HUNGRY FOR THE WORLD'S BEST OYSTERS?
oysterfest will be back in HALIFAX November 2023
oysterfest WILL BE BACK IN HALIFAX November 2023
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS ABOUT THE 2022 FESTIVAL—NEW INFO WILL BE COMING FOR 2023
The Halifax Oyster Festival is Canada’s largest oyster festival. Back for 2022 after a couple pandemic years off, it was originally scheduled for September, then Hurricane Fiona hit and the festival was postponed. But now it is back on—in the Seaport's weather-proof Pavilion 22 venue!—for November 25 & 26, 2022. Taking place on the beautiful Halifax waterfront, it’s a unique gathering of oyster producers and heaven on earth for people who love eating oysters. Whether you’re an oyster fanatic or are just bi-valve curious, you’ll taste a wide variety of oysters and get a rich immersion in oyster culture where local sea farmers and their families shuck for you. Think of it like a beer fest, but for oysters. Cruise around to the different oyster farm booths, meet farmers and their families and taste their products. Shucking demos and contests will be on the main stage, plus live music & DJs for dancing with Pearl.
As featured in
festival partners
Want to partner with us? Contact us for bespoke partnership opportunities
ACCOMMODATIONS
Halifax Oyster Festival and The Sutton Place Hotel are teaming up to provide festival rates for out-of-town guests. Stay in the heart of downtown Halifax. Room discount rates are available for 2022 Oyster Festival ticket holders from $219-$249 plus taxes and fees.
*Proof of purchased Halifax Oyster Festival tickets must be shown upon check in for rate.
frequently asked questions
Have questions? We are here to help
STAY CONNECTED
Subscribe to receive updates on Oysterfest and other events organized by The Coast.
#hfxoysterfest
Share your pics on social media using #hfxoysterfest
ViewThe team at @unboundmedia.co captured the good times at #HalifaxOysterfest2022 with this amazing video- and now it has us all excited for 2023’s fest!
The 2022 #HFXOysterfest was presented with @nsspiritco
And it wouldn’t be possible without our oyster farmers:
@raspberrypointoysters
@deonoysters
@cabotoysters
@sweet.oysterco
@eastcapeoyster
@cascumpecbayoysters
@shandaph
@afishionadomonger
@billandstanleyoysterco
@fortuneoysters
& Leslie Hardy and Sons
Special thanks:
@murphyhospitalitygroup
@atlanticlottery
@allevcanada
@touchofgoldhalifax
@suttonplacehotels
@discoverhalifax
@stellaartoisca
@downtownhalifax
@augmented.hfxOpenJan 5
View🦪🚨 Holiday Oyster Giveaway Alert 🚨🦪
We’ve partnered up with @afishionadofishmongers for a Holiday giveaway!
If you win, you’ll receive a $115 value:
24 Eel Lake oysters
24 Shandaph oysters
A limited edition Pearl tea towel
LaMer oyster shucker
How to enter:
🦪 follow @afishionadomonger and @thecoasthalifax and/or @hfxoysterfest
🦪 like and share this post
🦪 tag a friend in the comments
Entries must be in by midnight Tuesday December 13th and a winner will be drawn Wednesday morning! Happy shucking!
And make sure to check out @afishionadomonger’s website and get your Oysterfest oyster boxes ordered before the holidays!
IMPORTANT INFO: running an Instagram giveaway means that there will definitely be a scam account created. We will send the winner a message via DM and will never ask you for personal info or to follow any links to claim your prize. Please do not click their links and please report those accounts. Thank you and good luck!OpenDec 9
ViewAt this year’s #HFXOysterFest 3 lucky attendees found pearls in their oysters! The winner (the person who found the largest pearl, which was 6mm! Quarter for scale) is receiving a pair of Mikimoto pearl earrings courtesy of @touchofgoldhalifax !
So what makes a pearl? The process begins when a particle, or what is referred to as an irritant, gets inside the mollusk (in this case, oysters!)—this particle, in essence, functions as the nucleus of the pearl from a very early stage. Once the irritant becomes trapped, the mollusk begins to coat it with nacre as a defense mechanism. Nacre is a composite made mostly of aragonite that is strong and iridescent. The unique luster (or glow) of pearls comes from this nacre. The mollusk coats the nucleus with thousands upon thousands of layers of nacre, and over time, a pearl begins to form slowly. How long it takes for a pearl to form is dependent on the growth rate of the nacre.
Congrats again to all of you lucky pearl finders and thank you again to everyone who made this event a huge success! 🦪OpenNov 30
View🦪🦪 THANK YOU 🦪🦪
To all our sea farmers, shuckers, volunteers, staff, organizers, competitors, judges, sponsors and of course all you attendees of this years #hfxoysterfest!
