The tiny river town of Isleton was home to the state’s largest crawdad festival until last year, when it outgrew its original riverfront home and migrated to the North State. Now, North State residents can feast on crawdads, crayfish, mud bugs – little lobster-like river-dwelling creatures, each Father’s Day at the Tehama County Fairgrounds.
Platina’s R Wild Horse Ranch sponsors the annual event to raise funds for the Fire Auxiliary Company 6, the only first responder in a 26-mile range that covers from Bowman Road and Highway 36 to the Shasta County line. Proceeds from the Festival will help pay for a squad to transport victims and carry the “jaws of life” that the company uses in rescue work.
So, spend the day with dad, support the Fire Auxiliary and “Get Outta Town” for music, dance lessons, carnival, car show and all the mud bugs you can eat, at the R Wild Horse Ranch Crawdad Festival.
What: R-Wild Horse Ranch Crawdad Festival
When: Fri., June 17, Sat., June 18 – 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sun., June 19 – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Tehama District Fairgrounds, Red Bluff
Cost: Friday – $5.00 Adults, Children under 12 free with paying adult; Saturday – Adults $5.00 Children 6 and under free and a free $5-off coupon toward unlimited-ride wristbands with paid $5 admission; Sunday – Adults $5; Children 6 and under free and free $5-off coupon toward unlimited-ride wristbands with paid $5 admission; parking fee $5.
Click here for a festival schedule, map, directions and lodging information. Click here to learn the right way to eat a crawdad.
If tearing the limbs off of crawdads isn’t your thing, there’s plenty to do with dad this weekend. “Get Outta Town” in 10 neighboring north state counties:
Click here for Butte County events.
Click here for Del Norte County events.
Click here for Glenn County events.
Click here for Humboldt County events.
Click here for Lassen County events.
Click here for Modoc County events.
Click here for Plumas County events.
Click here for Siskiyou County events.
Click here for Tehama County events.
Click here for Trinity County events.
Adam Mankoski enjoys experiencing and writing about the people, places and things that embody the free spirit of the State of Jefferson. He and his partner own HawkMan Studios and are the creators of Redding’s 2nd Saturday ArtHop. Email your North State weekend events to adamm.anewscafe@gmail.com.
A News Cafe, founded in Shasta County by Redding, CA journalist Doni Greenberg, is the place for people craving local Northern California news, commentary, food, arts and entertainment. Views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of anewscafe.com.
