18th Annual Arcata Bay Oyster Festival

The Annual Arcata Bay Oyster Festival was held on Saturday, June 14th, 10 am to 5 pm on the Arcata Plaza. The Festival is hosted annually by Arcata Main Street,and has become a not to miss occassion for local restaurateurs, executive chefs, and caterers to show off their culinary skills by preparing oysters in every imaginable way.

Crowds throughout the day top 20,000, keeping vendors hopping. Highlights of the day include an oyster tasting competition, whose winners claim the auspicious awards of Best Oyster and Peoples' Choice. The day also features the wildly popular Shuck and Swallow Contest, the World Famous Oyster Calling Contest, live music throughout the day, a children's area, artisan vendors, and beer and wine served as a benefit for non-profit Arcata Main Street. The 2008 Oyster Festival was coordinated by S&S Events.

2008 Entertainment Line Up:
11 am: Magnolia
Noon: Oyster Calling Contest
1:15 pm: Womamma
2:45 pm: Bucky Walters
3:45 pm: Shuck & Swallow Contest
4:15 pm: Bump Foundation

more about the 2008 Oyster Festival
View the Arcata Bay Oyster Festival Web site
Arcata Bay Oyster Festival Ranked #7 Food Festival in World by Away.com
View the 6/15/08 Times-Standard article: Consider the oyster
View the 6/9/08 Times-Standard article: Arcata's Oyster Festival goes green
View the 5/17/08 Times-Standard article: Eureka resident may have found world's largest oyster

Champions for the second year running, local oyster aficionados Conor and Aidan took home the coveted Shuck and Swallow Contest Championship belts. Photo courtesy of the Arcata Eye Newspaper.

Oyster lovers crowd the Arcata Plaza for the highly anticipated Oyster Festival. Photo courtesy of the Arcata Main Street.

_____________________________________________________________

return to events page