Crab, seafood and wine are back at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds this weekend and will pair with more than a dozen music performances.

A spring highlight of the area event calendar, the Astoria Warrenton Crab, Seafood and Wine Festival will return for its 42nd edition on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The event is the year’s biggest fundraiser for the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s also a great chance for everyone in the community to get out and reconnect,” said Isabel Dunn, a festival coordinator. The event draws thousands of people each year.

More than 150 vendors — some returning and others new — will present crab, seafood and a range of additional foods, including hot sauces by Silagy Sauce, desserts, craft beer, spirits and wine, including the winners of an official festival competition.

Lolati Wines, of Sherwood, was awarded this year’s best of show honors for red and white wines. The winner of a People’s Choice honor, chosen at the chamber’s UnWined event in March, was J. Scott Cellars, of Eugene.

As in past years, the event will feature live music on two stages, from local performers like the Brownsmead Flats and Bruce Thomas Smith to Carrie Cunningham, who will bring country disco from Nashville, Tennessee.

Portland acoustic duo Frolock & the Dude and the Reddy Black Trio, who blend country, blues, hits and classic rock, will headline the Friday lineup.

On Saturday, music will rock the festival for a full 10 hours, culminating with the eclectic cover band Big Bad Beat and the veteran duo of singers and guitarists, Sonny “Smokin’” Hess and Ellen Front, performing as Jane Doe.

On Sunday, the music program will conclude with the lyrical, melodically-driven folk rock of Peter Benjamin, following the Brownsmead Flats, Castletown, Hayley Lynn and Ronnie Carrier.

Returning staples will include crab dinner from the Astoria Rotary Club, clown bread (a shrimp or crab melt) from the Astoria Clowns, and oysters from the Willapa Harbor Chamber of Commerce. A first this year will be a mead vendor. Arts, crafts and other merchandise will round out the festival.

“This is a celebration of the region and all the really incredible, skilled folks we have out here in Oregon and Washington,” Dunn said.

As every year, festivalgoers can pick up a limited-edition commemorative wine glass. The festival glasses have become a collector’s item, according to Dunn. She recalled fielding a phone call from a visitor looking to buy a glass from an early festival, where she and her husband had gone on their first date.

None were left in stock, but a case at the chamber office contains a display of all the commemorative glasses.

“The festival is living history,” Dunn said. “That impact is evident in the lives that it touches. This is a place where you can make memories, meet new friends, reconnect with old friends. We’re working to preserve and honor the heritage of this event that has really helped to buoy our community.”

In another returning tradition, festival guests can take a photo with Louie the Crab, generously loaned by the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission.

This year’s festival merchandise will feature Louie’s wine-loving friend, created by Depoe Bay artist Kris Buenger. Apparel featuring the art, commemorative glass, mugs, hats, and all other merch will be available at the chamber booth.

The three-day festival is also an economic driver for the region.

“By our estimation, the event has an annual impact of $3.5 million on Astoria-Warrenton and the surrounding areas,” Dunn said. The event draws participation from many community groups and over 300 volunteers.

Astoria-Warrenton Crab, Seafood and Wine Festival

Astoria-Warrenton Crab, Seafood and Wine Festival

Clatsop County Fair & Expo Center, 92937 Walluski Loop, Astoria

4 to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday

Admission is $20 to $25 for Friday or Saturday, $10 to $15 for Sunday and free for children ages 4 and under, buy tickets online or at the door

Accessible parking is available for $20 per car. Due to very limited parking at the fairgrounds, organizers recommend taking the festival shuttles, which are $3 per round trip. A shuttle route map is available online

www.astoriacrabfest.com