I love small town festivals. There is nothing more charming than a community that rallies together around a time-honored local celebration. That is why I was so excited to visit the 66th annual Urbanna Oyster Festival last month.
Each November, thousands of people come together to experience this two-day weekend event that lauds one of Virginia’s favorite bivalves. It’s no wonder that the Urbanna Oyster Festival is one of many oyster-themed activities in the greater Chesapeake Bay region each each fall – these creatures have been a staple of local diets for thousands of years. Their harvest has supported everyone from indigenous populations to early colonists to modern oyster farmers, and they also provide essential functions that keep the bay safe and healthy. Pollution and overfishing sadly led to an all-time low oyster population by the 1970’s, but conservation efforts are paying off, and numbers have been rising steadily for the past several years.
The town of Urbanna is closed to car traffic during the festival, but parking is available in lots on the east and west sides of town. This year, parking in either lot cost $20 per vehicle (admission to the festival itself is free, though food, beverages and some activities cost extra). We parked on the west side, which is about a mile from the festival. Visitors can walk or pay an additional $2 per person to ride the shuttle, which was actually an open-air wagon. In spite of the festival’s many offerings, the wagon ride was probably my daughters’ favorite attraction.
We decided to begin our visit with a walk down to the waterfront, stopping at vendor tents along the way. Note that while most of this road is paved, a small stretch at the bottom of the hill is covered in packed gravel. This part was a little tricky to navigate with our umbrella stroller, but all of the other areas we visited were easily accessible.
The waterfront was home to one of several staging areas that hosted part of the festival’s extensive music lineup.
Visitors were also invited to climb aboard and explore a historic boat docked in Urbanna’s marina. This was another highlight of our visit.
My toddler loved checking out all of the ship’s nooks and crannies.
My older daughter was excited to spot a pair of Watermen’s Way boots near the marina. This art installation is composed of multiple pairs of boots decorated by different artists to honor the watermen and waterwomen of Virginia’s River Realm. We encountered 11 out of 15 pairs during our long weekend in the River Realm region – see my Instagram reel for all of our findings.
Back at the top of the hill, we paused to watch one of the festival’s two parades. Saturday afternoon’s Oyster Festival Parade boasts local high school bands, miniature cars, and quirky floats. That’s the parade we saw, but Friday night’s Fireman’s Parade sounds like a lot of fun, too.
Other attractions of Urbanna’s unique and wholesome festival include a kids’ area, an antique car show, and the famous oyster shucking competition. See this video for more information.
Urbanna hosts additional exciting events throughout the year, including the much-anticipated Polar Express trolley ride. This charming little town is definitely worth a visit in any season.
Have you been to the Urbanna Oyster Festival or a similar event in the Chesapeake Bay watershed? I’d love to read about your experiences in the comments!
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