Plentiful sunshine. High 89F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..
A clear sky. Low 63F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
Updated: April 13, 2025 @ 6:02 am
Jacob Hart, a Union Grove High School senior, shovels crawfish into a tray during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Arvitta Scott, a Gregg County extension agent overseeing the 4-H program in Gregg County, pours sweet tea into cups during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Carlo Boyd bites into a crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Jeff Shannon, Teri Pharis and Rita Pharis eat crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Johnny Ashcraft wears gloves as he chows down on crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
James Ray carries a tray of crawfish to a table during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Jacob Hart, a Union Grove High School senior, shovels crawfish into a tray during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Horace Boyd fills his tray with sauce during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Scott Nolan fills cups with beer during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
David Sellers tears into a crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
David Sellers bites into a crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Dan Hardin bites into a crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Crawfish lovers fill the Maude Cobb Convention Center during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Chance, Wyatt and Melanie Stansell eat crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Lloyd Boyd, left, and Natosha Warren, right, eat crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Zell Stevens carries a tray of crawfish to his table during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Howdy! I’m Jordan Green, a Report for America corps member covering underserved communities in East Texas for the Longview News-Journal. I’m a native Okie and have been a newsman since 2017. Email me at jordan.green@news-journal.com or call me at 903-237-7743.
Jacob Hart, a Union Grove High School senior, shovels crawfish into a tray during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Arvitta Scott, a Gregg County extension agent overseeing the 4-H program in Gregg County, pours sweet tea into cups during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Carlo Boyd bites into a crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Jeff Shannon, Teri Pharis and Rita Pharis eat crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Johnny Ashcraft wears gloves as he chows down on crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Jacob Hart, a Union Grove High School senior, shovels crawfish into a tray during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Horace Boyd fills his tray with sauce during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Scott Nolan fills cups with beer during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
David Sellers tears into a crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
David Sellers bites into a crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Dan Hardin bites into a crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Chance, Wyatt and Melanie Stansell eat crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Some call ‘em crawfish. Some call ‘em mudbugs. Some call ‘em crawdads. Yankees call ‘em crayfish.
But in Longview, people don’t call them anything. They’re too busy stuffing their craws with them to talk.
Event organizers expected attendees to gobble up 15,000 pounds of crawfish and 1,500 pounds of catfish, said Chuck Sartori, owner of Shaver’s Catering in Shreveport, which cooks the food for the event.
Crawfish lovers fill the Maude Cobb Convention Center during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
The annual event raises funds for the Harvest Festival Scholarship Program, which provides agricultural scholarships to high school students from Gregg, Harrison, Rusk, Smith and Upshur counties. This year, the scholarship program gave away $100,000 in scholarships to area high school students who participate in the Harvest Festival and Livestock Show.
The annual crawfish boil is a noted event in Longview – so much so that its popularity has eclipsed that of the event it was created to help support. The Harvest Festival and Livestock Show takes place each fall in Longview, giving students from those counties a chance to show off their animals and agricultural projects. Students in local school 4H and Future Farmers of America programs help serve customers during the crawfish boil.
Zell Stevens carries a tray of crawfish to his table during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Donning a pair of overalls, Zell Stevens had a big grin on his face as he carried a tray of crawfish to his table. He demonstrated his technique for eating the shelled critters.
“It’s good,” he said. He said he enjoys dining with his friends.
After getting a tray full of the fresh-cooked crawfish, James Ray made his way to a table. He’s been coming to the event for about seven years.
“I love the crawfish,” he said. “I love being able to bring my family out here and just have fun.”
Lloyd Boyd, left, and Natosha Warren, right, eat crawfish during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Carlo Boyd recently learned a new way to eat crawfish thanks to a video he saw on TikTok. He pushes part of the tail toward the body of the crawfish and then pulls the tail back; the meat comes out without tedious tearing and cracking of the tail.
Boyd has been coming to the event for about seven years. The thing he likes best about the crawfish is that “I don’t have to cook it,” he said, jokingly.
“They’re seasoned right,” he said. “They’re hot. They’re fresh. Every year we come, we don’t get let down.”
Trailers from Shaver’s Catering filled with cooking equipment and a truck loaded with iced-down crawfish were parked behind the convention center, where workers readied the next batches of grub.
James Ray carries a tray of crawfish to a table during the 28th annual Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil Saturday at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Shannon Fell, treasurer for the Harvest Festival and Livestock Show, said the event brings together livestock show participants.
“We get to have a good time,” she said. “We are a great nonprofit to support. Everything goes back to the kids.”
For more information about the Harvest Festival and the crawfish boil, visit www.harvestfestivallivestockshow.com.
Jordan Green is a Report for America corps member covering underserved communities for the News-Journal. Reach him at jordan.green@news-journal.com.
Howdy! I’m Jordan Green, a Report for America corps member covering underserved communities in East Texas for the Longview News-Journal. I’m a native Okie and have been a newsman since 2017. Email me at jordan.green@news-journal.com or call me at 903-237-7743.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