After a two year hiatus and last minute cancellation thanks to hurricane Fiona, we are thrilled that we could all finally meet again (this time, inside!) to enjoy some of the finest oysters our oceans can offer. It was great to see some new and familiar faces and were already planning for 2023.
Presented with @nsspiritco
Special thanks to:
@murphyhospitalitygroup
@atlanticlottery
@allevcanada
@touchofgoldhalifax
@suttonplacehotels
@discoverhalifax
@stellaartoisca
@downtownhalifax
@augmented.hfx
And of course none of this would happen without our oyster farmers:
@raspberrypointoysters
@deonoysters
@cabotoysters
@sweet.oysterco
@eastcapeoyster
@cascumpecbayoysters
@shandaph
@afishionadomonger
@billandstanleyoysterco
@fortuneoysters
& Leslie Hardy and Sons
📸🎥 And a huge shoutout to the amazing folks @unboundmedia.co for capturing all the funOpenNov 28
ViewIntroducing the judges of our Nova Scotia Shucking Competitions! Watch professional and amateur shuckers compete on the mainstage Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening for the chance to become Nova Scotia's Oyster Shucking Champion, win cash and take home the John Bil Memorial Trophy.
👉🏽From left to right
Chef Charlotte Langley (@chefcharlottelangley) - Responsible Seafood Expert, celebrity chef, CCO and Co-Founder of Scout Canning. Hailing from PEI, Charlotte embodies what her peers often call “Maritime Chic” – a love for honest food shared with warmth, charm and that famed East Coast hospitality.
Chef Joe Martin (@notroutaboutit_) - Head chef at Stillwell and Stillwell beer garden here in Halifax. Joe has been shucking for 10 years professionally and competitively. He has worked in well known kitchens such as Joe Beef and Nora Gray in Montreal. "
Jason Woodside (@Banjo_oyster_knives) - A past Canadian Oyster Shucking Champion, Jason now educates the public and trains food service professionals about where oysters come from and how to shuck and serve them with flair and confidence
🔗Get your #hfxoysterfest tickets at the link in our bioOpenNov 24
ViewWant to win your own Pearl(s)?! @touchofgoldhalifax is giving one lucky attendee a chance to a win a pair of pearl earrings!
HOW TO ENTER
Thousands of oysters are shucked at this festival and just sometimes a pearl pops out. If you discover a pearl in your oyster (think small), bring it up to the stage where each pearl will be measured with the largest winning the prize. In case of a tie, there will be a random draw between the largest pearls. The contest is open across all three sessions so with each pearl entered, we will take names and contact information in case you scored the big one and will contact you if you are not on sight. You will be able to take your pearl home as a festival keepsake.
Get your #HFXOysterFest tickets at the link in our bioOpenNov 23
ViewAnd what’s there to drink at #HFXOysterfest? @nsspiritco is making sure were fully stocked! Blue Lobster Sodas, NS Spirit Co Caesars, @paintedboatbeer , @drinkcatalina @saintewines will all make an appearance at our bar!
This year we are moving away from paper tickets and will be using scannable food & drink cards that can be loaded with dollars at one of the several kiosks at the festival. You will be given a $0 card when you arrive at Pavilion 22, and you'll be able to load the card at kiosks around the festival space using credit, debit and cash. Food & drink cards loaded with money can be used to scan at festival bars and food stations.
While we try to mitigate lineups (sometimes everyone wants chowder all at once) we recommend pre-purchasing festival cards ahead of time. Pre-purchased food & drink cards will be given to you when entering the festival.
Lost or stolen festival cards cannot be replaced. There is no personal information attached to this card—it is just like a gift card you purchase at any story or restaurant.
Swipe through for drink menu prices 👉🏽
Visit oysterfest.ca for details on the food and drink passes this year!OpenNov 22
ViewHit #hfxoysterfest running by pre ordering food & drink cards! Food & Drink cards can purchase any beverages and delicious food by @MurphyHospitalityGroup! Food items are also available for purchase on site but getting your food and drink pass now will help you avoid the lines! Link in the bio 🔗
MENU ITEMS
🐟 Seafood Chowder
🦞Lobster Roll Sliders
🥨 Warm Soft Pretzel
🌭 Sausage
🦪Broiled Oyster
👉🏽 Swipe through for our prices!OpenNov 22
ViewThe Coast’s 6th annual Halifax Oyster Festival is THIS WEEKEND!
Join us this Friday & Saturday November 25 & 26th at the Halifax Seaport’s weatherproof Pavilion 22, where you can taste the ocean with 13 different oysters from producers in the Maritimes, including oysters from the D’Eon family (@deonoysters). Nolan D’Eon and his son Colton farm 50 acres of water leases near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The farm’s Salt Bay Oysters are harvested with a completely off-grid, solar-powered processing barge. Meet Nolan and Colton and other Nova Scotia seafarmers at one of the festival’s 3 tasting sessions, Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening.
