Sacramento Crawdad Festival returns with Louisiana soul and Southern bites

The Crawdad Festival, promoted as the largest crawfish celebration in Northern California, returns to Sacramento for its third year on Father’s Day weekend.

The event will be held June 14 and 15 at Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., and will feature thousands of pounds of crawfish flown in from Louisiana alongside Southern staples like gumbo, frog legs, beignets and alligator bites.

First hosted in Sacramento in 2022, the festival drew more than 70,000 attendees in its inaugural year. Event director Jami Hollis said the celebration is “absolutely” a tribute to Southern heritage, from cuisine to live music.

“The musical lineup is deeply rooted in Louisiana soul, with live performances of blues, jazz, Zydeco, and rhythm & blues by renowned artists such as BlackCat Zydeco, Mark St. Mary Louisiana Blues and Zydeco, Zydeco Flames, Tom Rigney & Flambeau, Alabama Mike, and more,” Hollis said in an email. “For our family, with deep Southern roots, this event is a genuine celebration of our heritage — honoring the rich flavors, rhythms, and community spirit that define the South.”

Hollis said the event also spotlights Sacramento’s diverse community, particularly local businesses and small vendors contributing to the region’s cultural and culinary landscape.

“Reflecting Sacramento’s reputation as ‘America’s Most Diverse City,’ the festival fosters a family-friendly and multicultural atmosphere that welcomes all,” Hollis said.

Festival attractions include line dancing lessons, a crawfish eating contest, and a Kids Zone with rides, face painting and free horse rides. A shaded wine garden with karaoke, a full bar and seating offers a place to relax.

Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available online or through the Cal Expo website starting at $20. Admission at the gate is $25. Children 12 and under enter free.

The Isleton Crawdad Festival, a separate festival that ran for 38 years in the Delta city, will not take place this weekend, a city official confirmed Wednesday.