Crystal Beach, Texas, is an unincorporated community on the Bolivar Peninsula, which stretches for almost 30 miles along Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The peninsula -- accessible from its west end by Texas Highway 124 and its east end by a free car ferry from Galveston Island -- is home to scenic coastal vistas, sandy beaches and historic sites. Each spring, Crystal Beach pays homage to one of the region's fresh seafood delicacies with the Texas Crab Festival.
The Texas Crab Festival is a three-day event typically held on Mother's Day weekend at Gregory Park in Crystal Beach. Founded in 1985 by local business owners looking to promote tourism in the Crystal Beach area, the event includes food vendors, live entertainment, children's activities and numerous contests and competitions. In recent years, the festival has drawn more than 4,500 attendees.
Much of the food at the Texas Crab Festival is infused with the tasty namesake crustacean that's a staple of local waters. The Charity Gumbo Cookoff event allows ticket holders to sample contest entries, which must have crab as an ingredient. The festival also sponsors a crab leg eating contest, and numerous other vendors dish out selections such as crab cakes, barbecue crabs, soft-shell crab sandwiches, crab nachos and crab-stuffed jalapenos. Other vendors serve traditional festival fare such as burgers, hot dogs, ice cream and funnel cakes. Beer and wine booths also are on site.
Events at the Texas Crab Festival include crab races, the Wiener Dog Nationals, a Texas two-step dance contest, a 5K race and 1-mile walk, a golf tournament and a children's media contest where ages 5-18 show the beauty of the Bolivar Peninsula through posters and photographs. Additional attractions include live music, arts and crafts booths, a carnival midway, horse rides and a children's stage with live entertainment and games.
During your visit to the Texas Crab Festival, take time to enjoy some of the Bolivar Peninsula's other sights. A 2.7-mile ferry cruise from Galveston Island to Port Bolivar lasts 15-20 minutes and provides scenic views of Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Once on the peninsula's east end, you can see the circa-1872 Bolivar Point Lighthouse -- although the 117-foot tower is on privately owned land -- and visit Fort Travis Seashore Park, home to recreational amenities and remnants of the namesake 19th century fort. High Island, on the peninsula's western tip, is a haven for bird watchers, with several sanctuaries maintained by the Houston Audubon Society. The Bolivar Peninsula has a variety of overnight options, including rental homes and villas, a bed-and-breakfast inn and several RV campgrounds.
