Crawfest 2019 raises money for local non-profit

DOWNTOWN JACKSON, Tenn. — The rain didn’t stop hundreds from coming to Crawfest 2019, hosted at the downtown Jackson farmer’s market. The crawfish boil raises money for the Jackson-based non-profit, the Scarlet Rope Project.

“Actually, the rain helps. What are you going to do? Come down here, listen to live music, eat crawfish – some of the best tasting crawfish around – and just have a good time,” event head chef Will Stone said.

Director of the Scarlet Rope Project, Julanne Stone, described what the organization does.

“The Scarlet Rope Project helps women coming out of sex trafficking. We provide women a safe place of healing and restoration and a place to live up to two years in,” Julanne Stone said.

This is the second year in a row that the organization has held Crawfest. Attendees paid $20 for admission, which would come with a three-pound box of crawfish.

The Scarlet Rope Project says that last year’s event was so successful, they’re doubling the amount of crawfish they ordered this year.

In an hour and half, we sold out of 1,000 pounds, so this year my wife has ordered 2,500 pounds of crawfish,” Stone said.

To help cook all that crawfish, 10 teams from across Tennessee participated in a friendly contest, with a makeshift trophy being the prize.

The organization expects this year’s fundraiser to bring in even more money.

“We really hope to raise about $25,000 to $30,000 this year. Last year we raised around $14,000 so we’re really hoping to double that this year,” said Julanne Stone.