🔗Tickets are on sale now at the link in the bio
📸 @kinnongabriellephoto
#hfxoysterfest is presented with @nsspiritco
@thecoasthalifax #oysterfarming #nsfisheries #oysterOpenNov 22
View@cleanfoundation is excited to collect all the empty shells from this year’s #HfxOysterFest to help future festivals!
Their Clean Coasts team, experts in coastal restoration, will use the cleaned and cured shells to restore oyster reefs--a restoration technique that supports habitat creation, improves water
quality and protects local shorelines.
Oyster shells provide the perfect surface for oyster spawn to grow, making them the ideal resource for this restoration practice. Learn more about our restoration work at the link in our bio!
#hfxoysterfestOpenNov 21
ViewWearing your best Nova Scotian chic to #HFXOysterFest? You'll want to capture all the fun at the @atlanticlottery 360 Photo booth!
We can’t wait to see all you oyster lovers this weekend! 🦪
📆 Nov 25 & 26
📍 Pavilion 22 at the Halifax Seaport
🔗Get your oysterfest tickets at the link in our bioOpenNov 21
ViewTravelling into #Halifax for #HFXOysterfest? Our hotel partner @suttonplacehotels is providing festival rates for out-of-town guests! Stay in the heart of downtown Halifax. Room discount rates are available for 2022 Oyster Festival ticket holders from $219-$249 plus taxes and fees.
*Proof of purchased Halifax Oyster Festival tickets must be shown upon check in for rate.OpenNov 20
ViewCan't wait to get to Halifax Oyster Fest? VIPearl ticket holders get in 45 minutes early! This gives you time to walk around in a smaller group to meet with each farmer one on one!
Then check out the private VIP area where farmers will be visting all sessions long! Pearl selfies guaranteed 🦪📸
🔗 Check out the link in our bio and get your VIP tickets today! We can’t wait to see you there! 🦪🍻OpenNov 20
View🦪ONE MORE WEEK🦪
We’re one week away from #HFXOysterfest and we’re so excited to shuck and slurp some of the finest oysters our oceans can offer with you!
Presented with @NSSpiritCo, this festival is packed to the gills (oyster gills, did you know oysters have gills?!) with oysters, drinks, other eats, music and loads of fun. Join us at Pavilion 22 at the Halifax Seaport Nov 25 and 26
Get your tickets today! Link in our bio 🔗OpenNov 19
ViewVolunteer with us at #HFXoysterfest! We’re still looking for folks to help out on the Saturday night- so sign up today! All volunteers are comped with free tickets to the festival so oysters galore!
📆 Nov 25 & 26
📍 Pavilion 22, 1031 Marginal Rd Halifax
Register to volunteer at the link in our bio 🔗OpenNov 18
View🦪SHUCKERS WANTED 🦪
Shuck your stuff at #HFXOysterFest for our shucking competition! Open to shuckers of any level!
Amateur shuckers will compete in the afternoon session 12-3PM and pros will compete in the evening session 7-10PM on Saturday, Nov 26.
Register at the link in our bio 🔗OpenNov 17
ViewIf you’re planning to attend the Saturday afternoon sessions of #HFXOysterFest you’ll be treated to the sweet tunes of singer-songwriter Geoff Kennedy (@geoffkmusic) while you enjoy your oysters 🦪
"Geoff is one of Halifax's best live acts, offering a perfect mix of songs & stage presence. With a strong voice and carefully curated songbook, he is a fresh take on the singer/songwriter. With a unique approach and deep dedication to the song, Geoff does a bit of a different show by recreating himself into a one-man-band, so you'll be forgiven when you catch yourself dancing & singing along while simultaneously looking for the rest of the band members on the stage.”
Want to see Geoff live at #HFXOysterFest? Get your tickets TODAY at the link in our bio🔗OpenNov 17
View#HFXOysterFest presented with @NSSpiritCo kicks off November 25th, and WE WANT TO SEE YOU THERE!
🦪
@NSSpiritCo and all the oyster fans will be having a shucking good time and they want to give you the chance to be there too! You could win: 6 VIP passes to Halifax Oyster Fest, Exclusive Access to Blue Lobster Lounge, 6 Blue Lobster & Oysterfest Merch Packs, $120 Food & Drink card or use on site, Blue Lobster Beverage Pack.
🦪
TO ENTER:
Follow @HFXOysterfest & @NSSpiritCo
🦪
Tag 5 friends you want to come with
Like & Share to your story for extra entries!
🦪
*Must be 19+. Winner will be chosen and contacted directly from this account on Tuesday November 22nd. ✨GOOD LUCK!✨OpenNov 16
