Seafood Festival Draws Folks Near And Far For End-Of-Summer Fun

The rainy day didn’t put too much of a damper on the Maryland Seafood Festival on Saturday, September 12. Folks still showed up, dressed in raincoats and ponchos, and armed with umbrellas.

“In spite of the ‘liquid sunshine,’ we were really very pleased with the attendance,” said Stephanie Duncan Troxell, the festival spokesperson.

Troxell explained that when she remarked to some people how happy she was that they came out despite the rain, they replied, “Hey, it’s the Maryland Seafood Festival. We’ve come for the food.” She laughed, “People really look forward to the festival.”

The weather on Sunday, September 13, made up for Saturday. The sun was shining and there was a nice breeze blowing in from the bay, and the breeze was scented with the smell of seafood, particularly crabs. Some folks were just relaxing on the beach after eating their fill of crab cakes. Many were enjoying a drink or two, listening to the band play on a platform by the shore. Right behind the band area was the newest attraction, a zip line. Many young people, and some who weren’t quite as young, quickly slid down the line, laughing as they went. Near the zip line was a life-size foosball table that people could walk through.

The children’s area was impressive. Some kids were laughing and screaming in the moon bounces, and others were painting and gluing in a craft area. One highlight that brought quite a crowd was the crab racing. About 20 lucky blue crabs were chosen for each of the heats. As their little holding cells were released, they scampered sideways down a watered-down platform. Bystanders cheered them on. The kids also enjoyed the exhibit of bay animals put on by the Department of Natural Resources.

For the adults, there were plenty of competitions as well, including crab picking, crab cake eating, oyster shucking, corn-on-the-cob eating and corn hole. There were also tasting stations for craft beer, oysters and wine.

The main attraction was the food, and there were plenty of choices – fish tacos, shrimp, soft shell crab sandwiches, lobster, fish and chips, and much more. For the turf eaters, there were chicken, nachos, potato chips on a stick, corn dogs and fries.

One of the highlights was the 25th annual crab soup contest. “Even in the rain, we had people coming in, some in motor coaches, because they said they wanted to see the crab soup cook-off,” Troxell said. Judges picked their favorites, but there was also a people’s choice award.

Each year the festival draws as many as 20,000 people who come from near and far. “I was talking to one family who is from Lynchburg,” Troxell said. “They come every year and book a hotel room. It’s their tradition.”

The backdrop of the bay, with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the white tents where people were eating and relaxing, gave the whole festival a postcard feel. “It’s such a beautiful backdrop,” Troxell said. “And it ties it all together, the beauty, the water and the seafood.”