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.

Topping out at only two inches long, it will take a lot of Mississippi grass shrimp to fill your plate. This is where our friends on the gulf coast step in! Image courtesy: Missouri Dept. of Conservation

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.

A festival map is located at the bottom of the page.

At Shrimp Festival-

Food is priority. Come enjoy the streets lined with vendors serving a wide variety of shrimp dishes sure to satisfy every shrimp lover’s appetite. Plus, we have much more than just shrimp to eat. You can also find award- winning BBQ along with corndogs, funnel cakes, and much more! Food service is 10am to 10pm, though we recommend you make sure to grab a bite before 9pm as many vendors will sell out before closing.

Because our event is a fundraiser for our non-profit, all food and drinks must be purchased using our Shrimpfest Food Tickets. Stop by our ticket booth at the corner of Main St. & Monroe St. to purchase food tickets. We will also have ticket runners walking through the crowd on Main Street where you can make ticket purchases as well. 1-ticket is equal to $1. All food and beverage prices are in $1 increments.

This year’s scrumptious lineup of food includes:

Credit & cash transactions at food and beverage vendors are strictly prohibited. If you do happen to see a vendor taking cash or credit, we ask that you please report it to a member of our team immediately.

Beverages Check out our beer tent for a variety of domestic & craft beers and other refreshing adult drinks. You must be 21 and older to enter the beer garden. Drink tickets can be purchased at the door or you may use food tickets (1 ticket = $1).

  • Budweiser
  • Bud Light
  • Ultra
  • Busch Light
  • Big Muddy Blueberry Blonde
  • Big Muddy Kornholio
  • Bud Light Seltzers – assorted flavors
  • Hoop Tea Spiked Tea
  • and more!

Entertainment is a must at any festival and our Main Stage is the place to be. We have had a variety of bands over the years from country, and bluegrass to rock and folk.

This year’s lineup includes:

Events – we’ve had Corn Hole Tournaments, 5Ks and much more. Interested clubs and organizations are welcome to host activities. Contact us if you are interested!

Corn Hole – The Pope County 8th Grade Class of 2025 is hosting a corn hole tournament as a fundraiser for their end of year class trip. $30 registration for teams of two. Winner’s get the Pirate’s treasure so you bett-‘argh!’ register before the spots fill up! Tournament begins at 11am.

Register for Corn Hole Tournament

NEW IN 2024!

  • Chalk Art Contest – Do you have some artistic skills? Want to showcase your skills to thousands of festival-goers while getting a t-shirt, some food, and potentially win some prize money? Take part in our first-ever chalk art contest on our historic Main Street. Artists will be judged in 4 different categories:

For the kids we have had inflatables, dunking booths, face painting, and petting zoos and more! Interested clubs and organizations are welcome to host activities. Contact us if you are interested!

This year’s Kids Zone is open from 10am to 5pm. All-day wristbands to access the Kids Zone are just $10 per child and can be purchased at the ticket booth at Main St. & Monroe St. or at the door of the Kids Zone. One adult can enter for free with each paid kiddo.

The Kids Zone will include:

  • Animal Tales Wildlife Encounters Show (4 times throughout the day; attend them all!)
    • 10am
    • 12pm
    • 2pm
    • 4pm
  • Huge 17-Foot Tall Inflatable Slide
  • 4-IN-1 Bounce House
  • 65-Foot Toxic Inflatable Obstacle Course

Proceeds from the Kids Zone wristbands go to support the Pope County High School Student Council’s fundraising efforts for their homecoming festivities and other student-led programs.

Shopping check out the Vendor’s Village opening at 10am and stroll through the shady courtyard for a wide variety of arts and crafts vendors. Don’t forget the local shops in town too.

Activities Horse and Carriage rides always make wonderful memories and give a tremendous view of the town. Walk down Main Street toward the river and stop by the City Museum rich with local history.

From the levee you can cross Lusk Creek on the footbridge to the Oasis on the Ohio marina and get a glimpse of the newly arrived PTF-26 Museum Ship, now berthed in the Golconda Marina.

Grab a map and your phone and take our audio tour of the many historic sites around our river town.

Don’t forget to snag some selfies of your visit! Fino the Dino at our local Sinclair gas station will be dressed for the occasion. Stick your face into our photo board located on Main Street. Take a trip up to the top of the levy to snap a photo or three with the beautiful Ohio River behind you. *HINT* – sunset is at 6:51pm for those gorgeous “golden hour” photos.

Golconda Shrimp Festival is always the third Saturday in September. More event info can be found here.

Are you interested in volunteering at the festival? It’s a lot of fun and there’s some perks too! Click here to apply.

Vendors interested in participating can find forms and information here.

We’d like to thank our sponsors below for the 2024 Golconda Shrimp Festival and look forward to working with you as a sponsor for our other upcoming festivals throughout the year. Email us at mainstreetgolconda@gmail.com for details!