Shuck ‘Em If You’ve Got ‘Em

Shucks! It’s already time for the fifth annual Ocean State Oyster Festival, taking place Saturday, September 21 from 1 – 7pm at Riverwalk Park on South Water Street in PVD.

This year’s event will again feature delicious local food, food trucks, culinary exhibitors, local libations — including craft beer from Revival Brewing Company in Cranston and Grey Sail Brewing in Westerly — live music and children’s activities. Sharpen those oyster knives, there’s even a shucking contest at 5pm!

Says Dave Roebuck, co-founder of the event, “We recycle about 99% of what we sell at the festival, and we return 100% of our oyster shells into the local waters in order to form new oyster habitat.” Ocean State Oyster Festival is working with The Compost Plant and Nature Conservancy RI to recycle and compost all waste and oyster shells for reef building, so be sure to watch for the compost bins throughout the festival.

The Ocean State Oyster Festival aims to raise awareness of, and celebrate, RI’s aquaculture industry; provide a platform that helps expand RI’s aquaculture economy and support education programs for the public on the environmental sustainability of Narragansett Bay (in partnership with Save the Bay). The event aims to spread awareness of RI’s remarkable aquaculture and oyster economy. More than eight million oysters were harvested in RI in 2016, and that number continues to grow with the arrival of new oyster farms. We currently have more than 70 aquaculture farm businesses in the Ocean State spread over 274 leased acres in the bay and salt ponds. At last year’s event, more than 1,400 visitors slurped an astounding 15,000 oysters from these RI-based farms!

Tickets include six oysters, which you can choose from among the 18 RI oyster farms attending, plus a beverage (wine, beer or non-alcoholic). If you’re thirsting for more, additional oyster and drink tickets are available separately for purchase. Children under 12 are admitted free. For tickets and more information, oysterfestri.com