What is Kodiak Crab Festival?
The Kodiak Crab Festival is produced annually by the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce for the benefit of the residents of Kodiak, Alaska. Crab Fest is a time for the community to celebrate the abundant resources that we recieve from the sea. The festival is held Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, ending on Memorial Day.
It is the intent of the Chamber of Commerce, Crab Festival Manager and the Crab Festival Committee to coordinate a variety of family oriented activities that will provide men, women and children a festive and fun recreational outlet.
For the Kodiak business person and local non-profit, the Crab Festival is intended to provide a boost in tourism to enhance their business/organization and assist as a fundraising opportunity to raise needed revenues.
History of the Festival
The festival (originally known as the King Crab Festival) began in 1958 to market a new industry: King Crab. King Crab was, at that time not a well-known or popular food. As the King Crab industry declined and other crab fisheries grew in Kodiak, the “King” was dropped and the festival became the “Kodiak Crab Festival”. Though some years there may not be an abudunace of crab food on the midway, the name has remained for historical reasons.
