Chandeleur Island Brewing Company celebrates 10 years of Chandyfest

Gulfport, Miss. (WXXV)- Chandeleur Island Brewing Company is celebrating their 10th year of Chandyfest. They’re doing it with a special drink, music, and the community coming out.

“Me and my daughter, we just moved to Biloxi a year ago. When we heard about Chandyfest, we applied and they accepted us. This is my second time attending Chandyfest,” said Rome Brown, a second year attendee and second year vendor. “Me and my daughter, we are here as vendors. She does the Henna tattoos, so that’s what we did last year and we’re doing it again this year.”

The community came out to celebrate the 10th year of Chandyfest on Saturday. The event drew in crowds, vendors, and musicians alike.

One highlight includes the crawfish cookoff.

“We tell people to get here early if they want crawfish and they took me on my word. We’ve had people here all day, people come and go,” said Gina Prater, the General and Sales Manager. “We’ve got about 35 vendors, 3 or 4 food trucks, we had 8 crawfish teams doing a cookoff. They had a blast.”

Prater says Ales and Tales was the winner of the overall best crawfish. Mitchell Distributing was the best tent and the people’s choice was Ales and Tales.

She also says with Chandeleur transforming the old Pascagoula train depot into a brewery, there might just be a version of Chandyfest in Jackson County.

“Next year we have some exciting plans, we are opening a new brew-pub in Pascagoula. The train is going to come right behind our back door in Pascagoula.”

One big aspect that has made Chandyfest a success is the sense of community. Prater saying without the community, the brewery would not be where it is.

“For us to be here for ten years is quite a feat. I guess it’s telling the community serves us and we serve them right back.”

“It felt great, because we were trying to find a place for us. As vendors – leaving Louisiana and coming to Mississippi – it was just what we needed,” said Brown. “They have events all the time and there are always friendly people around. They embrace us into the community.

“Trying to remember, but I think this is my first Chandyfest,” said Matthew Bounds, known as ‘Your Barefoot Neighbor’. “It’s been a really good time, the atmosphere is so laidback and welcoming. The whole fest is very inviting, very warm. The music, they’ve got the vibe going out here.”