Published October 04, 2009
Good grub perseveres as pearl of OysterFest
MATT BATCHELDOR; The OlympianSHELTON - OysterFest is not a themed festival that happens to have food. The food is the theme, and the food is oysters. They’re raw and they’re barbecued, in fritters and in stew. And they’re everywhere. Most of the proceeds from the 28th annual event, which is put on by the Shelton Skookum Rotary, go to charity. The booths are nonprofit and feature a variety of down-home recipes – many involving the namesake mollusks – as well as a wide variety of other seafood. Darryl Cleveland, Skookum Rotary’s head organizer for the festival this year, said the event draws 11,000 to 12,000 people in a good year. And it was looking like a good year Saturday. The morning was chilly, but sunbreaks abounded. Denyse Bowmer of Grapeview likes it so much she’s camping for three days nearby. “We like to come here and yell and scream” during the oyster-shucking competition, she said. There, anyone who ponies up the $10 entry fee can try to pry open an oyster shell and spill the gooey oyster innards. And do it with 24 oysters in the fastest time, with dozens, if not hundreds, of spectators screaming at them. “Just remember,” event emcee Mike Barnard said, there’s very few “who could do this at all.” The record: 1 minute, 16 seconds, said Barnard. Corporate sponsors pay $50 to back a shucker. Taylor Shellfish Farms donated 550 dozen oysters. After several heats, the six people with the fastest time vied for the championship in the speed-schucking competition. Today features a different contest: the half-shell competition. In it, contestants will be judged not just on speed but also presentation, Barnard said. The oysters, once shucked, will have to be returned to a half shell, just as they should appear as a dish in a restaurant. “It’s slower, but it’s fancier,” Barnard said. Bowmer said people come to the event rain or shine. Last year, rain was pouring down and people wearing garbage bags to stay dry came to see the shucking, she said. Bowmer also comes for the food, of course. “Once you do it, you come back,” she said. Matt Batcheldor: 360-704-6869 mbatcheldor@theolympian.com OysterFest When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. today Where: Mason County Fairgrounds, 751 W. Fairgrounds Road, Shelton Admission: $5 Information: www.oysterfest.org