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Commissioners set Feb. 24 hearing on Crawfish and Cannons mass-gathering permit
Summary
The Young County Commissioners Court voted 5-0 to schedule a public hearing Feb. 24 on a mass-gathering permit for the Crawfish and Cannons event at Fort Belknap on April 12, 2025, after the applicant described plans for expanded capacity, alcohol sales and parking.
The Young County Commissioners Court voted 5-0 to set a public hearing for 10 a.m. Feb. 24 to consider a mass-gathering permit filed by the Graham Convention and Visitors Bureau for the Crawfish and Cannons event at Fort Belknap on April 12, 2025.
The hearing will consider use of county land at Fort Belknap, a partial waiver of Fort Belknap rules and approval of the mass-gathering permit. The bureau, which funds the event from hotel-occupancy-tax receipts, is seeking permission for expanded ticket sales and alcohol sales that would not otherwise be allowed on the Fort, the applicant told the court.
"This is another great event that the city puts on every year," said Zach Balch, the applicant and representative of the Graham Convention and Visitors Bureau. He said the event fills local hotel rooms, draws visitors to nearby lakes and is paid for with hotel-occupancy-tax revenue rather than property tax dollars. "We do not take money from public taxes, property taxes, etcetera. That means these events are basically essentially free for our citizens, and we bring in a ton of guests from out of town."
Balch told commissioners the event has added parking that will allow about 500 additional tickets compared with prior years and that the headlining act will be the country band Shenandoah. He said total entry capacity this year is planned at about 3,000. Organizers also plan to continue contracted alcohol sales and vendor arrangements; Balch said Recovery Room will handle alcohol sales and Crawl Daddy's will sell crawfish.
County staff and a commissioner added that the county owns lots across from Fort Belknap that can be used for event parking and that organizers have new traffic-flow plans intended to reduce congestion. Balch also said the county is working on a plan to build an RV park on county-owned land near the Fort; that RV project is not yet built and would not be available for this year.
Commissioner Shook moved to set the hearing; Commissioner Cresswell seconded. The motion passed 5-0.
The court took no final action on the permit itself; the Feb. 24 hearing will be the opportunity for formal consideration and public comment.
