Top Bites From The Bubba Gump Shrimpfest (Slideshow)

The festival ran from noon until the evening hours, so the gathered crowd, which was never unmanageably large, had the opportunity to take their time and sample as much as they wanted. 

Shrimp, fish, and sausage, along with vegetables and okra, came together for a rich and satisfying gumbo. 

This traditional jambalaya featured chicken and Andouille sausage, and was just the right amount of spicy. Each bowl came with a skewer of shrimp. 

Crunchy battered and fried shrimp, spicy pepperoncini, and roasted red peppers were served along with cocktail sauce and spicy mayo. 

You also had the choice of putting the popcorn shrimp onto a French loaf, "dressed" with lettuce, tomato, and chipotle mayo. 

These peel-and-eat shrimp were steamed in beer, and served with your choice of garlic or Cajun spice powder. 

The shrimp was sautéed in a spicy Cajun butter sauce, and served with garlic bread.

Chilled shrimp was served alongside a mixture of diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, avocado, and habaneros, with tortilla chips on the side. 

A full bar was available, along with a wide variety of craft beers Oskar Blues' Yella Pils, Shiner Wild Hare, Lagunitas Maximus Ale, and Allagash White.