Danny Federico
Reporter3@riverbendnews.org
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sixth Annual Suwannee River Catfish Festival made a huge comeback. Catfish lovers from all around were able to make their way to the Suwannee River Greenway in Branford to peruse vendors selling arts and crafts, play an assortment of games, enjoy live music by local bands and, of course, feast on crispy, fried catfish dinners. The event wasn't held without apprehension, though.
“Having a two-year hiatus, we were not sure what kind of response we would have,” said Diane Walker-Saunders, one of the Catfish Festival Board members. “We knew we would do okay, but I've never had that feeling before about the festival.” Saunders said she was excited, but a little apprehensive about the turnout. However, she went on to state she shouldn't have been worried at all. “We have an amazing group of people on our committees and board and everybody works hard.”
On April 9, the Catfish Festival managed to lure in between 2,500 and 3,000 people, with the largest crowd forming around the festival's main attraction: the golden brown fried catfish filets. In fact, the turnout was so good that the Catfish Festival Board purchased approximately 397 pounds of catfish filets, which sold out by 2 p.m.
That wasn't the end of the good news, though. Each year, half of the profit made from the Catfish Festival is donated to the Fisher House in Gainesville, which provides a home away from home for Veterans and their families during a “medical crisis, surgery or end-of-life condition.” In addition, the Suwannee River Catfish Festival Board awards two scholarships (one $1,000 and one $500) to high school seniors within the county.
This year, the festival was able to donate a check for $3,000 to the Fisher House in Gainesville. In addition, the festival board was unable to choose a single second-place essay scholarship winner; so, instead of dividing the $500 amount, both second-place winners, Halleigh-Ray Harris and Hannah Terry, were awarded the full amount. The first-place award of $1,000 went to Nathalia Veal.
As if that didn't prove how much of a catch this year's festival was, Saunders even informed how the Catfish Festival Board already had vendors lining up for next year's festival.