Hundreds Turn Out for First Crawfish Fest at Park Square

Marsha Burke considers herself a connoisseur when it comes to crawfish.

"We used to live in Texas and ate crawfish all the time," she said.

So, when she learned the FishHawk/Bloomingdale Rotary Club was hosting a Crawfish Festival at Park Square in FishHawk Ranch, she said she couldn't resist the chance to stir up some memories of her years in Texas.

She wasn't disappointed. "It's very authentic," she said. "Whoever cooked this crawfish did a great job."

Her neighbor, Karen Monaco, a New York native, sampled crawfish for the first time on Saturday and said she was impressed with the flavor of the Louisiana delicacy.

"It's very good," she said.

In all, more than 450 residents consumed 1,200 pounds of crawfish Saturday at the Rotary Club's first festival.

"We nearly sold out," said Rotary member Sandi Meadows. "We had just a few tickets left. It was very successful for our first effort. We're very pleased.

"The crawfish arrived by truck at FishHawk Ranch from a Louisiana crawfish farm around 6 p.m. Friday night. Early Saturday morning, Rotarians began boiling the crawfish in anticipation of the crowds that arrived at noon.

Tammy Broussard, wife of Rotarian Michael Broussard, the inspiration behind the fundraiser, spent the afternoon scooping the crawfish into to-go containers for the line of people waiting with tickets to sample the fare.

"It's been nonstop," said Broussard, who once operated a catering business in Austin, Texas, with her husband, featuring crawfish.

It was Michael Broussard who suggested a crawfish festival when the club was searching for a fundraiser that would become a signature event for the club.

In addition to crawfish, potatoes and corn, the fundraiser featured hot dogs for the kids and about 40 vendor booths sponsored by area businesses and nonprofits.

Both crawfish aficionadoes and those new to the delicacy said they were pleased with the flavor of the crawfish and the portions they received.

"It's absolutely amazing," said Jessi Miles.

Stacy Kistler sampled crawfish for the first time and found it to be tasty. "It has an interesting flavor," she said, "sweeter than lobster."

"You have to work for it," said her husband, Steve, cracking open the tail filled with meat. "But it's worth it."

Proceeds from this year's Crawfish Fest will go to the Brandon Area Ys, A Kid's Place, the Women's Resource Center, the Emergency Care Help Organization and the FishHawk Sports Complex.