Crack and enjoy: crab is a delicious food that is well worth the effort, and is particularly popular on the Island, considering Dungeness crab thrives here.
Capitalizing on that popularity is the BC CrabFest. Now in its third year, it will take place June 29 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and move into Ship Point in Victoria's Inner Harbour.
Commercial vessels will moor in the harbour and bring in fresh crab for the festival's highlight: the BC Dungeness Crab Boil. Accessible via a $87 ticket, buckets with one pound of crab each are cooked by on-site chefs, bathed in signature seasoning and melted butter. Other delights in the bucket are locally sourced mussels, prawns/shrimp, potatoes and corn.
“CrabFest has always been about celebrating where our food comes from," Heather MacLeod, president of BC Crab Co. told Victoria News. "Victoria’s Inner Harbour puts us right at the dock, with commercial vessels tying up alongside the event. You can meet the fishers, buy live crab, and enjoy the full ocean-to-table experience.”
For those who don't want to pay or partake in crab eating, the festival is accessible by donation with plenty to see and do. There will be live music – the Lekwungen Traditional Dancers and a live DJ are set to take the stage – food vendors, beverage stands, chef demos and an education marketplace, giving insights into sustainable practices and the industry's importance to the Island.
Family activities at the Seaside Family Zone will be run by Birdhouse Art Studio, and include face painting, photo-booth fun and a crabby craft table.
For those wanting an extra special experience, a VIP event on Saturday, June 28 will feature a long-table dinner on the pier, curated by Savour the Wild and hosted under a lit tent overlooking the water. Guests can expect storytelling and crab presented in its "most artful and delicious forms," the press release said.
"This festival is a celebration of our coastal culture and community and the incredible fishing families, like mine, who make it possible," said MacLeod in a press release..
The festival is in partnership with the City of Victoria, Buy BC, DVBA and the BC Crab Fishermen's Association.
Ship Point is a wheelchair-accessible venue.
McLeod said the festival doubled in size in year two, with over 5,000 people visiting and over 1,300 CrabBoil buckets sold.
Crab lovers are recommended to purchase the BC CrabBoil bucket online in advance through www.bccrabco.ca or CrabFest.ca because the buckets of deliciousness go fast.
