I’m Middle Tennessee born and raised, which doesn’t usually come along with a passion for crawfish. But my time as a student at Mississippi State set me on the straight and narrow.
Fun fact: I was the manager of the hockey team. (Yes, ice hockey. No, there weren’t any ice rinks in the entire state.) Some of my fondest college memories involve boils with the boys—stirring massive pots with broken hockey sticks, then chowing down on more pounds of crawfish and beer than I could ever consider stomaching now. Cracking shells at a picnic table covered in newspaper, hot spice on your fingers, condensation dripping down a Solo cup… those were the glory days.
But now I have a problem… It’s difficult to find good crawfish in Middle Tennessee. I miss it something fierce every season when my Mississippi friends are rocking up to one of many crawfish joints on a nice spring weekend while I’m up here eating… I don’t know, hot chicken for the millionth time?
I’m thrilled to tell you that Modern South is partnering with Carey Bringle’s Bringle’s Smoking Oasis to bring the first-ever Nashville Crawfish Festival to life this April. Mark your calendar for Sunday, April 19, because we’re shutting down Louisiana Avenue (appropriately) for a proper block party boil.
The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Bringle’s Smoking Oasis on Centennial Boulevard, and we’re going all in. Live music, yard games, and local vendors and artisans. You can bring the whole family, pups included.
Fresh crawfish will be sold by the pound, with pre-orders available through Bringle’s online system and day-of sales at the festival. But we’re not stopping there. Enter: an entire festival revolving around this special Southern delicacy, paired with other coastal Cajun fare like oysters, gulf shrimp, po’boys, beignets, and more. Spicy Boy’s, The Gumbo Bros, and Beignets and Brews are bringing the heat, with support from Old Bay and Zatarain’s. The bar will be slinging drinks courtesy of Peg Leg Porker Spirits, Good Boy Vodka, and other local suppliers.
Carey says, “In a sea full of crawfish boils, I wanted to stand out by doing something different and celebrate all things Cajun culture.” And we’re all in! The South has so much food worth celebrating, and crawfish season deserves more than just backyard coolers and folding tables. (Though I love those, too.)
We have so many fun ideas up our sleeves that’ll make the event memorable from the time we kick off until the last tail is pinched. We’re still finalizing some of the details (more entertainment announcements, vendor lineups, that kind of thing), but you can keep up with everything at NashvilleCrawfishFestival.com or by following @NashvilleCrawfishFestival on Instagram.
Let’s raise a glass, pinch some tails, and start a new Nashville tradition this spring. See you there!
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