Come see Black Humboldt on the Arcata Plaza during Oyster-fest 2019!! Come find out more info on our organization, events and what’s in store for the future. Get involved with us, enter our raffles for some awesome prizes and get to know us better!!
Arcata Bay Oyster Festival
ARCATA MAIN STREET
2019 Oyster Festival
Festival - Saturday, June 15th 2019
Arcata Main Street's Arcata Bay Oyster Festival tradition continues for the 29th year on June 15, 2019. We focus on our local bounty, environmental health, and the diversity of our community. It’s a celebration of North Coast culture where chefs, merchants, volunteers, and guests revel in award-winning oysters and other tasty non-oyster delicacies, local beverages, live local music, and art.
When you leave the Arcata Plaza, we know you’ll take a renewed appreciation for our home, our marshes and our bay with you. Oyster Festival is a zero waste event, that means every shell will be composted, every cup (hopefully soon we will all use reusable cups) will be recycled, there will be nothing to take to the dump, because vendors will only be supplying compostables. So when you see our friendly green team, give them a high 5! We ALL are making a difference together!
More than 15,000 people gather for this, the largest one-day event in Humboldt County – the Oyster Capital of California. Let your sense of adventure guide you as you explore historic Downtown Arcata. We've added new features like the environmentally-focused Green Street, a second stage, and all your favorite Oyster Fest features will welcome you back.
Food lovers will be lured by the salty siren song of oysters, and other fare, while quenching their thirsts with local craft beer, hard apple cider, and locally-made wines, many from locally grown grapes. Taps open at 10:30am and close at 4:30, so plan ahead! Local chefs will compete for the Best Raw, Cooked Oyster and Non-Oyster awards, while dancers frolic on the grass to live, local music.
The Art Market is on H St between 9th & 10th, a bustling, lively part of Oyster Fest, with a focus on local makers this year, live performances and interactive art.
Kids will want to visit the expanded FLUPSY (Oyster Nursery) for games and activities, wax hands, balloon creations, giant puppets, concessions, and much more. It’s located on 9th Street between H & I St.
Both the Art Market and the FLUPSY are near the entrance at the busy corner of 9th & H St where tokens can be purchased for beverages.
Don’t miss the quirky, ritual Oyster Calling Contest at noon with Dave Silverbrand , then at 2 p.m. contenders will be slamming down bivalves in the Shuck-and-Swallow Contest.
The Oyster Festival is Arcata Main Street’s only fundraiser of the year. Learn more about our non-profit organization here.
In addition to supporting dozens of nonprofits, school groups and clubs, all of the proceeds from this festival are reinvested back into the community. We thank you for supporting this event and AMS’s mission to enhance and promote Arcata’s identity, economy and cultural spirit.