Lakeside, Oregon might be over 2000 miles from Louisiana, but that doesn’t mean that folks around these parts don’t get a strong hankering for crawdads every now and then. After all, the little town on Ten Mile Lake by Coos Bay can get just as swampy as the south, if maybe not quite as warm. And who doesn’t love a chance to eat a really messy meal every now and then?

Last year, Lakeside locals took their crawdad hankering seriously. Several hundred pounds of crustaceans were ordered from the bayou and one heck of a Cajun-style party commenced. It was such a success that the second annual event is planned for May 7, 8 and 9 of this year. Organizers have upped the ante by summoning over 1600 pounds of fresh crawdads from Louisiana and planning an even bigger party. Proper southern hospitality is in place—everyone’s invited.

The fun kicks off with a crawdad eating contest Friday evening. The three-day festival offers an extensive street fair, Cajun food, a crawfish boil, a wine and beer tent, art and craft vendors, cooking contests and pontoon boat rides on Ten Mile Lake. The Watershed program will offer children a chance to catch and race live crawfish, and The Lakeside Fire Department will host Chicken Bingo. Live music will be performed all weekend by the Hudson Ridge band, Elkhorn Express, The Charlie Freak Band, the Bluegrass Gypsies, Etouffee and more.

Admission is one dollar, and children 15 and under (and all women on Sunday, Mother’s Day) are free. Come on down and Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler! For more information see www.lakesidecrawdadfestival.com.