The best oyster festivals in the world canceled due to pandemic
Every love story has a villain and it is a fact that we know from the past. Did we ever think that a villain will disrupt our love story with the oysters? The love story between the oysters and humans has been continued for centuries. Oyster festivals are the grandest celebrations of this long-lasting but yet wonderful relationship. Did we ever think that a villain will appear to disrupt the ancient oyster-human relationship?
With the spread of the Covid-19 virus in 2020, many countries restricted social events and public events. Therefore, almost no oyster festival or other food festival was held in 2020 in any country prioritizing the safety of the citizens over food and fun. Some oyster festivals returned to the stage bigger and fancier in 2021 but most of the events are still postponed indefinitely. The pandemic knows no joy so precautions are far more important although it is hard to be accepted by our oyster embraced hearts.
You might be someone who was used to visit an oyster festival every year or traveled around to visit different oyster festivals around the country or world and tick off your bucket list. Here is a list of major oyster festivals canceled with the impact of the pandemic. Scroll down to check whether your favorite oyster festival is also on the list.
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1. Oyster Bay Oyster Festival
Oyster Bay Oyster Festival is the largest oyster festival on the East Coast. It attracts more than 150,000 participants each year. This festival is famous as a destination for all family entertainment with pirate shows, midway rides, oyster eating, and oyster shucking contests. Festival-goers were gathering to watch the cooking demonstrations of skilled chefs and other culinary professionals. All this fun and entertainment was planned to be held on the 16th and 17th of October 2021. But with the reported cases of corona delta variant, the event was sadly postponed.
Website: https://www.theoysterfestival.org/
2. Matsushima Oyster Festival
This oyster was started about 40 years ago and was held on the first Sunday of February each year. It is the peak of the oyster season Matsushima has loads of oysters to serve the attendees of the event. Most oyster lovers prefer their oysters raw and fresh. But in Matsushima, it is their tradition to eat grilled oysters. The Matsushima oysters are also comparatively large so few oysters can fill up your tummy. Like most of the oyster festivals in Japan, this event was also called off for 2021 due to the pandemic.
Website: https://www.tohokukanko.jp/en/attractions/detail_10037.html
3. Austin Oyster Festival
Austin Oyster Festival is a paradise of Gulf and East Coast oysters. Fans of these types of oysters visit this oyster festival annually as it has Gulf and East Coast oysters served in all the possible ways. Half shell, roasted, grilled, and many more oysters were abundant at the Austin Oyster Festival in the past years. With the reporting of Covid-19 cases, this event is canceled for the year 2021.
Website: www.austinoysterfestival.com
4. Stranraer Oyster Festival
Stranraer Oyster Festival annually celebrates the Loch Ryan’s harvest of native Scottish oysters. The festival remarks the beginning of the oyster season which falls on the 1st of September every year. Scottish Native Oysters are sought around the world by chefs but until recently Loch Ryan was a delicious secret of Scotland. Even now, these natural oyster beds are managed carefully to ensure the sustainability of the ecosystem. This festival which offered the opportunity for many people to savor Scottish Native Oysters is canceled in 2021 due to the safety concerns with increasing Corona cases.
Website: https://www.stranraerdevelopmenttrust.co.uk/
5. Lowcountry Oyster Festival
Lowcountry Oyster Festival is the largest oyster festival in the world. More than 80,000 oysters were brought into this festival to shuck and eat. Many people attended this festival to grab a good imported beer or a wine and enjoy the live music on the main stage. There was a separate kid area so the parents could relax while the kids had fun. Unfortunately, Covid-19 is surging in the area so the organizing committee has decided to cancel the Lowcountry Oyster Festival of 2021.
Website: https://www.charlestoncvb.com/events/
