Shuck Yeah! New Bedford, Wareham to Hold Summer Oyster Festivals

Get ready for a shucking good summer of fun for oyster fans on the SouthCoast as we shell-ebrate them with two different oyster festivals, one in Wareham and one in New Bedford

The SouthCoast is known for its commercial fishing, with New Bedford perennially ranked as the No. 1 commercial fishing port in the country. There’s a major focus on scallops and groundfish, but oysters are a big part of our collective catch, too.

All along Buzzards Bay, from Bourne to Westport, and even further north into the Plymouth-Duxbury area, some of the highest-quality oysters can be found. It just makes sense to celebrate them with a pair of oyster events.

Wareham’s Sip & Stroll Oyster Fest 2025

Sip & Stroll Oyster Fest will take place on Saturday, May 24, 2025 at Besse Park in Wareham, right across from Tobey Hospital at the end of Main Street, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

The organizers of Wareham’s annual Oyster Festival decided to put the usual event on hold for 2025 due to uncertainty in the shellfishing industry, so Lorna Brunelle, organizer of the highly successful Sip & Stroll events in Middleboro, is bringing her event format to Wareham this May and incorporating oysters into the event.

There will be over 100 vendors, live music, food, drinks and plenty of fun. You can find out more at the event’s Facebook page.

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New Bedford’s Oysterfest Returning This June

The first-ever Oysterfest in New Bedford sold out last year, and now it is returning to the beach at Cisco Brewers on East Rodney French Boulevard on Saturday, June 7.

It is a partnership between Cisco, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, and Explore New Bedford, the City’s marketing and tourism department.

Oysters will be shucked on the spot by seven local growers: Island Creek Oysters (New Bedford/Duxbury), West Island Oysters (Fairhaven), Padanaram Oyster Farm (Dartmouth), Cuttyhunk Shellfish Farms (Cuttyhunk), Duxbury Oyster Co. (Duxbury), Spindrift Oysters (Westport), and Copper Beach Oyster Farm (Mattapoisett).

“Oysterfest is a perfect addition to New Bedford’s summer calendar,” Mayor Jon Mitchell said. “I’m grateful to Steve Silverstein and the teams at the Fishing Heritage Center and Explore New Bedford for making this new event a big success.”

There will be two sessions on June 7: one from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., and another from 2:30 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.

Tickets are $35 in advance, or $40 starting at noon on June 6, and can be purchased via Eventbrite. That price includes a sampling of seven local oysters, a complimentary craft beverage (either a 12-ounce beer or a canned cocktail) and a souvenir shucking knife. Additional oysters will also be available for $2 each.