Left to right, starting with the green shirt and moving across the back row: Jonathan Picard, James Denham, Pat Ryder, Matt Buckmaster, Papa Harold Matherne, Michael Garland, Craig Matherne, and Gabe Curde. Kneeling red hat: Jason Walls and kneeling straw hat: Paul Landry. Photos by Jeff Derby
Matt Buckmaster dropping another batch of crawfish to boil.
A neighborhood block party has evolved into a fundraising staple at Garland Farms as residents and members of the community gather annually for a down south crawfish boil.
The sixth annual Garland Farms Estates Crawfish Boil brought close to 750 people to this year’s event on Saturday, May 13 with the goal of having a good time and raising money for the Johnson City/Washington County Boys and Girls Club.
“It’s an honor and a pleasure (to be involved) and I don’t say that lightly,” Micheal Garland said of the event. “A bunch of committed and hardworking people, that like to have a good time and give to a good cause. It’s grown exponentially every year and it’s a blessing to be a part of.”
The 1,000 pounds of crawfish arrived fresh on Saturday morning and the boil started around noon with six different pots of crawfish and all the fixings being prepared. As the day went on the food continually got spicer and spicer as the cayenne pepper kept getting added to the boiling water.
The block party started after a new set of neighbors from Louisiana suggested a crawfish boil. The first one was six years ago and they continue to grow and grow. For the fourth year, the band The Keith Horton Project flew from Shreveport, Louisiana, to entertain.
Tickets to the event cost $30 as a suggested donation.
