On the road: Watch the shuckers, dine on seafood at OysterFest

OysterFest 2016

What: The 35^th annual event combines the West Coast Oyster Shucking Championship and the Washington State Seafood Festival. Visitors will also have a chance to taste wines and microbrews created in the state. The event, hosted by the Shelton Skookum Rotary Club Foundation, attracts about 25,000 people a year.

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 1 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 2.

Where: Port of Shelton.

Competitions: Entrants in the shucking contest, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. each day, will go through more than 500 dozens oysters as they compete to be named the fastest shucker and best half-shell shucker. The Seafood Cookoff will include entries in three categories: main dish, soups and stews, and appetizers. The action will take place both days of the festival.

Dining options: In addition to the cook-off, the festival features a giant food pavilion with nearly 100 unique items on the menu including barbecued oysters, fritters, spring rolls, garlic shrimp, fresh cider and more.

Providing beverages: Among the breweries scheduled to be on hand are Deschutes Brewery, Mack & Jack Brewery, Narrows Brewery, Shock Top and Ten Barrel Brewery. The wineries expected to be there include Ginkgo Forest Winery, Marchetti Wines, Mosquito Fleet Winery and Northwest Mountain Winery.

Admission: $5.

Information: http://www.oysterfest.org.

This story was originally published September 15, 2016 at 3:52 AM with the headline "On the road: Watch the shuckers, dine on seafood at OysterFest."