The Annual Beaufort Shrimp Festival is back for its 22nd year in Beaufort, and once again promises to be a great time.

The Lowcountry event at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park will feature local cuisine, live music, contests and much more.

The free festival officially kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, with a party in the park. There will be live music featuring regional favorite, Deas Guyz. Local restaurants will preview their best shrimp dishes in preparation for Saturday's culinary competition.

On Saturday, Oct. 1, the Run, Forrest, Run 5K Bridge Run/Walk will kick off at 8 a.m. Even the little ones can take part in the Popcorn Shrimp run at 8:45 a.m. for ages 7 and under. Participants will begin at the Freedom Mall on Bay Street. Advanced registration is required.

Saturday's festivities continue at 11 a.m. with food and beverage vendors and an arts and crafts market. There will be live music all day by Broke Locals, The Bull Grapes and Steel Rail Express. Local restaurants will put their unique spins on fresh, local shrimp and will compete for multiple awards.

Saturday's culinary competition is one of the festival highlights each year, featuring the Silver Cup award, one of the most coveted restaurant awards in the area. The Silver Cup, along with "Best Shrimp Dish," "People's Choice," and "Best Booth Decoration," are presented during Saturday's festival celebrations. Adults can participate in a shrimp heading competition, and children in a shrimp peeling competition for various prizes.

In addition to the annual run and culinary competitions, the Sea Island Rotary Club's Annual Charity Shrimp Race provides spectators the opportunity to adopt one or more of its 5,000 rubber floating shrimp that are dropped into the Beaufort River.

Shrimp will float toward a designated finish line and the owners of the first 10 shrimp to finish will share $5,000 in cash prizes. The first 100 shrimp to cross the finish line will give their owners a chance to win a car or boat worth $39,000. For more information or to adopt a shrimp, visit www.rotaryshrimprace.com.

For more information or to register for the Run, Forrest, Run 5k Bridge Run/Walk, visit www.BeaufortShrimpFestival.com or call 843-525-8537.

The Beaufort Shrimp Festival is produced by Main Street Beaufort, USA, the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, the South Carolina Shrimpers Association and multiple sponsors.