From staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — The best amateur catfish fryers in Alabama will square off for the fifth annual Cahaba River Society Fry-Down, a competitive catfish cooking contest and riverfront festival to celebrate the Cahaba River.
The Fry-Down fundraiser is presented by Amerex to benefit the Cahaba River Society. The event is Sunday, Sept. 28 from noon to 4 p.m. along the banks of the Cahaba River at Trussville Springs. There’s a $20 donation for adults, but children 12 and under get in free.
The Fry-Down is like a BBQ or chili cook-off, but with catfish and hushpuppies. Local teams of chefs will prepare catfish and fixin’s for a panel of local personality judges, led by George Sarris of The Fish Market on Southside.
Guests will hear live music by The Cahaba River Rats and Festival Expressions, and activities for children of all ages. The Fry-Down Beer Garden presented by the Cahaba River Society Tributary Board will feature local craft breweries. The Small Fry area will feature games and hands-on activities for children in and beside the river, led by environmental educators.
The Fry-Down combines several goals: to bring people closer to the river; build more support for Cahaba conservation; explore the relationship between water quality, habitat, and drinking water; and build new partnerships to sustain work to ensure the Cahaba River’s healthy future.
The Trussville Tribune is an event sponsor.
For more information, visit www.frydown.com.
The Cahaba River Society works to restore and protect the Cahaba River watershed and its rich diversity of life. The Cahaba River is the main drinking water source for the Birmingham Water Works Board, which serves about one-fifth of Alabama residents. The Cahaba has more species of fish per mile than any other river in North America and is considered to be nationally and globally significant for freshwater biodiversity by conservation groups such as The Nature Conservancy and The World Wildlife Fund.