The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum will host OysterFest on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 10am-4pm, inviting the community to celebrate the Bay’s favorite bivalve with a day of fun for the whole family.
The OysterFest menu, of course, features fresh oysters served a variety of ways, plus other local fare, craft beer, and spirits. There’s also live music on two stages, an oyster stew competition, boat rides, a full schedule of demonstrations and presentations, children’s activities, and more.
Tickets for this rain-or-shine event, including a new VIP offering and CBMM Fall Festival Passes, are on sale now at cbmm.org/OysterFest, with discounted pricing for CBMM members.
Whether you prefer to sip, savor, or slurp Chesapeake Bay oysters, you’ll appreciate this beloved fall festival with oyster offerings from the Talbot Watermen Association and several local oyster farms, including raw and cooked options.
Guests can also purchase a variety of Chesapeake delicacies and other food offerings via local vendors on campus, plus a beverage selection that includes specialty cocktails and an array of local craft beer options. All food and drinks are an additional charge.
The always-popular oyster stew competition gives guests the chance to sample offerings from area restaurants in an OysterFest mug and then vote for their favorites to help decide which chefs claim the coveted title and local bragging rights.
The friendly competition continues with our annual oyster slurp-off contest. Interested participants can sign up on the day of the event.
All the oyster-themed fun will come with an upbeat soundtrack thanks to live music on both sides of campus all day long. An OysterFet staple, Electric Newgrass band Swamp Donkey will once again share their unique blend of originals and covers at the historic Tolchester Beach Bandstand. There will also be a stage on Fogg’s Landing, including a performance by local sibling trio The Folk Villains, to add to the festive atmosphere.
Throughout the day, the Van Lennep Auditorium will host a variety of guest speakers, including representatives from the Pocomoke Indian Nation, whose ancestral lands span much of lower Delmarva. In addition to their auditorium presentation, the Pocomokes will offer demonstrations throughout the day to share their history and traditions with guests near CBMM’s Shipyard.
Representatives from the American Chesapeake Club and their pups will be on hand to highlight Maryland’s official dog, the Chesapeake Bay retriever.
CBMM will also debut a new theater space on Navy Point, showcasing a selection from its library of historic and documentary films that includes the works of the celebrated environmental filmmakers Tom Horton, Dave Harp, and Sandy Cannon-Brown.
OysterFest programming, including presentations, demos, and performances from the Pocomoke Indian Nation, The Folk Villains, and the American Chesapeake Club, is supported by the Upper Shore Regional Folklife Center through the Maryland Traditions Program of the Maryland State Arts Council.
Children can explore life on the Bay through a range of themed, hands-on activities, including lawn games, model boat building, and more. The Phillips Wharf Fishmobile traveling aquarium will be on site, too.
Guests have a variety of ways to get out on the water at OysterFest, including free, drop-in cruises aboard CBMM’s floating fleet vessels. Patriot Cruises will offer a Narrated Historical Cruise on the Miles River at 12:30pm with combo tickets that include OysterFest admission and the cruise available.
CBMM is thrilled to welcome a pair of visiting tall ships to join in the fun. AJ Meerwald, a restored oyster dredging schooner that is New Jersey’s official tall ship, is offering free dockside tours from 10am-3pm and a ticketed public sail at 4pm, while Lady Maryland, a full-scale reproduction of a traditional 19th century Chesapeake Bay cargo schooner called a pungy, will be available for free deck tours during the festival before offering a ticketed sunset sail at 5pm.
Don’t miss the opportunity to purchase commemorative OysterFest gear in the Museum Store, showcasing this year’s featured historic oyster tin from CBMM’s collection. The one-gallon tin, featuring a silhouetted sailboat underway, was packed by Harrison & Jarboe Seafood Company in the 1950s on CBMM’s Navy Point and marketed as Miles River Brand Oysters. The design will be emblazoned on shirts and hats for purchase, as well as the mugs used for the oyster stew competition and the VIP tote bags.
This year, OysterFest is generously sponsored by PNC Bank and What’s Up Media.
OysterFest tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the door. Admission is set at $22 for adults, $19 for seniors (65+) and students (17+), $10 for active and retired military members, and $9 for children ages 6-to-17, with all children 5-and-younger admitted free.
CBMM members receive discounted pricing to OysterFest and other annual festivals celebrating the best of the Bay throughout the year. Adult member tickets are $10, and all children of members (17-and-younger) receive free admission. CBMM members at the Family & Friends level and above can also receive the $10 discounted admission for two additional adult guests.
To level up the fun, VIP tickets include festival admission, entry into the oyster stew competition with commemorative mug, access to the VIP Hospitality Lounge with a complimentary beer and wine bar, an exclusive OysterFest tote bag with a list of vendor specials, and discounts at the festival bars. The cost is $50 for CBMM members and $80 for non-members.
The CBMM Fall Festival Pass offers entry to three upcoming signature festivals, including OysterFest, the Holiday Edition of the Eastern Shore Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival (Saturday, Nov. 22), and Winter on the Chesapeake (Saturday, Dec. 13). The cost is $20 for CBMM members and $44 for non-members.
CBMM members become a part of the Chesapeake story, joining CBMM’s mission as stewards of the region’s rich cultural heritage. To discover all the terrific benefits of membership and join today, visit cbmm.org/memberships or contact Membership Services Coordinator Debbie Ruzicka at 410-745-4991 or [email protected].
During the festival, additional free parking will be available at St. Michaels Middle/High School, with a complimentary shuttle service running to and from CBMM.
For safety reasons, non-service dogs must be kept home during CBMM festivals, including OysterFest. Carry-on alcohol from dock or land is also prohibited.
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