Crawl, Don’t Walk to the Rosewood Crawfish Festival

The Rosewood Merchant Association, in partnership with Solid Entertainment and Liquid Assets, is gearing up to bring some of the infamous Creole cuisine to the Midlands on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at the 4th annual Rosewood Crawfish Festival!

From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., lovers of all things Creole and Cajun are invited to adorn Rosewood Drive and take part in one of the city’s favorite celebrations, featuring 5,000 pounds of fresh Louisiana grown crawfish.

If crawfish aren’t your thing, a large assortment of other options will be available for your dining pleasure along with live music on two stages and fun for the whole family, featuring a street vaulting competition and the Community Event Expo area.

Music

From N’awlins native Better Than Ezra to Columbia’s own Tootie and the Jones, The Reason Your Listening, and Pixie’s tribute band So Hush Hush, this year’s festival line-up is sure to please a wide array of musical palates.

For an authentic taste of Louisiana culture, look no further than St. Matthews band Mudfish and The Plowboys, whose tunes bring the Crescent City’s bayous all the way to Columbia.

Family Fun

To ensure that there is fun for all, this year’s festival features a Street Vault Competition where athletes from across the United States will compete in a series of gravity-defying pole vault jumps. Come to the intersection of Maple and Howard on Rosewood Drive for a high-flying show that is (almost) out of this world!More family fun can be found at the Community Events Expo area with performances by local dance troupes, skateboarders, martial arts specialists, Double Dutch teams, magicians and many more. These events will be running throughout the day on the corner of Rosewood Drive and Howard Street.

Art enthusiasts and spectators alike are encouraged to peruse the beautiful designs of local artisans at Arts and Crafts Alley.

Be sure you bring the little crawdaddies for an afternoon of fun in the Kid’s Area with face painting, crawfish races, rides, inflatabales and much more.

Admission

Tickets to the Rosewood Crawfish Festival are $10 at the gate with advance tickets available at www.etix.com. Children 12 and under enjoy free admission to the festival.

Parking

Parking for the festival is located at the RV parking lot adjacent to the State Fair Grounds on the corner of Rosewood Drive and Assembly Street. Buses will run in 15 minutes intervals to and from the festival gates. There will be a small charge to park in this secure lot.

Building the Community

Giving back is important and that’s why a majority of festival proceeds go to improve Rosewood Community parks, recreational sites and greenways. A portion of the funds collected will also be donated to local charities.