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The Harmony Home Concierge 35th Anniversary Oyster Festival is a project of the Rotary Club of Oyster Bay—part of Rotary International—a volunteer organization whose members embrace the motto of “service above self.” Rotary Club volunteers produce the Oyster Festival and operate multiple food stations—including the renowned Frank M. Flower & Sons, Inc. sponsored raw oyster booth—to raise money to directly support local community organizations and Rotary projects, through the Oyster Bay Charitable Fund, Inc.
The Oyster Festival also provides local nonprofit clubs and organizations a platform to raise their own monies through participation in the New York Community Bank Thomas Reardon Memorial Food Court. New York Community Bank’s sponsorship helps subsidize the cost so that the charities are able to keep all of their food booth profits.
In addition to showcasing the historic hamlet of Oyster Bay and the beauty of the waterfront, the Oyster Festival generates great local economic impact. The festival will be on Saturday, Oct. 13, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 14, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Theodore Roosevelt Park, Oyster Bay.
Our Storied Past
More than 150 years ago, Theodore Roosevelt—the 26th President of the United States—was born to a wealthy family that summered in Oyster Bay not far from the waterfront property that today bears his name. Community leaders organized a parade to celebrate his 125th birthday, the roots of which became the Oyster Festival in 1983. Today the festival attracts more than 200,000 visitors annually; its success is attributed to the year-round dedication of members of the Rotary Club of Oyster Bay and its Long Island business community sponsors.
New This Year
Oyster Festival 2018 will feature a VIP Experience for the first time. Interested patrons will have the opportunity to pre-purchase a ticket via the festival’s website (www.oysterfestival.org) to gain entry to a spectacular waterfront space co-produced by Live Nation, the global leader for live entertainment. Within this world guests can escape the masses and relax on lounge furniture, play lawn games, enjoy complimentary soft drinks, taste the stars of the show, freshly shucked oysters, courtesy of Frank M. Flowers and Sons and experience several sponsor activations. Guests will also receive a complimentary gift, have access to an executive restroom, the use of a festival concierge to help guide them through the fest, as well as the option for VIP parking with shuttle service. Tickets start at $99.
Beer And Wines Of The Region
Guests of the festival have spoken and organizers have listened. The 35th Anniversary Oyster Festival will feature a beer and wine tasting tent where we will bring the flavors of the region together to benefit the more than 30 charities that the festival supports in the hamlet of Oyster Bay. Here, guests will be able to purchase a ticket to enjoy samples of locally brewed beers and harvested wines from the tristate area. Within this tent patrons will also receive an education on each brand and the story behind them. Tickets are $45
and $75.
