Our History
The Isleton Crawdad Festival boasts a captivating history that spans decades, tracing its origins back to the 1980s.
This charming historical town, nestled along the Sacramento River Delta, shares a spirited kinship with its sister city, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Known as the Crawfish Capital of the World, Breaux Bridge is also the birthplace of the world-renowned crawfish étouffée. These two river towns are united by more than just their love for crawdads—they share a passion for the art of celebration.
Now, in 2024, visitors of the festival along Main Street will enjoy a vibrant mix of music, food, beer, cars, carnival, and so much more!
Don’t miss out on creating lasting memories at our annual event as you feast on pounds of crawfish and groove to live performances of timeless songs like “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugar Hill Gang. Said a hip-hop, the hippie to the hippie The hip, hip-a-hop and you don’t stop rockin’ …. yeah I know you know that one. We just don’t want you to miss out! Join us while we celebrate this special weekend.
As time passed, the Isleton Crawdad Festival transcended its origins, evolving into an eagerly anticipated event that symbolizes more than just a culinary celebration. It serves as a homage to the diverse cultural mosaic of the region, weaving together influences from the Delta region, Cajun influence, Asian traditions, and the resilient local farming community.
During its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s, the Isleton Crawdad Festival reached its pinnacle, drawing visitors from across California to partake in the much-anticipated festivities. To this day, fond memories of the good ol crawdad festival days linger in the hearts of many. However, at the festival’s peak, things began to unravel and a series of challenges led to the festival’s closure. Subsequent attempts to rekindle its magic proved to be challenging leading to a multi year hiatus.
In 2019 a group of Isleton business owners, including some of the business owners awarded the event license in 2024, brought back the Crawdad Festival, with the Isleton Summer Festival. Same concept: crawdads, beer, father’s day weekend, car show & family fun. The festival was a success! The group planned to continue in subsequent years but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the group to temporarily suspend plans for expansion. Then in 2023 a group from southern california was awarded the event license and held the festival.
Now, the event license granted by the City of Isleton, is back in the hands of Isleton residents and business owners. The event license went out for an RFP, we worked hard to put together a thoughtful proposal and we were granted the license by The City Of Isleton. Our resolute mission is to rekindle the nostalgia that once firmly placed Isleton on the festival map during the 1980s. Our plans for rejuvenation promise to astound and captivate all who attend.
Join us on this remarkable journey as we revive the Isleton Crawdad Festival!
-The City Of Isleton Crawdad Festival Team