Crawdad, crayfish or mudbug? Where to find crawfish boils in D-FW this year

It's

ATS Crawfish Festival 2018

Did somebody say free? Crawfish are taking over Asia Times Square in Grand Prairie and it's completely free to get in. Vendors set up around the area will be selling a variety of different styles of crawfish, from Mexican to Asian. There will also be a fire tail eating contest and a fat tail, as well as live music by DJ Phathead, karaoke and music from Shades of Gray on Saturday night. April 7-8 at 11 a.m. at Asia Times Square, 2625 W. Pioneer Parkway, Grand Prairie. Free. asiatimessquare.com.

Craws and Paws Fest

Head to Stan's Lakeview Draft House for another boil that aims to help out some furry friends. With crawfish provided by the Cajun Crawfish Company, the one-day festival costs $10 for 1.5 pounds of crawfish (potatoes and corn included) and all proceeds benefit Cody's Friends Rescue, a nonprofit dog rescue organization. Fort Worth band Hazard County will be playing live music throughout the day. April 8 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Stan's Lakeview Draft House, 4847 Main St., The Colony. codysfriendsrescue.com

Big Mamou Cajun Festival

Spread out over two weekends, the Big Mamou Cajun Festival at Traders Village returns this year to transport you straight to N'awlins. The festival is free to attend (and parking is only $4), with live zydeco, swamp pop and Cajun music and hundreds of pounds of spicy boiled crawfish available, as well as other authentic Cajun food like etouffee and gumbo. April 14-15, 21-22 at noon at Traders Village, 2602 Mayfield Road, Grand Prairie. Free admission. tradersvillage.com.

Braindead Brewing Crawfish Boil

The Dallas-based brewery's second crawfish boil this year kicks off at 4:20 p.m. and runs until the crawfish is gone. A $25 entry fee gets you all the crawfish you can eat, or at least whatever you can get your claws on. The party will feature 600 pounds of crawfish plus shrimp, potatoes, corn and bread, It's first come, first served, so get there early and stay until you've had enough crawfish to tide you over until 2019. April 15 at 4:20 p.m. at BrainDead Brewing, 2625 Main St., Dallas. braindeadbrewing.com.

Claws for Paws Crawfish Festival

Chow down on some delicious crawfish for a good cause at this third annual fest at the Reservoir in Frisco. Benefitting Habitat 4 Paws, a local humane society, you can help some of the cutest cats and dogs around find loving homes. Just $10 gets you 1.5 pounds of crawfish, potatoes and corn. The band Random Axis will perform. April 15 from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Reservoir, 9305 Preston Road, Frisco. friscocrawfishfestival.com.

Crawfish Fest at Dodie's at the Harbor

The cajun restaurant's annual boil is back this year, offering all-you-can-eat crawfish for $35 per person. In addition to the mudbugs, each ticket also entitles you to corn, potatoes, jambalaya and red beans and rice. Tickets for kids aged 6-12 are $15 each, and kids under 6 years eat free. For pickier eaters, children have a choice of macaroni and cheese or corn dogs if crawfish isn't their favorite. Proceeds from the event will go to benefit the JER Chilton YMCA at Rockwall's Angel Camp program, which helps children with special needs. April 15 at 11 a.m. at Dodie's Cajun Diner at The Harbor, 2067 Summer Lee Drive, Rockwall. Tickets start at $35. dodiesattheharbor.com.

105.3 The Fan's Mudbug Bash

In

Epiphany Crawfish Boil and Pop-Up Art Sale

This kid-friendly event in Richardson gets you more bang for your buck: For just $25 (or $30 at the door), you get all-you-can-eat crawfish, Cajun sausage, brisket, pulled pork, gumbo, chips and salsa, potatoes, beer samplings and sweet treats. Kids can enjoy a bounce house, sidewalk chalk and arts and crafts, and an extra $5 buys a hot dog, chips and a drink for the little ones. There will also be live music and art for sale from dozens of local artists, so you can go home with more than just a full stomach. April 21 at 10 a.m. at Episcopal Church of Epiphany, 421 Custer Road, Richardson. Tickets start at $25. eventbrite.com.

Bugs & Brews 2018

The third annual event boasts that it's the first and only neighborhood crawfish and music festival, with four bands playing starting at 2 p.m., including local favorites Vandoliers and Silas Nello. There are a multitude of ticket options, including a $10 general admission ticket that gets you in to see the bands but doesn't buy you any crawfish. If you want to eat, a general admission ticket plus two pounds of crawfish costs $22. There will also be additional Cajun-inspired dishes available for purchase the day of the event, including Crawfish Monica and Cajun meat pies. April 22 from 2 to 9 p.m. at Sundown at Granada, 3520 Greenville Ave., Dallas. Tickets start at $10. bugsandbrews.com.

Mudbugs & Music Festival

What goes better with crawfish than beer? Not much, except maybe live music and philanthropy, all of which Rahr & Sons has for their crawfish boil. Thirty bucks gets you entrance into the party, crawfish and music from Dallas cover band POO Live Crew, and the proceeds benefit three local charities: Dream Park Fort Worth, Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County and Hope Fort Worth. In addition to single general admission tickets, there are also options for VIP seating, a VIP table for 10 and different levels of sponsorship for the event. April 22 at 1 p.m. at Rahr & Sons Brewery, 701 Galveston Ave., Fort Worth. Tickets start at $30. eventbrite.com.

Crawfish Boil at Stan's Blue Note

It doesn't get much easier than this: Pay $25 and get all-you-can-eat crawfish at Stan's. A straightforward bar is putting on a straightforward crawfish boil for everyone who just wants to enjoy a few beers and dig into some fresh, delicious crustaceans. Proceeds from the event will benefit Heart of Gold, a nonprofit that works to better the quality of life of children who might not be getting the attention they need. This might be a crawfish boil without the frills, but don't wait around and expect to mosey in the day of the event -- the boil is expected to sell out. April 28 from noon to 4 p.m. at Stan's Blue Note, 2908 Greenville Ave., Dallas. $25. eventbrite.com.

Crawfish Boil at Witherspoon Distillery

The Lewisville distillery that made big waves in the local craft beer scene is back with its crawfish boil for the second year in a row. Enjoy live music from the Bodarks String Band and Spencer Cole Band during one of the four serving times. Kids are welcome to join in on all the crawdad fun. For $25, or $15 for kids 12 and younger, you get one pound of crawfish with all the fixin's and one craft cocktail or soda. Another $10 gets you an additional pound of crawfish. If that isn't enough to fill you up, indulge in all-you-can-eat crawfish and two craft cocktails or sodas for $40. If you left the little ones at home, go all out with the VIP experience, which includes all-you-can-eat crawfish, two craft cocktails or sodas and two bottles of their own spirits to take home for $100. May 6 at 11 a.m. at Witherspoon Distillery, 225 S. Charles St., Lewisville. Tickets start at $25. witherspoondistillery.com.

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