By Douglas Scott
If you ever have had a desire to yell and scream at a crab racing down a wooded track, the City of Westport has the event for you. On Saturday, April 18, the coastal town of Westport, Washington will be holding its 28th Annual World Class Crab Races. Under the big tent at the Westport Marina, hundreds of crab enthusiasts will gather together to watch crab races, listen to live music, and of course, feast on the deliciousness of the under-sea crustaceans.
The annual Westport crab feed and crab races is an event that has been around for nearly three decades. Leslie Eichner, the executive director for the Chamber of Commerce and the Westport Visitor Information Center, as well as an attendee of the event for over 15 years, estimates between 800 and 1,200 people attend the event, depending on the weather.
“The very first time I helped out, in the year 2000, people were lined up down the block waiting to get in,” Leslie told GraysHarborTalk when discussing the popularity of the event. “It’s exciting to be a part of the festivities. The whole event is amped up, and the announcer always makes it fun. People line up about 30 minutes before the tent opens up, just for a chance to be the first in line.”
Those who attend are eager to get there, not just for the crab feed and the excitement, but to make sure they get a chance to win the $100 prize for the winners of the crab races. Costing just $5 to race a crab, your odds at walking away with the $100 prize are quite good. You are allowed to bring your own crab and enter it for just $2, but few do this, as the crabs provided are kept in a well-maintained tank and are handled by experienced crabbers.
Leslie Eichner can’t stress enough how family friendly this event is. “Anyone between the ages of 5 and 105 are encouraged to participate, and kids who race crabs can be accompanied by mom and dad so they feel comfortable.”
The Crab Races and Crab Feed are events that are growing in popularity, with more visitors attending each year. Recently, Leslie has seen an increase in large groups of friends and family members coming from Seattle, Portland and other large urban areas, eager to race and eat crabs.
“People plan their annual getaways around it,” Leslie explains. “They find it such a different and unique thing to do. Friends will book hotel rooms months in advance, because it is so much fun. Restaurants get filled, hotels do too. It is a great way to jumpstart the tourist season.”
For those curious, it’s quite easy to attend the 28th Annual World Class Crab Races on April 18. Starting with registration at 11:00 a.m., the crab races and crab feed are located under a huge tent along the marina of Westport. Costing just a few bucks to participate, the races start at 1:00 p.m. and continue for two solid hours of edge-of-your-shell racing.
With live music by “Catch of the Day” and prizes being given away for the entire 6 hours of Saturday’s events, attending the crab races and crab feed are sure to be one of the highlights of your spring along the coast. Be aware that each crab race is marked by a starters pistol, followed by a lot of cheering, so it will be quite a loud event.
Loud, exciting and unique, the crab races in Westport also give locals and tourists an inexpensive and awesome way to spend a weekend on the coast. While it has snowed three times during the event, the Annual Crab Races are a kickoff to better weather and the start of warmer days in Grays Harbor.
Running simultaneously to the crab races is the crab feed, which is from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Dinners include salads, baked beans, garlic bread, a drink and your choice of either crabs or oysters, ranging from $4 to $10. For those curious, it isn’t unheard of for the winners and losers of the crab races to be feasted on once the races have ended, making for a perfect retaliation for an underperforming, pinching participant.
The 28th Annual World Class Crab Races in Westport will leave you full of amusement, joy and crabs, otherwise known as a perfect trip to the beach.
