It was a cool and gloomy Saturday afternoon in Downtown Dallas.  Clouds covered the sky as the sun tried to make its way through but only barely succeeded at making an appearance.  Downtown Dallas was fairly quiet except for the Main Street Garden where Dallas residents and visitors alike gathered for a celebration.  Music was blasting as guests piled onto the trimmed dark green grass and wandered from tent to tent admiring the Dallas skyline that can be seen from the public park.  The attendees piled onto the lawn where 4,000 pounds of crawfish as well as beer, wine and spirits awaited them.  Guests came to kick off the start of spring and participate in all of the games, activities and plentiful grub and drinks that the inaugural Mudbug Bash, presented by 105.3 The Fan and 100.3 Jack FM, had to offer.

Fun for All

Although the celebration commenced at 2 p.m., the crowd didn’t liven up until around 4 p.m.  The carnival-like atmosphere attracted a range of visitors, from friends and couples to dogs, however the majority of guests were families.  Dads could be seen walking around with a beer in one hand and a plate of crawfish in the other, watching the NCAA tournament on one of the many television screens while mothers watched their children participate in all the games.  Guests eager for some competition could compete in crawfish races and basketball games while others sat back and watched the action from afar, which also included activities like a dunk tank featuring the on-air personalities from 105.3 The FAN and a visit to a psychic.

Crawfish Lovers Wanted

The Mudbug Bash didn’t just stop at the games; competitions and people dressed in crawfish hats, however.   Located in the heart of downtown, the Main Street Garden gave attendees a view of historical sights and attractions such as the Mercantile Place, the Universities Center at Dallas and Old City Hall.  And although guests admired these sights, their main incentive was the piles of freshly boiled Cajun-style crawfish.  The smell of seafood permeated the tent as a man wearing a casual plain blue T-shirt and jeans hovered over a big metal bucket, stirring the boiling crawfish.  Guests crowded over newspaper-covered tables where the ready-to-eat crawfish mixed with fresh corn on the cob and potatoes were laid out.  Crawfish-lovers paid $20 for the bash, which guaranteed them two pounds of the crawfish with potato and corn.  Guests who chose not to eat crawfish only paid $5 for a ticket to attend.  Most people in attendance seemed to be crawfish fans, however, as plates full of the fish and their sides could be seen in almost every hand and on most picnic blankets and tables.  Rachel Guerra was one of these fans who was tempted by the abundant amounts of the Cajun spiced crustacean.  “I love seafood so I was excited to hear about an event that is centered around crawfish because it’s hard to come across good seafood in Dallas,” said Guerra.  “I also thought it’d be fun to come with friends and have a fun day in downtown enjoying great food, good music and a beautiful view.”

When the Sun Goes Down

After the sun set those who remained, mainly adults, ventured to a stage to watch live performances from The O’s, Jay-B & the Zydeco Posse, DJ Moxie and The Inner City All-Stars brass band.  One of the performers, Jay-B and his “posse”, is a unique group that plays a style of music called Zydeco.  The music, which originated in Southwest Louisiana, has a very energetic style. It is a blend of Creole, hip-hop, soul and reggae with a blues influence and is commonly played for parties and lively festivities.  Drinks in hand and stomachs full, guests listened to the Zydeco music along with other tunes.  Most women danced on the lawn while their men sat on wooden tables and benches socializing.  Some couples took to the dance floor as well, laughing and playfully dancing with each other while others took a stroll around the venue and enjoyed the nighttime skyline until the celebration ended at 8 p.m.  Oday Shakar was one of the guests who stayed until the end of the bash.  “I liked how this was an all day event,” said Shakar.  “I was able to arrive a little later in the afternoon and still enjoy all of the daytime festivities while also staying until nighttime to see all of the performances and have some fun dancing, eating and drinking with friends.”