Another fest in the southern Illinois area that REALLY has had some action going on this weekend (and people coming from far away to be involved in it) is Goldconda’s Shrimp Fest. Golconda, located on the Ohio River in Pope County, Illinois, has a thriving freshwater prawn business (prawns are the perpetual conundrum of “large shrimp,” and while “prawn” and “shrimp” as terms are used interchangeably, they are not the same critter; see about this food source here). So not only was the rest of the fest food filling the air in Golconda yesterday with deliciousness…but the “seafood” aroma was WONDERFUL.
Here are some scenes from this burgeoning fest from about 3 to 4 yesterday afternoon.
Artisans with some VERY popular artwork
Happy people hanging out outside of a BBQ stand
The motorcycle enthusiasts were present in force, since it was a BEAUTIFUL day to be out and enjoying the fest!
Did someone say BARBECUE??
Fun jewelry..and little kids buying it up!
This little guy was enjoying everything around him!
More wonderful vendors.
A VERY popular event: Have your pic taken with this lil guy, a capuchin monkey
And then there were the bands….
These guys, known as Mr. Swamp Fox, played from 3 to 6…and they were ROCKIN
We sat and listened to their cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues”…which they did a GREAT job on. The crowd loved it.
More rockin!
And speaking of crowd…this is what it looked like, almost all the way down to the river.
And then there were the prawns….
….grilled prawns….
A very popular fest in a beautiful location.
With smiling happy people….
…posing barbecue makers….
It was a very popular fest and apparently VERY successful. Good job, Golconda!