Rambling Wanderer

   What a night!!!
   The Elgin Stampeder's Annual Crab Feed should be on every one's "bucket list".
   Not only do the Stampeders feed roughly 800 people all the crab they can eat, but they do it in such a way that it keeps people coming back year after year.
   Dozens of volunteers help turn what could be a hectic event, into a smooth running operation.
   It takes months of preparation to pull off the event. From advertising to clean-up, the volunteers go about their responsibility with a welcoming smile on their face.
   Fresh crab meat is brought in from the west coast, coleslaw, potato salad and garlic bread round out the meal, which is served family style.
   Now don't think for one minute that you will have to contend with an empty bowl of crab in front of you at any time during the night, because the volunteer servers constantly supply a fresh bowl when one starts running low.
   It is no small feat to get 800 or so people in and out with full stomachs in four short hours, but year after year it is done with great style. No one feels rushed, everyone has time to get their fill and so many promise to return the following year.
   This year I was lucky enough to take the money at the front door with two friends of mine, Debi and Kathy. It is amazing the stories you hear from people who come to eat crab. One gentleman told us he was 80, I said, "I bet you have a few stories to tell." His reply was, "I used to run around with Odies Payne, if that tells you anything." (Odies Payne is an Elgin legend, a good legend of course, although I've heard stories he was a bit wild in his day.)
   So, if you ever find yourself in Elgin, Oregon around the beginning of February, find out when the Elgin Stampeder's Annual Crab Feed is, and plan on attending.
   Like "The Elgin Stampede" on Facebook to see more pictures, learn more about the crab feed and all of the other great events that are put on each and every year at the Elgin Stampede Grounds.