ABOUT THE OYSTER FESTIVAL

The Oyster Festival is a project of the Oyster Bay Rotary Club and run by the Oyster Bay Charitable Fund, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission includes providing a family friendly event, promoting the beauty, history and resources of Oyster Bay and supporting local charities through fundraising activities during the Festival.

 

The Oyster Festival has a long tradition as the East Coast's largest waterfront festival with more than 150,000 attendees each year.  The Festival is known throughout the region for its fun mixture of new activities and old favorites that are certain to entertain the entire family including live entertainment, ships, top-notch artisans, pirate shows, midway rides, and the iconic oyster eating and shucking contest. And of course...the Food Court, where volunteer chefs and culinary pros work side by side, cooking and serving dozens of unique oyster, clam and other seafood concoctions along with traditional festival fare.    

 

2022 OYSTER FESTIVAL COMMITTEE

Tom Reardon- Chairman Emeritus, 1947 – 2009

Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino- Honorary Oyster Festival Chairman

Beverly Zembko - Rotary Club of Oyster Bay Co-President 

Judy Wasilchuk- Rotary Club of Oyster Bay Co-President

Harlan Friedman- Co-Event Director

Patrick Greenawalt- Co-Event Director

Kerry Gillick-Goldberg- KGG Enterprises, Director of Media Relations

Alissa Marti- Sponsor Relations

Daniella Gelatro- Assistant Event Coordinator

Suzanne Beck- Audrey Ave. Coordinator

Betty Tiska- Oyster Eating and Shucking Contest Coordinator 

Nicole Heid - Bookkeeper

Gayle Friedman- Event Staff

Heather Johnson- Friends of the Bay- Coordinator - The Waterfront Experience 

DID YOU KNOW?

RECORD FOR OYSTER EATING:

The Oyster Festival Record was set in 1998 by David Leonard of Central Islip with 480 oysters chugged in two minutes and five seconds.

RECORD FOR OYSTER SHUCKING:

The Oyster Festival Record is held by Rodney Dow, who beat Andy Schuller in a shuck-off in 1985. The two men had both shucked 57 oysters in the allotted time. Dow shucked another 22 oysters in 2 minutes to win the shuck-off.