5 Events to Enjoy at The International Oyster Festival This Weekend
A citywide experience showcasing the local hospitality scene and dishing up lots of fresh seafood, there’s a number of fabulous culinary events running for locals and visitors alike to enjoy.
Here’s five oyster-centric events to look forward to.
Oyster Trail
On Friday afternoon, the Oyster Trail begins, and this year has more surprises in store than the festivals of before! There’ll be live music, pop-up oyster bars, live oyster opening demonstrations and lots of general merriment. Participating venues on the trail will be serving up oysters or hosting individual events, so you can pick and choose what sounds most inviting to you.
There’s Oysters & Bubbles at Sheridan’s Cheesemongers, a tasteful Trio of Oysters at Daróg Wine Bar, a High Tide Tea at the Brasserie, live oyster shucking at Taaffes, and a pop-up oyster bar at Freeneys, to name a few. See the full list of venues and events here.
Of course, if the thought of planning all of these delightful oyster experiences feels overwhelming, you can also book a guided foodie tour with Galway Food Tours, who’ll do the hard work for you. Find out more here.
Irish Oyster Opening Championships
At 8pm on Friday evening in An Púcan, the Irish Oyster Opening Championships will kick off.
There’ll be an oyster bar, seafood specials, live music ‘til late and of course the championships themselves, which sees the best oyster openers in the country battling it out for the Irish title – and the chance to compete against the best in the world the following day!
Entry is totally free, no tickets required.
World Oyster Opening Championships
On Saturday afternoon, you can join the Parade of Flags starting at 1.30pm in Eyre Square. Together, everyone will walk toward the Latin Quarter to a specially erected stage on Cross Street for the World Oyster Opening Championships.
There’ll be competitors from 16 nations, from Canada to Australia, all putting on an incredible display of oyster-opening finesse, alongside live music, entertainment, and seafood market stalls.
An after party is taking place at Seven Bar, where you can celebrate with the winners in style from 10pm – no booking required.
Guided Shore Walk
A relaxed shore walk will take place Sunday morning at 11am, along the rockpools at Grattan Beach in Salthill.
Led by Galway Atlantaquaria, participants will search for oysters and shells while learning about the native species and taking in the beauty of Galway Bay.
Tickets are free but booking is required. Find out more here.
Markets & Talk Series
Sunday afternoon will see a glorious market at the docks, with pop-up oyster bars, street food stalls and a variety of talks and experiences.
There’ll be a speakers corner with local experts on sustainability, restoration and marine science, an Aquaculture Remote Classroom (ARC) featuring immersive VR underwater ocean tours, talks from local scientists, and interactive workshops. All are welcome, and the event is entirely free.
The Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival runs from Friday 25th until Sunday 27th. Find out more at galwayoysterfestival.com
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