HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- They've brought in thousands of pounds of crawfish and seafood before. And done the whole, free face-painting, balloon artists and inflatables thing for the kiddos, and the Zydeco jams for dancers and roots music aficionados.

For the fourth year of the Heads-N-Tails Crawfish Boil, the Von Braun Center is adding a craft-beer dynamic – including a free tasting and local brew masters on hand to discuss their suds – to the April 5 event, to be held 3 – 10 p.m. in the VBC South Hall (700 Monroe St.).

"(Attendees) can walk up and sample the beers at no charge and then they'll be able to purchase that beer if they want to," VBC sponsorship sales manager Lacy Fitzpatrick says.

Huntsville-area beer-makers to be on hand with their wares include Yellowhammer, Blue Pants, Straight to Ale, Old Black Bear, Below the Radar, Rocket Republic and Brew Stooges. Brews from Birmingham's Trim Tab and Tullahoma, Tenn.'s Ole Shed will also be available. Pints will be sold for $6. Not into the craft-beer trip? Domestic bottles are three bucks.

Admission to Heads-N-Tails Crawfish Boil remains free. "

Landers McLarty Nissan is the sponsor for this event, so they're the ones who have helped us to make it free for everyone to attend

," VBC assistant director Brandi Quick says.

Also new this year, a "Pac-Man"-like Moon Pie-eating contest, with adults and kids divisions. "Basically we're going to put out a certain number for each person and then whoever finishes them the quickest is the winner," Quick says. "I was thinking five per person. The kids are eating the mini Moon Pies."

Hopefully contestants will save room for Heads-N-Tails Crawfish Boil's signature victuals. Boiled crawfish combos, which include corn and baby red potatoes, run from $10 for one pound to $35 for four pounds. Non-mudbug eats include baskets, which come with fries, hushpuppies and coleslaw, of fried flounder ($10), shrimp ($11), oysters ($12) and, perhaps most intriguingly, a half-pound of gator tail ($16).

The 2014 Heads-N-Tails Crawfish Boil will boast live music 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. from Nashville-based Cajun band Roux du Bayou, with local Latin/Zydeco combo Mambo Gris Gris performing 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. Huntsville club Cajun Zydeco Connection will be leading a "second line" procession through the South Hall and giving dance instruction.

Asked about the connection between Pelican State food and music, Mambo Gris Gris singer/guitarist Mark Torstenson says, "In my mind the food there is kind of earthy and a little bit spiciness and I think both of those would do well to describe the kind of music you get out of Louisiana."

Mambo Gris Gris also features José Joaquin Matienzo (percussion), Newt Johnson (accordion, keys), Steve Motz (sax), Jim Cavender (bass), Mike Dendy (drums). Expect the group's set to features covers of New Orleans funk/R&B tunes from the likes of the Wild Tchoupitoulas, a Latin-tinged version of "Going Back to New Orleans," traditional Zydeco including "Ay-Tete-Fee" and more recent songs, such as Los Lobos' "Evangeline," which Torstenson describes as, "straight-up Zydeco but written by barrio guys from California."

More: headstailscrawfishboil.com