Indulge your shellfish desires
Ramp up the excitement at the Garibaldi Crab Races
By Chelsea Yarnell
For the TODAY
Visitors to the Oregon Coast are used to seeing crabs at the beach or on their dinner plate. But, what about on the race course?
The Garibaldi Crab Races is a much-anticipated event held every year during the second weekend in March at the Old Mill Marina Resort in the center of town. This year the 38th annual event is slated for Saturday and Sunday, March 8 and 9.
The two days are full of this small-town’s tradition of racing live crabs.
Teams from all over the country take turns advancing through rounds of races. Each human competitor is assigned a lane and a crab. The crab is placed at the top of an elevated chute and on “go” people urge their crabs to the finish line, eight feet down the track.
“It’s a lot about luck,” said Jeff Coon, Garibaldi Lions Club member and event organizer. “If you have a crab that runs, you’re in good shape. But the crab doesn’t always cooperate so that’s why the track is on a slope. People will hit the bottom of the table to try and make it vibrate to get them to run.”
The racing fees of $5 to $20 per race are dependent on the value of the grand prize, such as TVs, cash prizes and chartered fishing trips. Kids races are $1 each and the grand champions receive a bicycle. A grand champion will be crowned on Saturday. All major prizes will be awarded on Sunday.
While the humans win prizes, the crabs have a different fate.
“At the end of a race they’re caught in a basket, and it's not a good deal for the crab,” Coon said. “They get eaten at the end.”
Guests can purchase crab dinners, among other refreshment, with Kelly’s Place restaurant staff donating labor to prepare the food.
Each year, the event draws roughly 800 people and raises nearly $8,000 for the Garibaldi Lions Club’s outreach work. Most prominent is the club’s sight and hearing services program.
“We have a service area that stretches from Barview to the Tillamook area,” Coon said. “Anyone who is in need of glasses and hearing aids can fill out an application for assistance.”
The Garibaldi Lions Club also donates to the local Garibaldi Grade School.
“It’s our biggest fund-raiser of the year,” said Kelly Barnett, Lions Club member and owner of The Spot Seafood Market. “We help the grade school each year with just about anything that they ask us for.”
With only a few members, the club relies on the support of the community for the Crab Races.
“Even though the Lions Club leads it up, it’s really more of a ‘Garibaldi’ event,’” Coon said. “It takes a lot of people to put this on and the town is just really great at helping out.”
The major sponsors for this year’s race include: Tillamook Bay Seafood, The Spot Seafood Market, Tami’s Barber Shop, the Garibaldi Crab Fleet and Kelly’s Place.
“We want to thank everyone for their years and years of support,” Barnett said. “We see grandmothers there now that I’d seen attend as young adults.”
Admission for the event, which includes both days, is $5 for adults, $2 for kids and free for those aged five and younger. Races, refreshments and raffles are an additional charge.
“It’s pretty crazy how serious some people take this,” Coon said. “Come join the chaos and have some fun too. It’s pretty wild.”
The races run from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday and from 10:30 am to 2 pm on Sunday. The Old Mill Marina Resort is located at 210 3rd Street in Garibaldi. Parking is available near the Old Mill and surrounding Port of Garibaldi property.