Get ready for 1,350 pounds of shrimp, 540 gallons of Creole Gumbo, 400 pounds of crawfish and 650 pounds of barbecue chicken at the 40^th annual St. Williams Seafood Festival scheduled for Saturday, September 4^th at the Guntersville Civitan Park.

According to the Saint Williams Catholic Church website, the St. Williams Festival, best known for its gumbo, began in 1970 under the leadership of the late Father Patrick Murphy and a few dedicated parishioners.

The festival, now reaching its 40^th year, continues to be the primary fundraiser for the church. The festival has grown to not only be a favorite of the community but its also known to have visitors from Tennessee and Georgia that stop in just for the festival.

"We are very excited about our 40^th year of the festival," said Sandy Whitaker, chairman for the festival. "We are looking for this year to be the best year that we've had so far."

Whitaker said the festival will also have a children's area with inflatables and face painting.

"Children can purchase an armband for $3.00 and they can spend the day on the inflatables, get their face painted and receive a 40^th anniversary balloon," Whitaker continued. "We are going to have the festival rain or shine. We're just hoping for a really great day."

This year, the festival will not only feature dine-in boxes but will also have a drive thru menu.

The drive-thru menu will sell gumbo by the quart and shrimp by the pound. Gumbo is $6 a pint and shrimp is $9 a pound.

The dine-in menu will offer gumbo, boiled shrimp, crawfish, hushpuppies (limit 6 per pint), and slaw and rice (by the cup).

Dinner boxes include barbecue chicken dinner with ½ chicken, hushpuppies and coleslaw or a catfish fillet dinner with hushpuppies and coleslaw, both for $7 each.

Rice, hushpuppies and coleslaw will also be sold alacarte. Crawfish is $7 a pound, gumbo is $6 a pint and $10 a quart.

The drive-thru will open at 7:30 a.m. until sold out and the dine-in will begin at 10:30 a.m. until sold out.

There will also be a door prize drawing for $1,000 cash, two Alabama/Auburn tickets (Nov. 26^th game) and a set of tires (4) compliments of Wilks Tire and Battery of Guntersville. Tickets for the door prize drawing will be sold for $2 each.

For more information, visit the church website at www.stwilliamschurch.com or call the church at 256-582-4245.