How to wrap up your Memorial Day weekend: with crawfish, beer and a little bit of dancing

By Kathy Feist

Martin City Brewing Company will wind down the holiday weekend with a Memorial Day Block Party. The celebration includes a crawfish boil, patio concerts,  the debut of this summer’s newest pale ale, a new pizza combo and frozen cocktails. The party starts Monday, May 29, from noon to 8 pm around the brewery headquarters 500 E. 135 St. in Martin City.

Coast to Coast Pub will shut down its regular menu and serve an all-you-can-eat crawfish boil complete with corn on the cob and potatoes on its enclosed patio. A $35 wristband purchased online is required for the all you can eat special. 

“We thought this would be a great event for people who are coming back from the lake to just put their feet up and enjoy,” says new Coast to Coast head chef Brandon Hayden. 

Hayden took over the reins at Coast to Coast this February. He’s been tweaking the menu to include Rainbow Trout Tacos (“eyeballs and all”) and Crab Beignets. It was his idea to change out the old-fashioned shrimp boil often held at the brewery to a crawfish boil. ”Where else do you go for a crawfish boil?” he asks. 

Hayden offers advice on eating crawfish. “Pull the heads off. Suck the meat out. And throw the shell away,” he says. 

Two bands will perform at the Coast to Coast patio: Old No. 5s from noon to 3 pm and Old Crows from 5 to 8 pm. 

Live music will also be performed across the street at the Martin City Ice Cream patio. Kyle Sexton performs from 12:30 to 3:30 pm and Drew 6 from 4:30 to 8:30 pm. Martin City Ice Cream will be dolling out its 10 different flavors of ice cream. Face painting will be available there for free from 1 to 5 pm. 

Martin City Brewing Company will introduce its summer release, the Idle Time Pale Ale at both bars at the Coast to Coast Pub and Martin City Pizza + Taps. Partiers can purchase a draft or a pint of Martin City beer with tickets that can be purchased online or at the event for $4. (Regular cost is $5 to $6.) Both bars will be full service including frozen drinks available for the first time. 

Finally a specialty Memorial Day pizza  will be revealed at Martin City Pizza where the full pizza and sandwich menu will be available. 

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit martincitybrewingcompany.com.