The Oyster Festival Kicks Off This Weekend

The 33rd annual Oyster Festival returns this Saturday and Sunday for a mix of family fun and dozens of oyster, clam and seafood dishes on the waterfront at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay.

Live music, tall ships, artisans, pirate shows, rides and an oyster-shucking-and-eating contest will be among the many attractions at the festival, which draws more than 200,000 visitors to Oyster Bay each year. It runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, rain or shine.

Over at the food court, volunteer chefs and culinary pros alike work together, serving up a bounty of seafood fare. Oysters on the half shell, oyster stew, lobster bisques, steamers, seafood gumbo and soft shell crabs are just some of the offerings. And there are plenty of choices for those who don’t eat seafood. The Food Court Guide can be found here.

Live entertainment will be featured on the Main Stage and West End Stage all weekend, including performances by Four Way Street, Jerome Bell, Endless Summer, Iridesense as well as magic shows and illusionist acts. The full schedules for the Main Stage and West End Stage performances are available.

Entertainment for children features carnival rides, a petting zoo and a pirate show. Youth sports clinics with the New York Islanders, the New York City Football Club and Rough Riders and the Long Island Lizards will be held all weekend. On Sunday, the Oyster Festival will be hosting the NFL Punt, Pass, Kick Long Island Championships. About 150 of the top Long Island student athletes will come to Oyster Bay to compete for 10 spots to advance to the NY Jets team competition.

More than 140 vendors wills set up shop at the Waterfront selling arts and crafts and various handmade items. Booth fees from the vendors support several charitable efforts by the Oyster Bay Rotary.

Festival goers can also stop by Audrey Avenue to meet many of the local non-profits and store owners. A stage area will feature live music from local musicians.

El Galeón, a replica of the vessel used by the Spanish Crown for maritime expeditions from the 16th to 18th centuries, will be set up in Oyster Bay waters during the festival. It serves as a floating museum and visitors will be able to access the ship to go on a tour to learn about the 500-year story since the arrival of Juan Ponce de León on the eastern shores of Florida.

The Waterfront will also feature the John J. Harvey 9/11 Fireboat in honor of the fifteenth anniversary of September 11, the Christeen (the oldest surviving oyster sloop in America) and a replica of the historically significant Ida May oyster dredge.

Getting There: Arrive to the festival by road, rail or boat.

Via Train: Arrive at the Syosset Train Station from the Port Jefferson Line then take a shuttle to the festival or take the Oyster Bay Line to be dropped off in the middle of the festival grounds.

Via Car: Limited free parking and free shuttle bus service. Parking in the village of Oyster Bay is available. And there is free parking and shuttle service (from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.) from the following lots:

• Syosset Train Station—Syosset (Oyster Bay Road - also known as Jackson Avenue) and Underhill Boulevard, 1 mile North of Jericho Turnpike (Route 25)
• Vernon School - Rt. 106 in East Norwich
• Mill Max Mfg Parking Lot - Rt. 106 in Oyster Bay (lot closes at 6:30)
• Oyster Bay Jewish Center - Berry Hill Rd.
• The Equestrian Center - Rte. 106 between Rte. 25A and Muttontown Rd.
• Center Island Beach - Bayville Ave, Bayville

Via Boat: Those arriving by boat should call ahead to OB Marine Center 516-624-2400 = VHF 71 or Sagamore Yacht Club 516-922-0555 = VHF 78A and reserve mooring or for further assistance.

Admission to the festival is free. The Oyster Festival serves as the Oyster Bay Rotary Club’s project and is funded by the Oyster Bay Charitable Fund. Proceeds support approximately 20 different local, nonprofit groups.

For more details about the rides, entertainment, food, attractions and transportation, visit the Oyster Festival website.

No pets or alcohol are allowed.

Here’s a map of the festival:

Image via Oyster Festival