ARCATA MAIN STREET’S ANNUAL ARCATA BAY OYSTER FESTIVAL
Arcata Main Street’s 24th Annual Arcata Bay Oyster Festival will be on Saturday, June 14, 2014, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. The Oyster Festival is AMS’s only fundraiser of the year. AMS is a non-profit organization. All of the proceeds from this festival are reinvested back into the community in the form of Six FREE Picnics on the Plaza, Four FREE Concerts on the Plaza, Halloween’s Trick or Treat Around the Plaza, Season of Wonder & Light (Winter Holiday Decorations around the Plaza), Monthly Arts! Arcata events, and more. We thank you for supporting this event and AMS’s mission to enhance and promote Arcata’s identity, economy and cultural spirit.
Over 70% of the fresh oysters consumed in California are grown in 450 acres of Humboldt Bay where the conditions are ideal. Currently there are five companies raising both Pacific and Kumomoto oysters for export and the restaurant trade. On average, it takes 18 months from “seed” oyster to harvest. June is a peak month for oyster harvests in Humboldt County. These little gems of the sea are now farmed in bags tethered to posts in the Arcata Bay and no harmful dredging of the bay is necessary for their capture. The cities of Arcata and Eureka have made significant efforts to maintain the high quality of water in the bay, which is essential for aquaculture. Visit Humboldt Bay Oyster Tours for more information.
Arcata Main Street’s Oyster Festival has become a tradition for local restaurateurs, executive chefs, and caterers to show off their culinary skills by preparing oysters in every imaginable way.
Try them roasted, barbecued, fried or with a secret sauce or just plain raw with a hint of garlic and lime! However your taste buds desire this oceanic delicacy, you are sure to find it on the Arcata Plaza.
Crowds throughout the day top 10,000, keeping local food vendors more than busy. Most festival vendors are chefs from Humboldt County’s most appreciated restaurants. Each year, festival chefs compete to claim the auspicious award of ‘Best Oyster of the Festival.’
This Year’s Event Features:
- Local food vendors, including some of Humboldt’s finest chefs, serving their creations of oysters (for the non-oyster lover, other tasty options are available)
- Sample some of Humboldt’s own specialty microbrews and wines
- Activities for children in a kid-friendly area
- All local music and bands
- The Oyster Calling Contest and The Point’s Shuck & Swallow Contest and Raffle Contest with three amazing prizes