WELLFLEET – A popular Outer Cape fall event takes place this weekend.
The Wellfleet OysterFest is a two-day festival that celebrates the town’s oysters, clams and shellfishing traditions.
OysterFest Organizer Michele Insley says the festival started as, and continues to be, a community event.
“The local harvesters and shellfishermen are there operating the booths,” she said. “Local restaurants operate the food tent. The artists come from around the region and we have local musicians that play on the main stage.”
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and is produced by Wellfleet Shellfish Promotion and Tasting, Inc.
SPAT is a non-profit organization devoted sustaining Wellfleet’s shellfishing and aquaculture industries.
Proceeds from OysterFest fund SPAT’s educational mission which includes a local college scholarship program, community grant awards and initiatives. SPAT has given back more than $340,000 to the local community.
The fifteenth edition of the festival features 84 artisans, 32 food vendors and 17 marine, environmental non-profits and community organizations.
The festival includes entertainment for people of all ages including local cuisine, arts and crafts, educational programs, cooking demonstrations, children’s activities, live music, a road race, and the annual Oyster Shucking Competition.
The competition will be held each day starting at 1 p.m. with the preliminaries on Saturday and the finals on Sunday.
The winner of the shuck-off earns a $1,000 cash prize and qualifies to compete in the national U.S. Oyster Shucking Championship Contest in St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival in Leonardtown, Mary.
For a complete schedule of festival events visit wellfleetoysterfest.org.
Tickets are $5 for one day and $8 for both days and children 12 and under have free admittance. Tickets can be purchased at the festival website.
The article does not state where in Wellfleet the festival is held.