WATSONVILLE—The 18th Annual Fairgrounds Foundation Crab Feed will return March 5, and once again it will be a drive-thru event.
The annual feed is one of the foundation’s biggest fundraisers of the year. All profits of the event will go directly back to the fairgrounds to help fund building projects, sewer and ground maintenance, equipment and more.
“Our fairgrounds look as good as they do because all the profits we make go directly back to them, for what they need,” said Ron Haedicke, a member of the foundation’s board of directors.
A $100 ticket to the feed will get you one entire crab (cracked and cleaned out, without the top shell), half of a barbecued chicken, a tossed green salad with Italian dressing, fire-roasted garlic bread, a dessert cookie, and containers of the foundation’s Famous Cioppino Sauce, crab dips and crackers.
The meal also includes a cup of clam chowder courtesy of Ken Schwan, formerly of Monterey Bay Caterers, who is coming out of retirement to make the dish for the 12th year running.
For every two meals, guests 21+ may also add a bottle of wine. Crab bibs, and instructional cards on how to best heat and serve the food at home will be included as well. Meals will be packed in coolers which guests can keep.
Organizers say they wanted to make sure that everyone who wants a meal is able to receive one as safely as possible.
“We’d made the decision [to do a drive-thru] in early January,” Haedickie said. “And we’re standing by it. We don’t want to deprive anyone of their crab … and we learned last year that [drive thru] works really well.”
Tickets can be reserved online at fairgrounds-foundation.org until Feb. 24. Only pre-sale tickets will be available; no dinners will be sold at the event.
Guests can pick up their dinners on March 5 between 2-5pm at the Crocetti Hall at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E Lake Ave.
“The funding of our fairgrounds determines its future,” Haedicke said. “We are proud to offer this dinner once again. We hope to see everyone there.”
