Blue Crab Festival 2023

The Blue Crab Festival, held on Memorial Day weekend along the riverfront in Palatka, Florida, honors and remembers the members of the U.S. military who died while serving our country. This year's Blue Crab Festival will be held from Friday, May 26, through Sunday, May 28, 2023, and will feature carnival rides, a seafood cook-off, live music, arts and crafts, a petting zoo, and much more.

Festival Highlights

The Festival kicks off on Friday, May 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and features great bands along with excellent food and good times, and will continue from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, and from 12:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 28.

Seafood: The star of the menu is, of course, the blue crab. Harvested from both Florida coasts, the blue crab can be prepared in multiple ways, from simply boiled and served with butter, added to gumbo, or marinated in a salad. Visitors can enjoy lots of delicious and fresh seafood at this event, including shrimp, crabs (including blue crab), scallops, and more. Food is served throughout the weekend.

For the kids: Carnival rides, a petting zoo, a kid's zone, and a karate demonstration. There will be pony rides and reptile encounters all day Saturday and Sunday, and a foam party for kids.

Arts and crafts vendors will be on-site at the Blue Crab Festival as well. Visitors can browse through the works of artisans from St. Augustine and throughout Northeast Florida.

Live music at the Blue Crab Festival includes rap duo the Ying Yang Twins, which were nominated for the Grammys and VMA Awards for "The Whisper Song." The Sugarhill Gang will also grace the stage with rap classics such as "Rapper's Delight." 

In addition to the Live Music, other performances at the Blue Crab Festival include:

• Saturday, 11:00 a.m. — Pak's Karate demonstration
• Saturday, 11:45 a.m. — Blue Crab Pageant Winner
• Saturday, 5:00 p.m. — Showtine USA dance and singing troup
• Saturday, 8:45 p.m. — Fireworks Display
• Sunday, 12:30 p.m. — Gatorland Water Ski Team
• Sunday, 7:00 p.m. — Deeski Montana and Friends
• Sunday, 7:30 p.m. — Jacksonville Jags Drumline

Admission and Parking: FREE

When: Memorial Day Weekend, Friday to Sunday, May 26 - 28, 2023. The Festival kicks off on Friday, May 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and will continue from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, and from 12:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 28.

Where: The festival is held in downtown Palatka, at 210 St. Johns Ave. Palatka, FL 32177.

For more information on this event please visit here, or call (386) 329-0100.