Shrimpfest draws a jumbo crowd

Clint Taylor, left, and Mikey O’Neal were among the many volunteers who cooked and served up food. [ Michael Yelvington | FOMO Photography ]

Apalachicola’s Jordyn Zingarelli hugs the pair of four-month-old sisters that she decided to adopt from the Franklin County Humane Society at their booth at Saturday’s Shrimpfest on St. George Island. In keeping with local names (her dog is named Millie, after the Mill Pond), Zingarelli said she plans to name them Tupelo and Honey. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]

A pair of Scouts from St. George Island’s Troop 22, Caleb Varner, as the lighthouse, right, and Logan Gormley, as a shrimp, walked among the crowd. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]

The Blues Factor Band performs for the crowd. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]

Ann Supplee shows off her husband Charlie’s creations at the Carrabelle Custom Woodwork booth. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]

These two boys were deeply absorbed in games on their electronic devices. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]

Volunteers from Franklin Needs were on hand to promote free mammograms and other services provided after breast cancer diagnosis. [ Michael Yelvington | FOMO Photography ]

Lots of people had their dogs with them at Shrimpfest. [ Michael Yelvington | FOMO Photography ]

Despite an overcast day with an unrealized threat of rain, the St. George Island Lighthouse’s fourth annual Shrimpfest, its chief fundraiser for the year, drew as big a crowd as it ever has.

With about 2,300 attendees, Amy Hodson, executive director of the St. George

Lighthouse Association, said that the event should end up netting in the neighborhood of $40,000 for the ongoing maintenance, operations and educational programs of the lighthouse.

With two dozen arts and crafts vendors, the event sold 340 pounds of fried shrimp and 300 pounds of peel-and-eat boiled shrimp, as well as 15 gallons of shrimp and corn chowder and 15 gallons of shrimp and sausage gumbo.

And it all was fresh caught in the Gulf of Mexico.

“We made a commitment to all Gulf shrimp,” Hodson said, noting that the supply came from Water Street Seafood, Amison Seafood and 13 Mile Seafood Market.

Whipping up the shrimp dishes were Melvin Myers, the former chef at the Owl Cafe; Clint Taylor, from Big Fish Cafe on the island; Brett Gormley, from Gormley’s Gourmet Catering; and Kim Council, from Mangia 850 restaurant.

In addition, Danny Itzkovitz brought his food truck from Tamara’s on the Go and served up paella, shrimp and grits and Cajun shrimp salad roll.

For the thirsty, Eastpoint Brewing, Water Craft Brewing and Forgotten Coast Brewing all provided craft beers, Team Cone donated domestic beer and98 Liquors the vodka for Bloody Marys.

Thirty volunteers from the Forgotten Coast Parrot Head Club ran the beverage station, and the Blues Factor Band, back for the second year, got the crowd dancing. 

“It was our best year yet,” said Hodson. “We did some layout changes that we thought improved the experience for everybody.

“And we didn’t run out of shrimp,” she said.