by Tom Chillemi –
When leaves change color and the air is crisp, it’s time for the Urbanna Oyster Festival — Virginia’s official Oyster Festival!
The 64th Urbanna Oyster Festival is set for Friday and Saturday, Nov. 5 and 6, and once again the event promises good times, delicious food, two parades, live music on three stages, historic buyboats, crowning of the Oyster Festival Queen and Little Miss Spat, the Virginia Oyster Shucking Contest and more. This year’s festival marks its return to its full, traditional, in-person format, after using a scaled-back, mostly online format last year in response to COVID-19 concerns.
However, this year, streets of Urbanna will again be lined with food vendors vying for the palates of thousands of visitors. Oysters, prepared with flair, will be everywhere — raw on the half shell, roasted, fried, warmed in stews and sandwiched as fritters. But, save room for dessert. How about a funnel cake, a festival favorite?
In addition, visitors can enjoy crab soup, crab bisque, seafood chowder, clams, crab cakes, shrimp, fish, corn dogs, sausages, hamburgers, hot dogs, turkey legs, roast beef, kettle corn, roasted nuts, ice cream, cotton candy, snow cones, candy apples and many other goodies.
As always, the Kiwanis Club of Middlesex will offer its raw and roasted oysters, the Woman’s Club will dip up its famous crab bisque and the Middlesex Lions Club returns this year with its mouth-watering oyster fritters.
After you’ve eaten your fill, take a rest at one of the three music stages for some continuous live music.
Then stroll down to the Urbanna Town Marina at Upton’s Point to see and tour restored oyster buyboats and the schooner “Lynx,” a replica of an American privateer.
At the waterfront visitors can try the hands-on oystering exhibits, touch tank ecosystem and enjoy the music and displays.
Walking will help work up an appetite. So, mosey back up town to Festival Village, get a snack. If it’s Friday, get a seat for the crowning of the Urbanna Oyster Festival Queen and Little Miss Spat at 1 p.m. inside the Urbanna firehouse. This year, the four Queen contestants and four Little Miss Spat contestants raised more than $19,998 and contributed more than 496 hours of community service.
Stick around on Friday for the Fireman’s Parade at 7 p.m. It’s just the first of two parades. The Fireman’s Dance featuring the top 40 sounds of the Janitors band follows Friday’s parade at 8 p.m.
Again this year, antique and classic vehicles will be on display at the corner of Waverly and Virginia streets, across from the Urbanna firehouse, on Saturday, Nov. 6, starting at 9 a.m.
On Saturday, the Virginia Oyster Shucking Championship is at 11 a.m. behind the firehouse. If you’ve ever tried to open an oyster, you’ll marvel at the speed and dexterity as professional contestants shuck two dozen oysters in less than 3 minutes. You’ll also enjoy watching the amateurs wrestle with opening the tight bivalves.
On Saturday at 2 p.m., the popular Urbanna Oyster Festival Parade with more than 50 entries winds its way through town on a route that bypasses the main part of Virginia Street.
Community Row, featuring local vendors, will be on one side of Virginia Street on the way to the waterfront.
On Saturday only, six shuttles will transport senior and handicapped persons across the bridge to and from parking areas on the Rosegill (east) side of town. The shuttle runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The fee is $2 per person each way with proceeds benefiting the Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department of Urbanna.
A variety of entertainment has been booked for the Urbanna Oyster Festival’s three stages and on the porch of the Old Tobacco Warehouse on both Friday and Saturday. See pages 12-13 for a full entertainment schedule.
The festival runs from 10 a.m.-midnight on Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday.
Official Oyster Festival parking prices on both sides of town will be $20 on Friday and Saturday. A portion of the parking fees offset Oyster Festival expenses and contribute to Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation programs and its promotion of the festival. Since 1991, the foundation has sponsored the festival.
There are a number of smaller parking lots in town that will be available Friday and until 9 a.m. on Saturday.
Vehicles will be restricted from entering or leaving town between 6-8 p.m. on Friday.
Cars parked in town on Saturday will not be able to leave until the roads are re-opened at about 8 p.m.
Handicapped parking is on the west side of town and will be at the corner of Virginia Street and Red Hill Drive. It is operated by the K-9 Alert Search and Rescue Dogs, which benefits from the parking fees. Follow the signs.
Come early, stay late and wear walking shoes, because there’s lots to see, hear and do at the Oyster Festival. It’s all happening only in Urbanna, as it has since 1957.
For information, visit www.urbannaoysterfestival.com.
