Palmetto's seafood fest gets sunshine, 'thumbs up' on final day

PALMETTO -- Everything was still as Pat McLaughlin used a tiny plastic fork to place a small piece of breaded oyster into her mouth.

And even though McLaughlin was just one seafood lover in a crowd estimated at 7,500 in Palmetto Sunday, few knew McLaughlin's pedigree as a seafood expert.

Still chewing and unable to speak, McLaughlin thrust a "thumb's up" high into the air.

It was done! The 2016 DeSoto Seafood Festival had gotten Pat McLaughlin's festival seal of approval.

"I grew up in southern Maryland so I am familiar with how oysters, crab and seafood should taste," McLaughlin said as she and her husband, Charlie, took a seat under a tent at Sutton Park on Sixth Street West, Palmetto. "These are delicious."

With McLaughlin's thumb's up and plenty of sunshine, the three-day 2016 Seafood Festival seemed to finally get back on track for its final day.

Saturday's rain was a downer for everyone, including the crowds which stayed away, many vendors said.

But on Sunday, much happier throngs ate seafood as they listened to the Billy Rice Band at noon followed by country singer Clark Manson, Fairview Union and Halfway to Hazard. The festival ran noon to 6 p.m.

"Friday was fantastic and Saturday we had rain," said event director Ray Niecestro, when asked about the attendance. "I think we had just shy of 5,000 on Friday and we estimate 7,500 Sunday."

As for the rain, little Colton Dees, who came to the festival Sunday in his Storm Trooper outfit, used the power of The Force to stop the rain. Or so everyone around him thought.

"We just got the costume for him yesterday and he is wearing it nonstop except for sleeping," said Colton's mom and dad, Anya and Justin Dees.

Rose Walker felt "The Force" in an ear of Mexican Street Corn prepared with creamy sweet butter by Rick Meyers and Larry Bahnsen of Riverside Rolling Smoke, a division of the Riverside Cafe at Regatta Pointe.

"Wow, wonderful," Walker said of the corn.

Terry Killen bought a sampler plate of Green Goddess Shrimp from Riverhouse Reef & Grill for $7 and also rated it top flight.

"It's shrimp with Green Goddess dressing and homemade potato chips," Killen said. "Wonderful."

As Killen and the McLaughlin's munched their food, Billy Rice was playing on the festival's main stage.

"I like the Billy Rice Band," Killen said. "They are local and very good. The crowd is coming on strong. Yesterday they took a hit because of the rain."

Before he went on, Billy Rice said they he loved coming home to play. He's a member of the DeSoto Historical Society.

The Billy Rice Band, which just released a new album called, 'Just Sayin',' is scheduled to open for Southern rockers The Marshall Tucker Band at 7 p.m. Monday at the Neel Performing Arts Center at State College of Florida in Bradenton.

"There's tickets left, come see us," Rice said before he did his set Sunday.

Rice has been playing music since he was about 12 and has always had the same dream -- to have a hit song like the Marshall Tucker Band's "Heard It in a Love Song," "Fire on the Mountain" and "Can't You See."

"There are only two kinds of musicians, rich or poor," Rice said with a grin. "If you have a hit you can make a lot of money and if you don't have a hit you can't make a lot of money."

But Rice decided a long time ago that he wanted to be a musician and make his money elsewhere. He owns a company that does coatings on the outside of large buildings.

"I am not willing to live poor as a musician but I love making music so I run this business, too," Rice said. "I've come close but I never got that hit that would allow me to quit my other business. You have to write 100 songs to get one really good song, which I call band ready or radio ready."

Rice says that several songs on the new album that he played Sunday could be that elusive first hit.

Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7072 or contact him via Twitter@RichardDymond.

This story was originally published April 3, 2016 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Palmetto's seafood fest gets sunshine, 'thumbs up' on final day ."