Oyster Festival in Shady Side Celebrates Bay Bounty

The Oct. 21 West River Heritage Day Oyster Festival at the Capt. Avery Museum in Shady Side is always a great event. There is terrific food from top local caterers, live music, vendors with all sorts of beautiful things for sale and of course a day of traditional celebration in a gorgeous setting on the Chesapeake Bay. The party starts at 12:30 p.m. and runs until 5 p.m. It is fun for the whole family.

Photo courtesy of Capt. Avery Museum

The Oyster Festival will also be the site of the drawing for the $5,000 raffle. Tickets are for sale ($5) at businesses around Shady Side and at the museum. Purchasers don’t need to be present to win. In years past, the museum raffled off a truck, but then realized people liked winning cash a whole lot more. They limit ticket sales to 2,000 tickets, meaning the museum keeps $5K and the winner keeps $5K.

At the festival, guests will enjoy traditional food from the Chesapeake Bay including fried oysters, grilled oysters, oysters on the half shell and more. For those who don’t “dig” oysters, there are hot dogs (fresh from the supermarket, don’t eat hot dogs you catch in the Bay), plus beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks. Caterers include:

• Chesapeake GRILLE and Deli
• Flavorful Impressions
• Umai Sushi

Music will be provided by the following:

• Tim and Savannah Finch with the Eastman String Band
• Janie Meneely and Paul Di Blasi with Calico Jack
• Shady Side Sour Notes
• Coastal Flats

Throughout the festival, Mrs. Avery’s Tea tours will bring visitors to the kitchen of the museum, where samples of the cakes and cookies typical of the 1870’s will be served. No worries if the samplings don’t fill you up because homemade desserts will be for sale on the porch where guests  are invited to “sit a spell” and enjoy the view of the West River and festivities on the ground.

Games and crafts will take place in the children’s activities corner including face painting and harvest crafts.

Choose It and Use It

Once again, the museum will feature, “Choose It and Use It” ticket purchases at the Oyster Festival. This is where you select an item, pay for it and then use the item throughout the year, or at a designated date.

For example, one of the items is one dessert a month for six months, November through April. For $75, you get a dessert once a month from a local baker, you pick it up. Or buy a “take me to the airport” for $70. Pay for it now and

Phoo courtesy Capt. Avery Museum

use it for up to four people. All you do is give two weeks’ notice and you’ll get to the airport, no parking, no hassles. There are currently 30 items on the list including babysitting, sailboat ride, wine tastings, cooking lessons and more. Check out the ‘Choose It and Use It’ list online.

BayVue Consulting,Inc., and Greenstreet Gardens are members of the Captain’s Circle, corporate sponsors of the Captain Avery Museum.

Admission: $6 Children 12 and under are free. Park at the ball fields and take advantage of the free shuttle service. Handicapped parking is available at the Museum.

For more information ,call the Museum at 410-867-4486, or visit the web site, www.captainaverymuseum.org.