Oyster Fest returns Oct. 17-18 with Savannah Bananas, seafood and more

Oyster Bay’s biggest weekend of the year is almost here.

The 43rd annual Oyster Fest will return Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17-18, bringing two days of seafood, live music, carnival rides and waterfront festivities to downtown Oyster Bay and Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park.

The festival, held in partnership with the Town of Oyster Bay and Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce, typically draws tens of thousands of visitors to the hamlet and has attracted crowds of up to 200,000 over the course of a weekend. (Click here for prior GLI photo coverage.)

This year’s lineup includes food and merchandise vendors, a seafood court, food trucks, amusement rides and the festival’s traditional oyster eating and shucking contests. Organizers said oysters served at the festival will include those sourced from Long Island growers and harvesters.

Players from the Savannah Bananas will also make appearances Saturday and Sunday to meet fans and sign autographs. The Kings of the Coast Pirate Show will return to the waterfront, while live music is planned throughout the weekend in the park and along Audrey Avenue.

A Sensory Friendly Family Hour will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Sunday, an hour before the festival officially opens for the day. During that time, rides will operate specifically for children with sensory sensitivities, giving families an opportunity to experience the carnival before the larger crowds arrive.

“Many children with sensory needs find large festivals overwhelming, and this Sensory Friendly Family Hour gives them and their families a chance to enjoy the rides at their own pace before the crowds arrive,” Oyster Bay Councilwoman Vicki Walsh said.

Oyster Fest will also again participate in the town’s shell recycling program, which collects discarded shells for use in projects aimed at strengthening the local marine ecosystem. Volunteers interested in helping with shell recycling during the festival can contact the town’s Department of Environmental Resources at 516-677-5752.

Parking near Oyster Fest is extremely limited, and organizers are encouraging visitors to use alternate parking locations and shuttle buses to reach the festival.

Oyster Fest takes place Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17-18, in downtown Oyster Bay and Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. Additional festival and transportation information is available at theoysterfest.org.

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Top: Oyster Fest revelers at the 2022 festival installment in Oyster Bay, which had been hiatus for two years prior due to the COVID epidemic. (Credit: GLI/Nick Grasso, file)