HOME | DINING | MOVIES | LIVE SHOWS | ARTS | UPCOMING EVENTS
ARCHIVES | ABOUT | ADVERTISE | CONTACT | DISTRIBUTION
entertaining u newspaper: your weekly guide to entertainment
<< Raintree | Main | JW Gilmore >>
small town fun, blues & seafood
Palatka Blue Crab Festival
by erin thursby    scopes1925@msn.com

WHAT: The Blue Crab Festival

WHEN: Friday night- Monday afternoon

WHERE: Downtown Palatka

      Looking for a Memorial Day Weekend road trip? Take a drive to Palatka for the annual Blue Crab Festival. With music, a judged art show and a legendary seafood cook-off, this fest should deliver on family fun. The fest begins on Friday night and goes on through Monday.

      Featured headliners at the fest include Eric Lindell and Walter Trout & the Radicals. Rising in popularity and touring the country, Eric Lindell has become known for his rockin’ roots infusion of blues, swamp pop, reggae rock and kickin’ grooves. Walter Trout’s music has been around for about thirty-five years, but that doesn’t stop Trout from continually changing and growing within his music. While Walter Trout & the Radicals might ostensibly be blues based, they pull from all sorts of musical traditions. The group just recently returned from India, where they wowed their Indian fans with their musical stylings.

      My entertainment pick for the fest is Bill Wharton, aka the “Sauce Boss,” if only for the eccentricity of his act. This dude combines blues and cooking onstage. A great combination, and really pretty apt. What’s the blues without gumbo to go with it? As Wharton sings and plays his guitar, a large pot of the stuff simmers. He plays in a chef’s hat and passes out the finished product to the crowd. Jimmy Buffet even wrote a song about him, entitled ‘I Will Play for Gumbo.’ The gumbo is apparently first rate, as Bill “Sauce Boss” Wharton has been featured in Gourmet Magazine.


getting there
Take I-95 South to Route 207 and follow it all the way into Downtown Palatka, or take Hwy 17 South to Downtown Palatka. Travel Time: about an hour and 20 minutes


where to stay
Because it’s only about an hour away from Jacksonville, you can make a day trip to Palatka or you can stay there for the night and make a weekend of it. Although the population is just over ten thousand, tourism is important to the little town. Palatka’s just 40 minutes away from St. Augustine and was a pivotal geographical point prior to the Civil War. There are a few bed and breakfasts you can stay at, such as The Azalea House (386) 325-4547, which was built in 1878 and is only two blocks from the river.



blue crab fest schedule


Friday May 25th

5 pm - Fest Opens

6-9 pm - Local Schools entertain with dance, jazz & more

9:30- midnight - The Swinging Medallions


Saturday May 26th
10 am - Seafood Cook-off begins

noon-2 pm - Aerial Tribe

2:30- 5 pm - Out of Hand

5:30-7 pm - Eric Lindell

7:30-9:15 pm - Deep Blue

9:45- 11:30 pm - The Subdues


Sunday May 27th

1:30-3 pm - Bill Wharton aka the Sauce Boss

3:30-5 pm - Greg Baril

5:30- 7 pm - Duwayne Burnside & The Mississippi Mafia

7:30-9 pm - Walter Trout & The Radicals

9:30-11 pm - Last Waltz Ensemble


Monday May 28th

10 am - Memorial Day Parade (St John’s Avenue)

11 am - Memorial Day Ceremony (Ampitheatre)

12-4 pm - Jack Mosley Band

Entertaining U Newspaper, eujacksonville.com. Published by N2U Publishing, Inc. 3101 University Blvd., South #201 Jacksonville, FL 32216. Copyright N2U Publishing, Inc. 2006. Reproduction of any artwork or copy prepared by N2U Publishing, Inc. is strictly prohibited without written consent of the publisher. We will not be responsible for errors and/or omissions, the Publisher's liability for error will not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error. Articles for publication are welcome and may be sent to the following address: 3101 University Blvd., South #201 Jacksonville, FL 32216. We cannot assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. For information concerning classified advertising phone 904-730-3003.