On Saturday, February 21, thousands gathered at Woolley Park for the first-ever Mudbugs & Music on the Bay Crawfish Cook-Off, hosted by Keep Wakulla County Beautiful (KWCB). With more than 60 vendors, 15 cook-off competitors, and five distinguished judges, the Mardi Gras-themed waterfront event exceeded expectations and marked a major milestone for Wakulla County.
Attendees enjoyed a full day of crawfish tasting, community spirit, and live entertainment provided by Chris “Cottonmouth” Perry and the Riverdogs, along with high-energy sets from DJ Butch, keeping the waterfront crowd engaged throughout the day.
The judging panel included Wakulla County Commissioners Ralph Thomas and Quincee Messersmith, Sheriff Jared Miller, Attorney Dana Brooks, and Wakulla High School Culinary Arts Teacher Ryan Warner.
After a full day of spirited competition, the $1,000 Grand Prize was awarded to the Veasey family of Crawdaddy’s Roux Croux from Baker, Florida, who earned 225 out of 250 possible points. Finishing in a close second was Mike Thai and Crawdad’s Gone Wild of Tallahassee, scoring 220 out of 250. Third place went to Tyler Sommer and the Pinchin’ Tails crew from Havana, with 214 out of 250 points.
The coveted People’s Choice Award was claimed by Wakulla’s own Josh Homan and the Spice is Right gang, voted the crowd favorite by tasting ticket holders.
The award for Best Decorated Booth went to Uramis Lavine and Krewe de Tatum, whose festive Mardi Gras setup stood out among competitors. In addition to competing, Krewe de Tatum used the event to raise funds for a niece battling leukemia, adding a meaningful community impact to their participation.
Other competitors included:
- Seabreeze Cafe in Panacea (soon to reopen)
- Woodlake Bugs from Tallahassee
- Classic Customs in Panacea
- That Bearded Guy with the Crawfish and Crew from Crawfordville
- Crocket’s from Crawfordville
- Salty Donkey’s from Panacea
- Cajun Fred’s from Tallahassee
- Barn’s Liquor-sponsored team Mudbug Mafia
- Cigar City out of Tallahassee competing as Bugz & Sudz
- Aspin River Rose Seafood
Event organizers shared that turnout far exceeded expectations for a first-year event.
“We were overwhelmed by the support,” said a KWCB representative. “It was definitely a learning experience, but the feedback from vendors, competitors, and attendees has been incredibly positive. People had a great time, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Proceeds from the event benefit Keep Wakulla County Beautiful’s mission to preserve and protect Wakulla County’s coastal and natural environment through programs such as Adopt-A-Road, Park-A-Tree, Amnesty Days, and coastal, river, and forest cleanups.
KWCB extended special thanks to sponsors Panacea Waterfronts, Seabreeze Cafe, Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation, and Wakulla Tourist Development Council, as well as in-kind supporters Waste Pro, Cone Distributing, Tri-Eagle Sales, Barn’s Liquor, Cigar City Brewing, Crooked Can Brewery, Best Day Brewing, and Ology.
With strong attendance and enthusiastic community response, organizers are already looking ahead to an even bigger and smoother event next year.
