The Ellen Noël Art Museum’s signature fundraiser returns later this month.
The 38th annual Shrimpfest will take place beginning at 7 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Ector County Coliseum in Barn G.
The event serves as the museum’s largest and most successful fundraiser of the year with over 1,200 people expected to attend.
Guests will be treated to not only an unlimited amount of Cajun shrimp but also a chance to bid on a variety of unique items.
“It’s our annual fundraiser so we hope everyone comes out and enjoys it,” Shrimpfest Chairperson Betty Harold said. “We have our silent auctions and live auctions and lots of activities to do there. We’re very excited about this year’s Shrimpfest.”
The silent and live auctions will include vacations, hunting trips, beauty products and jewelry as well as pieces made by local artists.
Tickets or sponsorships for Shrimpfest can be purchased online at noelartmuseum.org.
General admission tickets are $50 in advance and $55 at the door. They include entry to the event, unlimited shrimp and a drink.
“It’s all you can eat shrimp,” Harold said. “It’s the Chuck Wagon Gang’s secret recipe. They’ve been doing it for 38 years so we look forward to it every year.”
The museum relies on fundraisers such as Shrimpfest to help supplement the funding it receives through donations, memberships and grants.
All profits from Shrimpfest help the museum to sustain important programs such as Art 2 Go for second graders, Free Community Art Days with activities for all ages, and Fine Arts Connection third grade field trips.
It also allows the museum to bring in important exhibitions like “Gastronomy” — which is currently on display until March 10 — and gives the public access to these exhibitions at no cost.
The Ellen Noël Art Museum is currently at a temporary location at the Presidential Archives next door as the museum building undergoes renovation.
“It helps to support our exhibits,” Harold said. “It helps support all of our art programs to all the education for the school districts in Midland and Odessa. … With the expansion of the new art museum, they’ll be able to offer more art classes when it’s done.”
Chef Gabe Grewell helps prepare the shrimps for the fundraiser and has been taking part in it for over 20 years now.
“I say this every year but it’s so humbling to get a group of volunteers together and put on such a fantastic party and raise a ton of money for the museum,” Grewell said. “The actual party feels so much like Mardi Gras in West Texas is my favorite part.”
There are no changes to the secret recipe and the guests will feel like they’re in Cajun country rather than in West Texas.
“Nothing different,” Grewell said. “Since it only comes once a year, we tend to keep the same recipes along with the fixings and all that.”
The Shrimpfest recipe is based on the recipe used by Pascal’s Manale Restaurant in New Orleans.
Grewell said preparation for the fundraiser takes an entire weekend before the event.
“We have lots of volunteers come together and get out equipment on Saturday,” Grewell said. “We make the appetizers on Sunday and on Monday, we thaw out the main recipe and cook a thousand pounds of shrimp.”
For more information on this year’s Shrimpfest or the Ellen Noël Art Museum, go to noelartmuseum.org.
If you go
- What: Shrimpfest.
- When: 7 p.m. Feb. 26.
- Where: Ector County Coliseum (Barn G).
- Where to purchase tickets: noelartmuseum.org
