The Big Texas Fun Crawfish Boil will hold crawfish eating contests each Saturday. Credit: Cory Big Texas Fun Crawfish Boil

It’s officially mudbug season.

And with it comes the fifth annual Big Texas Fun Crawfish Boil, which will bring the coveted crustaceans to San Antonio’s Retama Park from March 10-20.

Festivalgoers will be able to test the limits of their appetite in crawfish-eating contests.  Meanwhile local musical acts including Clint Taft and the Buck Wild Band, Ethan Hanson and Jean-Pierre and the Zydeco Angels will provide the tunes.

The eating contests require a $30 entry fee and will take place at 4 p.m. each Saturday. First, second and third place winners will snag $500, $150 and $50 prizes, respectively. Veteran-focused nonprofit Heroes Sports will dole out one pound of crawfish to U.S. Armed Forces vets and active-duty military members who pay admission.

The 10-day event will also feature carnival amusements, including 36-yard-tall Ferris wheel that’s being touted as the tallest portable wheel brought to San Antonio. A petting zoo and pony rides will round out the fun.

Big Texas’ portable ferris wheel measures a staggering 36 yards. Credit: Courtesy Photo / Texas Fun Crawfish Boil

Admission to the fest runs $10 for adults and $5 for kiddos, and tickets won’t be sold online. Parking will cost $5 per car.

Gates will open at 5 p.m. on March 10 and 11. Starting March 12, operating hours will be as follows: Monday through Thursday from 3–10:30 p.m.; Friday from 3–11 p.m.; Saturday from noon-11 p.m.; Sunday from noon-10 p.m.

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This article appears in Mar 9-22, 2022.

Nina Rangel uses nearly 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry to tell the stories of movers and shakers in the food scene in San Antonio. As the Food + Nightlife Editor for the San Antonio...