Theodore Roosevelt, Oyster Bay’s most famous son, is the inspiration behind the Oyster Festival.

A local citizens’ committee held a parade to celebrate Teddy’s 125th birthday celebration 24 years ago. The parade aroused so much enthusiasm the organizers vowed to make it an annual event. Renamed in honor of the bivalve that the Bull Moose president so loved to devour, the event took on the culinary theme it maintains to this day.

At first, the festival was predominantly a local event. Some downtown restaurants stayed open, a few pubs expanded their hours of operation and vendors signed on to sell food, crafts and offer games and rides. The local secret didn’t stay a secret long; soon visitors were coming from throughout the metropolitan area to join the fun.

Having outgrown downtown, the event relocated to the waterfront park area in 2003. Festival organizers made the decision to adopt a no-alcohol policy that established the festival as a premier family-fun occasion.