By 10 a.m., the 10 judges whom organizer Jessica Silva (a Journal contributor) had asked to arrive by 9:30 a.m. were finally assembled around the long table on the stage at the rear of the Wild Hare Tavern. Entries for the Arcata Bay Oyster Festival’s annual Best Oyster competition were trickling in on paper plates […]
Arcata Bay Oyster Festival
Posted inArts + Scene
All is Chaos but Oyster Fest is On
Mark your festival calendar for June 14, as the official announcement for the Arcata Bay Oyster Festival is out. As is tradition, the Saturday before Father’s Day will see crowds, vendors and live music all over the Arcata Plaza from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. like hot sauce on a grilled Pacific. The strong of […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Banning Plastics and Bioplastics at Oyster Fest
If each of the more than 12,000 people in attendance at Arcata Bay Oyster Festival restrained themselves to only two orders of grilled Pacifics served with disposable forks, 24,000 sets of plastic prongs would likely make their way to landfill. Events of such a scale not only create a lively community, but also literal tons […]
Posted inEat + Drink
A Second Amateur Win at Oyster Fest
It was like old times on the plaza during the June 10 Arcata Bay Oyster Festival: friends hugging and balancing topped up beers, lines for the food vendors lining the sidewalks and bands playing the main stage for an audience of dancers and picnickers in the grass. The official head count isn’t in yet but, […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Photos: Oyster Fest’s Return to the Plaza
The crowds, vendors and bands were back in their old stomping grounds for the Arcata Bay Oyster Festival. The official count of attendees hasn’t been released yet but by noon, the masses lining up for oysters and other festival eats resembled pre-pandemic crowds. Photographer Mark Larson was on the scene for the oyster calling and […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Oyster Fest Hopes to Pack the Plaza Again
The last time revelers swarmed the Arcata Plaza for Oyster Fest was 2019, the pre-pandemic Before Times, when long lines, sunburn and a hangover were the looming fears. Following two years of virtual events and a ticketed in-person event in the Creamery District last June, the annual bivalve bacchanalia is set to take over the […]
Posted inNews
NCJ Preview: CPH’s Fire Fight, Police Shooting, Spiked Drinks and Oyster Fest Beer
This week’s cover story dives into the tug of war over wildfire training degrees and whether Cal Poly Humboldt has the right to call dibs on them. We’re updating on the police shooting in Eureka stemming from an alleged armed robbery and assault, and a high-speed chase, as well. We’ve got what you need to […]
Posted inNews
NCJ Preview: Post-Roe, Pride and Oyster Fest Fallout
After last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, we’re talking about what it means for California and how we can fight for reproductive rights for everyone. Linda Stansberry joins us to talk about Ferndale Pride and the folks who are making the Victorian Village more welcoming to all. We’ve got a post-oyster […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Oyster Fest’s Rocky Return
An hour into the Arcata Bay Oyster Festival, the lines for oysters at the Obento stall stretched across the battered grass and under the red and blue striped tent where local food businesses were tabling. The shade was a relief on a sunny day that promised traditional Oyster Fest sunburns, but those in the queue […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Photos: Oyster Fest 2022
It wasn’t quite hot enough to cook an oyster, but the sun shone bright over the rebooted and relocated Arcata Bay Oyster Festival in the Creamery District on Saturday, June 25. The all-day event with vendors, food stalls and live music performances followed a kick-off event the night before and required a $15 ticket for […]
Posted inNews
NCJ Preview: Summer Camps, Vaccine Supplies and Oyster Fest
The Journal‘s annual Summer of Fun issue is out now, with plenty of COVID-19 adapted fun to occupy the kids. On the news side, we’ve got the tale the rush to get vaccines to Humboldt in the wake of a missed shipment and how we ended up with a glut of vaccines in time for […]
Posted inNews
NCJ Preview: Fish off the Boats and Oysters Online
This week, the conversation is heavy on seafood. As COVID-19 closed restaurants, Humboldt fishermen started selling fish to the public at the docks, rather than sending it out of the area. Now the lines are long and the boat and business captains are looking at keeping it going. And how did virtual Oyster Fest go? […]