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Craig sees seafood fun at Crabfest

Andy Bockelman
Volunteers Cindy Looper and Madysen Cramer joke with patrons while serving up portions of king crab legs Saturday night at the Moffat County Fairgrounds Pavilion as part of Crabfest 2014. Hosted by the Craig Chamber of Commerce, the annual event included seafood, desserts, a silent auction, a comedy show and more.
Andy Bockelman

A crabby temperament isn’t usually a good thing, but if there was any one day of the year for it, this past Saturday would have been it.

Crabfest 2014 took place this weekend at the Moffat County Fairgrounds Pavilion, with the Craig Chamber of Commerce providing heaping servings of king crab legs for eager patrons.

Alongside the specialty seafood were trays of red potatoes, herb and cheese biscuits, corn-on-the-cob and the ingredient that’s welcome almost anywhere: butter.



Chamber member George Kidder had his hands full at a table in the middle of the action, smashing open the crustaceans’ shells with a mallet.

“When you’re in the middle of the country, you don’t get a lot of seafood,” he said of the crowd’s enthusiasm. “It’s a fun night.”



A silent auction with packages — some including more crab — donated by local businesses, a dessert table, a photo center and a cash bar also had people excited.

“I think people love the ambiance and the good company,” Julie Camp said as she readied herself for another serving.

Chamber personnel took the time to thank the volunteer staff, clad in red shirts and googly-eyed crab hats; Double Barrel Steakhouse owner Pat Roberts for cooking; Southwestern Energy for collaborating as a sponsor; and Chamber mainstay Gail Severson for years of service as the night commenced.

Once everyone was done cracking crab legs, they were ready to crack up as entertainer Rusty Z took the stage for a comedy routine that was anything but routine, with a hypnosis act that had unwitting victims from the audience slapping themselves in the head, shouting at the crowd with a speech impediment or convinced their cell phone camera gave them x-ray vision.

Christina Oxley, Chamber executive director, proclaimed the night a success, indeed even more so than usual. As one of the more upscale events of the year in Craig, the ticket prices didn’t deter the masses, with nearly 200 sold.

“It’s probably about the best turnout we’ve had in the past five years since the recession hit,” she said. “I actually had to turn people away for tickets, and we haven’t had to do that for a long time.”

Contact Andy Bockelman at 970-875-1793 or abockelman@CraigDailyPress.com.


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