Pinch yourself
The Garibaldi Crab Races are back!
By Chelsea Yarnell
For the TODAY
Once a year, it’s a claw-to-claw competition to see who’s the fastest crustacean in the West — or at least in Garibaldi.
The Garibaldi Crab Races is a much-anticipated event held every year during the second weekend in March at the Old Mill in the center of town. This year, the 39th annual event gets moving on Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15.
The two days are full of this small-town’s tradition of, literally, 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 Garibaldi Lions Club Member and Event Organizer Jeff Coon. “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 on the bottom of the table to try and make it vibrate to get them to run.”
Fees of $5 to $20 per race are dependent on the value of the grand prizes, including TVs, cash and chartered fishing trips. Kids’ races are one dollar each, with the grand champions winning a bicycle. Kids aged five and younger race for free. A grand champion will be crowned on Saturday, and 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 them,” Coon said. “They get eaten at the end.”
Guests may purchase crab dinners, among other refreshments, 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 that is dedicated to 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 club also donates to the local Garibaldi Grade School.
“It’s our biggest fund-raiser of the year,” said Kelly Barnett, 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 heads 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.”
This year’s major sponsors include: Tillamook Bay Seafood, The Spot Seafood Market, Tami’s Barber Shop, The Garibaldi Crab Fleet, Kelly’s Place and Greg’s Marine.
“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.”
“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.”
Saturday’s event runs from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday’s event is from noon to 5 pm. Admission for both days is $5 for adults, $2 for kids and ages five and younger are free. Races, refreshments and raffles are an additional charge.
The Old Mill is located at 210 3rd Street in Garibaldi. Parking is available near the Old Mill and surrounding Port of Garibaldi property. For more information, go to the Garibaldi Crab Races page on Facebook.