WAKULLA COUNTY, FL (WTXL) — The annual Panacea Blue Crab Festival is still delivering economic benefits to local businesses nearly a week after the event, with vendors and shops across Panacea and Wakulla County reporting strong sales.
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The festival, now in its 49th year, was created in part by Panacea Waterfronts to honor the area's crabbing heritage and help drive economic impact for small businesses in Panacea and Wakulla County.
William Edenfield, owner of All American Roasted Corn and More, said the demand at this year's festival far exceeded what he had on hand.
"We actually took from last year and doubled the food this year, and we still sold out like an hour and a half or so before the show was over," Edenfield said.
The boost extended beyond festival vendors to businesses in town. The Barnacle and Buoy Antiques and Oddities Mall — a brand new shop in downtown Panacea — saw a surge in foot traffic during the festival.
"It was in the hundreds. You know that the door didn't stop moving all day long. It was just the door was in and out, in and out, in and out. So there was a the parking lot was jam-packed full, and traffic parked up and down every street out here," David Birdsell said. "The Blue Crab Festival filled up the neighborhood, so we did great business on that."
Birdsell, owner of The Barnacle and Buoy Antiques and Oddities Mall, said the impact stretched well beyond festival day, with sales at the shop quadrupling in the days following the event.
Edenfield said the festival's reach goes well beyond single-day revenue.
"Festivals like this give us opportunity to reach out to 100 new customers, increasing our sales, promote our business to people from surrounding communities, and build relationships that can bring customers back to us," Edenfield said.
He also noted that the festival helped him gain new followers on social media. With next year marking the 50th anniversary of the Blue Crab Festival, Edenfield said he plans to triple — maybe even quadruple — his supply, anticipating an even bigger turnout.
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