Photos by Madonna Kimball

Llano Crawfish Open, fun for the whole family

By Laurel Robertson

Before 1989, most folks in Llano thought the only good use for crawfish was as catfish bait.

But that year, hunters from Beaumont helped the Central Texas town, their home away from home during deer season, sponsor a traditional Cajun crawfish boil and golf tournament to raise money for charity.

Though locals may have been a little reluctant about the new food (300 of the 500 pounds of crawfish that year ended up as fish food in the Llano River), a taste for fun and fundraising for charity stuck with them.

This year marks the 18th annual Llano Crawfish Open, which takes place in City Park April 20-21, and crawfish—10,000 pounds of it— is the most popular item on the menu.

“People come from as far away as Midland and Odessa just for the crawfish,” marvels Kirk Winfrey, festival organizer.
Along with potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, barbecue and jambalaya, crawfish is sold by the plate, or —for the real enthusiasts— by the beer flat. “A heapin’ full,” according to Kirk.

Of course, eating is only part of the fun. The Crawfish Golf Open at the Llano River Golf Course offers prizes for winners, including a free car from Llano’s Ratliff Ford for the first hole-in-one on Hole #5. Other prizes include a set of iron or metal woods.

The washer pitching tournament (bring your own washers) starts Saturday at noon at City Park.

And kids can pit crustacean against crustacean at the Saturday afternoon crawfish races, challenge themselves on a rock climbing wall, or bounce in a jumping castle.

The Gypsies Motorcycle Club sponsors a Motorcycle Poker Run Saturday in which participants ride to businesses around the Llano area to accumulate a five-card poker hand.

There is team roping competition in the Llano Rodeo Arena on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Three live auctions offer treasures such as saddles, stainless steel barbecue pits, pearl necklaces, diamond earrings, autographed guitars, and hunting leases. Vendors from across the state will sell handmade arts and crafts.

Live music fills the air during the weekend’s activities. Sean Vidrine and Swampfyre play Friday and Saturday afternoons. Friday night Flint Thompson and Six Gun entertain the crowd. Asleep at the Wheel headlines Saturday night’s dance.

Throughout its 18-year history, the Llano Crawfish Open has grown from a one-day festival netting about $400 (used to buy a motorized wheelchair for a local man with multiple sclerosis) to a three-day celebration that in 2006 brought in more than $50,000 for Llano County charities.

Now organized as a 501c3 non-profit, the Llano Crawfish Open, Inc., supports the Llano Special Opportunity Center, a facility for mentally and physically challenged adults, as well as Meals on Wheels and other local charities.

“We do it because it’s fun, but also because it’s such a benefit to the community,” Kirk says.

The Beaumont contingent has also grown from a few original deer hunters to more than 75 people who come yearly to Llano to cook crawfish and help out.

They’re experienced help—the same dedicated bunch sponsor the annual Boys Haven Crawfish Boil in Beaumont, the prototype for the Llano Crawfish Open.

Llanoites have returned the favor: recently they donated a barbecue cooker to be auctioned off in Beaumont to benefit the new Girls Haven there.

FYI • Admission to the park is free all day Friday and $4 for adults on Saturday, including the dance Saturday night. Kids under 12 are admitted free.

Crawfish, jambalaya, barbecue and all the trimmings will be served Friday from 11 am to 7 pm and Saturday from 11 am until it’s all gone (last year that was at 6 pm). Plates are $8; flats of crawfish are $20.

No ice chests will be allowed in the park. Free camping is available, with RV hookups for a fee. For more information, call 325-247-2270 or visit the website at www.llanocrawfishopen.com.