Festival. The all-day event will feature live music, local art and thousands of pounds of Louisiana crawfish.
Guests who pay the $12 ticket price should prepare to take part in Columbia's largest crawfish boil, as well as feast on other Cajun specialties, including jambalaya, gator bites, boudin and étouffée.
"The ones that are grown here are not the same as the ones that are grown in New Orleans," said Dave Britt, the festival's project manager. "It's definitely the best quality crawfish you can get in the world."
For those who want some variety, 20 other food trucks — with offerings including tacos, pizza and ice cream — will be on the grounds. The family friendly event will take place against the backdrop of a kid's activity area and an arts and crafts village featuring local artwork.
Across two stages of live music, the Fairgrounds will host bands Yacht Rock Revue, The Ramblers, Easy Honey, Wombat Junction and Cletus Baltimore. Students and teachers from the Columbia Arts Academy, South Carolina's largest music school, will also perform throughout the day.
"I've been very happy to work with the Rosewood Crawfish Festival for over 10 years," said Marty Fort, founder of the Columbia Arts Academy. "We're going to be rocking it with our students aged six to 60, with everything from classic and modern rock to pop and solo singers."
For some of the festival's local musical acts, the opportunity to connect with their roots has been a significant draw of the festival.
"We're all veterans of Columbia local music scene, and it's a festival that we've all attended at one point and performed at in one way or the other," said Robert Dew, bassist of Wombat Junction. "We're super excited to be a part of it again."
"I went to school here in Columbia," added Taylor Nicholson, lead singer of The Ramblers. "I've played the Crawfish Festival in the past, and it has always been a good time."
Nicholson and The Ramblers have historically been a cover band, but are planning on releasing a record of original songs in August. The festival will be a chance for them to debut some of this new music.
"We've been in the studio last couple months, but we haven't really performed the songs live," Nicholson said. "The Rosewood Crawfish Festival is going to be a great opportunity for us to do that."
With the festival a few days away, community partners and culinary professionals alike are preparing to celebrate local art and Cajun cooking.
"Grab some great food and drink check, out all the artists at the festival and make sure to support all the musicians," said Fort. "It'll just be a good, family afternoon."
The festival is on May 4 at the SC Fairgrounds. For tickets and relevant info, visit rosewoodcrawfishfest.com
