U.S Oyster Festival

The 56th annual Oyster Festival in St. Mary's County is here! Come celebrate the opening of oyster season on the Chesapeake Bay at this two-day family fun oyster festival. Join us for championship and amateur oyster shucking contests and the U.S. Oyster Cook-off. There will be plenty of food and drinks, live music and a puppet show! Tickets are $15 for one day or $20 for a two-day pass. Attendees 18 and under are admitted free and no ticket is required.

The 2022 Oysterfest is 10 am-6 pm on Saturday, October 15th and 11 am-6 pm on Sunday, October 16th.

Check out the fun-filled schedule of contests, music, and more below!

Saturday, October 15th, gates open at 10 am

Schedule of Events

Auditorium and at the Shucking Stands

10 am-1:30 pm National Oyster Cooking Contest

2 pm Cook-off Winners Annouced

3 pm-3:45 pm Amateur Shucking Contest

4 pm-5 pm Women's Shucking Contest

5 pm-6 pm Men's Shucking Contest

Entertainment at multiple stages around the Fairgrounds

11 am One Trick Pony

11 am & 1 pm Professor Horn & Punch and Judy

1:30 pm Sibling Rivalry Fiddle Band

3 pm O'Grady Quinlan Academy of Irish Dance

4 pm Bootleggers

4 pm Professor Horn & Punch and Judy

Sunday, October 16th, gates open at 11 am

Schedule of Events

Auditorium and at the Shucking Stands

2 pm- 3 pm Amateur Shucking Contest

3 pm-4 pm Women's Shucking Contest

4 pm-5 pm Men's Shucking Contest

5 pm Nautional Championship Shucking Contest

Entertainment at multiple stages around the Fairgrounds

12pm Professor Horn & Punch and Judy

1:30 pm Eastport Oyster Boys

2 pm & 4 pm Professor Horn & Punch and Judy

4 pm Latrice Carr Music Group

Saturday & Sunday All-Day Activities include:

Oyster Tonging

Corn Hole Contest

Inflatable Slide

Scavenger Hunt

Face Painting

Science Demonstrations

Enjoy oysters served up raw, scalded, grilled on the barbie, on bread, on the half shell, stewed, nude, cooked in savory sauces, in salads, even in desserts, just about every way imaginable and then some.

There will be local organizations creating tasty oyster dishes with profits going to charity along with many St. Mary's County oyster restaurants and farmers showing off their best oyster dishes.

To complement all those lovely oysters, there will be ice cream, shaved ice, kettle corn, donuts, nuts, funnel cakes, baked goods, hand-made old-fashioned sodas, and...of course, local beer and wine.

Young or old: don't forget your ID if you plan to drink alcohol; we have a 100% ID check policy for everyone.

Proceeds from the ticket sales for this event support the community-building efforts of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park. The Rotary motto "Service Above Self" sums up our purpose, both in our community and around the world. In 2019, proceeds from The Oyster Festival allowed the Club to initiate a new food bank for the county. The Feed St. Mary's Food Bank is now an independent stand-alone non-profit corporation, thanks to your financial support.

Along with the charitable foundation of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park, your purchases at the festival directly fund the charitable efforts of many St. Mary's County organizations who sell all of the delicious oyster foodstuffs, so please come hungry, wear loose pants, and spend generously!

Find out more info about the U.S. Oyster Festival including contest details and location maps here.

We look forward to seeing you at the festival!