Destination RI: The Newport Oyster Festival
Hey Everyone,
Courtney here from courtneydrew.com! Do you need something fun to do today? Well, I went to the Newport Oyster Festival yesterday and it was a blast! It was the perfect day. You get 4 tickets for oysters and 1 drink ticket. There are about 15 different booths of oyster growers. I tried ones from 401 Oyster, Jonathan Island Oyster Company, Aquidneck Oysters and Venus Oysters. They were all so good, and some of them were HUGE! You can purchase more tickets for oysters for $2/an oyster.
I talked with the owner of Jonathan Island Oyster Company and he was so nice, chatting about the way he grows his oysters. His are grown on the surface, which is different from the way most of the other oyster growers do it. My favorites were the ones that are grown on the surface, which I wouldn't have known about if it weren't for that conversation, pretty cool! Jonathan Island Oyster Company and Venus Oysters are both the kind that are grown on the surface, so if you are going, try them out, and let Patty J and I know what you think!
A Few Tips About The Festival
1. Get there on the early side because there is a line to go in, but it moves quickly.
2. The drink line is long, so I suggest getting a few oysters to enjoy while waiting in line. It will make the wait more bearable.
3. Go around to the booths of oyster growers and get all of the oysters at once, then go to the station where the lemons and sauces are, so that you make the most of your time.
4. Label the sections on your tray (that you get when you walk in) with the different names of oyster growers, so that you remember which oysters were from which farms.
5. Once you decide which ones are your favorite, go back and get more :)
They have live music all day, which is always fun to listen to while sipping your favorite cocktail. I was drinking a mimosa and my boyfriend had the bloody mary. Both were excellent choices!