Date: September 18, 2021
Time: 10:00 am  to  10:00 pm

Come join us at the 20th Annual Shrimp Festival on Saturday, September 18th, 2021.

A “Shrimp Festival” may sound like a crazy celebration in a quaint river town in Southern Illinois but it is one you DO NOT want to miss! While the Mississippi grass shrimp calls several rivers in southern Illinois its home, at only two inches long it’s not going to fill your belly.

Luckily more succulent and meaty shrimp from the U.S. Gulf Coast aren’t too far away! Believe it or not, the surrounding area in southern Illinois also shares a history of sustainably farmed shrimp.

The Golconda Shrimp Festival was named the #1 Food Festival in the state of Illinois by National Geographic Traveler magazine and has become the premiere event showcasing the natural beauty of rural Pope County and the vibrant history of one of Illinois’ first river towns.

Along with the fantastic foods that begin cooking at 10am, we also have a beer garden that opens at 11am.

As always there will be plenty to do from the early morning ‘Fall Into Fitness 5K and Shrimp Crawl‘ that starts at 8am, an import auto show, bounce houses for the kiddos, a ride in the sky aboard a helicopter, to shopping the vendor village.

Please don’t forget to visit our local shops and restaurants dotted along historic Main Street too!

You can always just sit back and relax with family and friends to enjoy one of the live bands that will be performing throughout the day.

  • 11am – 2pm: RognboB & Ruth – The Anns: a vocal trio that has been entertaining southern Illinoisans for decades! Described as performing comic folk music and light bluegrass, this trio calls themselves the “Gospel of Goof.”
  • 3pm – 6pm: West of 57 Band will offer up their southern fried rock to kick off the dinner hour!
  • 7pm-10pm: Corey Evitts will close out the night. This “One Man Band” is known for his live shows that include songs of all popular genres and eras. During his performances, he plays several instruments at once while singing.

A corn hole tournament will start at 2pm.

Every year the Shrimp Festival has continued to grow and this is a direct result of the many hours of work by our non-profit organization Main Street Golconda and the countless
vendors, sponsors, entertainers, and many volunteers.  Each year we have exceeded our expectations
and hope that this year will be no different.

In 2016 the festival was named the #1 Food Festival in the State of Illinois by National Geographic Traveler Magazine!

Please enjoy the day in Golconda and don’t overlook its many attributes such as our 19th Century buildings
or the gorgeous walking bridge taking you from the rivers edge across historic Lusk Creek to the beautiful Golconda Marina.

It is the hope of Main Street Golconda that each person attending the Annual Shrimp Festival
leaves with a wonderful memory to take with them and plans of returning again.
Central Illinois Aviation

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Buggy rides are always popular