Get Ready for the Crawfish Boil!

Posted by Benson

Alright ya’ll!  The crawfish boil is just around the corner with only four weeks to go from this Saturday.

As a reminder, the DGA crawfish boil is Saturday, March 12^th from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The crawfish boil is being held at Friends Coastal Restaurant in historic Madisonville, LA.

If you are planning to attend, we would also like you RSVP when you can.  The amount of crawfish to buy can vary wildly depending on how many people we expect to have at the boil.  Doug is also collecting a secret stash of door prizes and special gifts in his office, but I think those are supposed to be a surprise. 

New Orleans gets a little popular around Mardi Gras, so if you’re planning on coming down early to experience the carnival season, you should start thinking about booking your hotel rooms soon.

Madisonville is on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain which is just a short hop across the Causeway from New Orleans.  We recommend that our out of town guests look for accommodations in New Orleans.  There’s tons of things to do in New Orleans and the city has a much better selection of hotels than the Northshore. 

If you want to be right in the middle of the French Quarter, I recommend the Royal Sonesta Hotel.  It’s right on Bourbon Street, but if that’s a little too intimidating, Jamie recommends the W New Orleans French Quarter.  It’s in the Quarter, but in a quieter location on Chartres, and the restaurant Bacco is also rather good.  The Omni Royal Orleans is a more luxurious option on St. Charles and Royal, near the St. Louis Cathedral.

Westin also has a W Hotel on Poydras.  It’s within walking distance of the French Quarter, but removed from the buzzing night life.  The JW Marriott on Canal Street also isn’t too far from the French Quarter, and Matt says that it’s a nice place to stay.  The Courtyard Marriott is closer to the river near the Convention Center, and is very close to the river walk. 

The weeks surrounding Mardi Gras tend to dominate the festival schedule, but there’s still a few interesting festivals and events the same weekend as the crawfish boil.

The Great Gator Race is a fun event on March 5^th involving 5,000 alligators and supports the Southern Mutual Help Association.  If you’re into indy rock, the Foburg Music Festival is March 11-13 in New Orleans.  Frisco Fest; a craft, art, and food show at the San Francisco Plantation; is on March 12-13.  The Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête is in nearby Baton Rouge from March 10^th to 13^th.  On the Northshore, the monthly Saturday Evening Art Walk in historic Old Covington is the same evening of the crawfish boil.  Galleries hold opening receptions and many of the boutiques keep their doors open late.  Finally, the Bayou Jam concert in Slidell’s Heritage Park is featuring the Topcats from 5:30-7:30 on Sunday evening after the crawfish boil.

The Abita Brewery also offers free tours every week, which I heartily recommend.  A tour is run on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday every week.  The Abita Mystery Museum is also worth a look, trust me.