Oyster festival facts for kids

An oyster festival is a fun food festival that celebrates delicious oysters! These festivals happen all over the world. People gather to enjoy fresh oysters, watch exciting oyster-shucking contests, and listen to music. It's a great way to learn about oysters and try different kinds.

Oyster Festivals Around the World

Australia

• The Brisbane Water Oyster Festival in Woy Woy, New South Wales.
• The Narooma Oyster Festival in Narooma, New South Wales. This festival shows off the famous Sydney Rock Oysters grown nearby. It's won awards and offers entertainment, oyster tasting, cooking shows, and shucking competitions. Many people from all over the world visit to taste these special oysters.
• The Ceduna Oyster Festival in Ceduna, South Australia.

Canada

• The Tyne Valley Oyster Festival in Tyne Valley, Prince Edward Island. This yearly festival includes the Canadian Oyster Shucking Championship and the PEI Oyster Grading Championship. There are also fun events like the Miss Oyster Pearl Pageant and oyster suppers.
• Festival des Huitres in Maisonette, New Brunswick.

Chile

• Fiesta de la Ostra de Cardonal, in Pelluhue in the Maule Region.

Croatia

• The Oyster Festival (called Fešta od kamenica in Croatian) happens every March in Ston. Ston is in southern Croatia and is also known for its great wines and sea salt.

France

• La fête de l’huître is a July festival in Riec-sur-Belon, in the Brittany region.
• Oyster festivals around Arcachon Bay: Each town around the bay celebrates the Arcachon oyster in its own way during the summer.

Ireland

• The Galway International Oyster Festival is thought to be the oldest international oyster festival in the world. It takes place every year on the last weekend of September in Galway, on Ireland's west coast. This is the only place in Ireland where you can find native flat Galway Oysters growing wild. The festival celebrates the start of the native oyster season. It lasts for three days with live music, seafood trails, and the exciting World Oyster Opening Championship.
• The Ballylongford International Oyster Festival in Ballylongford, County Kerry.

Singapore

• The World Oyster Festival is a month-long event hosted by Greenwood Fish Market in Singapore. It happens every July. More than 20 types of oysters from all over the world are brought in for people to enjoy. This festival has been held since 2012.

South Africa

• The Knysna Oyster Festival is a yearly winter festival held in Knysna, South Africa.

Spain

Many oyster festivals take place along the north coast of Spain.

• Festival Somos la Ostra, in Castropol (Asturias).
• Festa da Ostra de A Lanzada-Noalla, in Sanxenxo (Galicia).
• Festa da Ostra de Arcade, in Soutomaior (Galicia).
• Festa de l'Ostra de L'Ampolla (Catalonia).

United Kingdom

England

• Oyster Feast is a very old event in Colchester, Essex, England, held since the 14th century. The modern feast has been held since 1845.
• Whitstable Oyster Festival, a July festival in Whitstable, Kent, England.
• Falmouth Oyster Festival held in Falmouth, Cornwall, England in October.
• Woburn Oyster Festival held in Woburn, Bedfordshire, England in September.
• Easton Oyster Festival held in Easton, Bristol, England in October or November. It started in 2005.

Northern Ireland

• Hillsborough Oyster Festival in Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland.

United States

• Amite Oyster Festival in Amite, Louisiana.
• Arcata Bay Oyster Festival is held every June in Arcata, California.
• Berks County Celtic Oyster Festival in Mohnton, Pennsylvania.
• The St. Michaels Oyster Festival in St. Michaels, Maryland, happens on the first Saturday in November. It offers food, entertainment, and chances to learn about oysters.
• Chincoteague Oyster Festival in Chincoteague, Virginia.
• Florida Seafood Festival in Apalachicola, Florida.
• Lowcountry Oyster Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Milford Oyster Festival is a yearly food and entertainment festival in Milford, Connecticut, since 1975.
• Norwalk Oyster Festival is a yearly food and entertainment festival in Norwalk, Connecticut, since 1978.
• Ostraval in Williamstown, MA, is a yearly farewell to oysters for the summer on April 30.
• OysterFest in Shelton, Washington.
• The Oyster Whelm in Northern Berkshire County, Massachusetts, since 2017.
• San Francisco Oyster Fest in San Francisco, California.
• Oysterfest in Fulton, Texas.
• Ocean State Oyster Festival in Providence, Rhode Island.
• Red Bank Guinness Oyster Festival, New Jersey, held every September.
• Wellfleet OysterFest is a yearly festival in Wellfleet, Massachusetts (Cape Cod).
• Bluefield, West Virginia Shriner Patrol Annual Oyster Dinner every October since 1975.
• Hilton Head Oyster Festival in Hilton Head, South Carolina.