Rajun Cajun is a food festival with a purpose.
On a beautiful spring Sunday earlier this month, Louisiana’s finest cooked over 16,000 pounds of crawfish for the Memphis community.
Right off the Mississippi River, friends and family gathered, deshelled, and munched on sweet crawdads with grilled corn and ice-cold lemonade. The smell of stout barbecue smoke and fried funnel cakes in the air was nothing short of pure nostalgia as vendors lined Riverside Drive with goods.
For 33 years, Porter-Leath has hosted the biggest crawfish festival in America, outside of Louisiana, as a part of their annual fundraiser. Founded in 1850 as an orphanage, they are the oldest child-serving agency in Tennessee. Through the generosity of donors, they’ve been able to endure the many challenges the country has faced for more than 175 years.
I had the honor of speaking with Rob Hughes, vice president of development for Porter-Leath, who was rocking a very stylish crawfish hat.
“Rajun Cajun is our signature fundraiser,” Hughes said. “This all goes to benefit our mission of empowering children and families to achieve a healthy and independent lifestyle.”
Two months of preparation went into the operation — starting with freshly caught crawfish.
Bright red shells are rinsed throughly, steamed to perfection, and generously portioned for $30 a box. Contests were held halfway through the festival, such as crawfish eating, bobbing, and racing. Families with younger children enjoyed games and activities at the playground, including a spin-to-win prize wheel.
Two main stages at the festival featured live zydeco music, a genre that blends Louisiana French accordion music with Afro-Caribbean beats. As I enjoyed the music, I looked around and spotted the bright blue Mempops truck. I couldn’t resist walking over to get one of their signature flavors, an Arnold Palmer popsicle. The blend of lemonade and sweet tea was divine and exactly what I needed to cool off.
Porter-Leath transitioned from running an orphanage to creating a foster care program in the mid-20th century. Children need homes where they feel safe and supported, and their team stresses how eager they are to speak with people considering foster care. Foster parents receive training and constant support throughout their time. Call 901-577-2500 to speak with a team member about this amazing opportunity to help local children.
They also have a preschool program that educates over 4,500 students. Overall, 40,000 children and their families in Shelby County are supported every year, including two-thirds of kids under age 5.
Porter-Leath has also partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to deliver free books to kids from birth to 5 years old. I remember being so excited when I got mine in the mail alongside my younger brothers when we were little.
The books chosen for this program are carefully selected, with each kid’s name printed on the package and mailed to the homes of 35,000 kids in Shelby County. Reading is a big part of encouraging children to succeed and opens up opportunities for bright futures. By creating an exciting relationship with books from the start, kids can genuinely enjoy reading and be more than ready for grade school.
I’m a little embarrassed to say this was my first time going to Rajun Cajun as a Memphian. Seeing thousands of people come out to support kids in our community was really special, and I can’t wait to become a regular attendee like others.
“Changing the course of the future starts with children [and] families, and that’s what Porter-Leath really has done since 1850,” Hughes said.
I encourage you to make plans to attend next year’s Rajun Cajun festival. In the meantime, go to their website and explore all the ways you can support or be supported by Porter-Leath.