World’s Largest Crab Feast In Annapolis May Become A Drive-Thru

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The wildly popular crab feast hosted by the Annapolis Rotary Club for the past 75 years may be converted to a crab-and-corn drive-thru for this summer. The annual Rotary Crab Feast originally scheduled for Aug. 7 at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium has been canceled due to concerns about the coronavirus and the state's restrictions governing large gatherings. But tentative plans call for a drive-thru option to be set up to help the Rotary Club still raise funds.

The Charity Crab and Corn Event likely will be held in the stadium parking lot Aug. 7, the original date of the crab feast, but details have not been finalized. Current plans call for people picking up pre-sold crab and corn options cooked at the stadium parking lot in quantities of one dozen to a full bushel.

“We know this is not what we expected for our CF this year, but as Rotarians, we think it is very important that, in these times, we continue to do our best to support our communities as we have done for some many years,” the board wrote in an email obtained by the Capital Gazette. “Our event this year will be focused on providing much-needed funds for our community, in the safest and simplest manner possible — recognizing the unique circumstances of this year. We will set our pricing to provide good value to our guests, but to also generate funds for charity.

The crab feast committee also hopes to award grants in the early fall. The Rotary Club of Annapolis distributed $38,800 in grants to 23 nonprofits earlier this year with funds raised by the 2019 Crab Feast.