SAN FELIPE, Mex. – Shrimp, and lot’s of it, was the cause for celebration just south of the border this weekend. As thousands of visitors from Imperial and Yuma Counties headed to San Felipe, Mexico for the 23rd Annual Tropical Shrimp Festival. And of course what’s a shrimp festival without different types of recipes out here? Just like Bubba in Forrest Gump said, “Shrimp is the fruit of the sea,” and there was quite the variety with shrimp kebabs, shrimp scampi, coconut shrimp, shrimp tacos, shrimp everything!
For some it was their first trip to the Baja California beach. “This is my first trip into Mexico so I thought I would just stay close to the border and check it out,” said Canadian visitor Laurie Gillis. Others have been to San Felipe but never to the festival, and say the difference is the beach comes alive and hands down the shrimp can’t be beat. “The food! Definitely the food, the drinks, the company just having a good time with everybody, the vibes everything is all nice,” said Tania Granados and Trisha Gonzalez visiting from Ontario, California.
Many others we met ended up moving the the beach town, like Rick, the San Felipe local. When asked how convenient it was for him rather than traveller to revel in the fun he said, “You tell me how cool is that!”
It’s been more than twenty years of the shrimp fest for some dedicated visitors like veterans Manuel Garcia, Leonardo Siqueros and Steve Valenzuela of Imperial County. “They got a variety of things we enjoy out here and every years it’s something different which is enjoyable,” said Garcia.
And variety is right, with 400 performers that hit the stage for three days. But don’t worry if you missed it, the Mayor of San Felipe welcomes everyone to the site that offers mountains, desert and beach life year-round. “San Felipe has welcomes the public from across the border with open arms. It’s the safest city in Mexico,” said Mayor Raymundo Jimenez Leon.