Milford Oyster Festival
Encyclopedia
Milford Oyster Festival, sometimes shortened as "Oysterfest," is an annual cultural festival
held on the third Saturday of August throughout the city of Milford, Connecticut
. As a major tourist attraction
—billed as the largest one-day festival in the New England
region and listed among the top 10 annual events in Connecticut
—the Oyster Festival draws over 50,000 attendees each year. It is planned by the non-profit organization
Annual Milford Oyster Festival, inc. (AMOF), which is run largely by volunteers
.
The festival hosts a wide variety of activities for all ages, including arts, crafts, music, sports, amusement rides, food and oyster
shucking.
Since then the oyster festival has become firmly established as an annual Milford tradition, held "rain or shine." In the past, the oysterfest was held over two days, but that proved to be too much a burden on the organizers.
While initially established as an oyster festival
, the presence of actual oysters at the Milford Oyster Festival gradually faded after some time and were absent for many years outside of the festival's name. In 2005, oysters returned to the festival, provided by the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association. They have been there ever since.
Starting in 2009, the city of Milford began requiring that the non-profit AMOF reimburse the city, which spends $30,000-50,000 to host the festival each year. As a result of this decision, AMOF could no longer allow other local non-profits to sell beer
at the event—a major source of income for many of the non-profits. This led Alderman Ben Blake to express concern that the festival may "lose its local flavor" as "nonprofit groups [are driven] out of the Oyster Festival food court."
.
, TD Bank, Whole Foods Market
, among others.
Money raised by AMOF during the festival has been donated for charitable purposes. In 2010, the major fundraiser of the festival was for Gulf coast fishing
communities, whose oyster industries were struggling after being shut down by the BP
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
.
. Around 1,500 people came to downtown Milford for Oyster Eve in 2010.
In 2010, the Daniel Street nightclub
began hosting what they dubbed the "1st Annual Oyster Festival After Party" on the evening after the main events close.
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
held on the third Saturday of August throughout the city of Milford, Connecticut
Milford, Connecticut
Milford is a coastal city in southwestern New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located between Bridgeport and New Haven. The population was 52,759 at the 2010 census...
. As a major tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
—billed as the largest one-day festival in the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
region and listed among the top 10 annual events in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
—the Oyster Festival draws over 50,000 attendees each year. It is planned by the non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
Annual Milford Oyster Festival, inc. (AMOF), which is run largely by volunteers
Volunteering
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
.
The festival hosts a wide variety of activities for all ages, including arts, crafts, music, sports, amusement rides, food and oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
shucking.
History
The first Milford Oyster Festival was held on the Milford Green and Fowler Field on August 23, 1975. Major founders of the oysterfest include Diano Nytko, first chairperson of the Milford Chamber of Commerce, and Robert N. Cooke, for whom the Bob Cooke Skin Cancer Foundation was named.Since then the oyster festival has become firmly established as an annual Milford tradition, held "rain or shine." In the past, the oysterfest was held over two days, but that proved to be too much a burden on the organizers.
While initially established as an oyster festival
Oyster festival
An oyster festival is a food festival centered around the oyster. There are a number of oyster festivals worldwide, including the following:-Australia:* The Brisbane Water Oyster Festival — Woy Woy, New South Wales...
, the presence of actual oysters at the Milford Oyster Festival gradually faded after some time and were absent for many years outside of the festival's name. In 2005, oysters returned to the festival, provided by the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association. They have been there ever since.
Starting in 2009, the city of Milford began requiring that the non-profit AMOF reimburse the city, which spends $30,000-50,000 to host the festival each year. As a result of this decision, AMOF could no longer allow other local non-profits to sell beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
at the event—a major source of income for many of the non-profits. This led Alderman Ben Blake to express concern that the festival may "lose its local flavor" as "nonprofit groups [are driven] out of the Oyster Festival food court."
Musical acts
Every festival also includes a headliner band. Previous acts which have played the festival have included Joan JettJoan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
.
Headliner by year
|
2005 in music -Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:... — Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes are a Jersey Shore musical group led by Southside Johnny. They have been recording albums since 1976 and are closely associated with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. They have recorded and/or performed several Springsteen songs, including "The Fever" and... 2004 in music See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol.... — Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly... 2003 in music -January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested... — Marshall Tucker Band Marshall Tucker Band The Marshall Tucker Band is an American Southern rock band originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina. The band's blend of rock, rhythm and blues, jazz, country, and gospel helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s... 2002 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI... — 2001 in music See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band.... — 2000 in music See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List.... — 1999 in music -Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia.... — Jefferson Starship Jefferson Starship Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name... |
Fundraising
Many local and regional business, non-profit, and governmental groups have sponsored the event, including NBC UniversalNBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
, TD Bank, Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market is a foods supermarket chain based in Austin, Texas which emphasizes "natural and organic products." The company has been ranked among the most socially responsible businesses and placed third on the U.S...
, among others.
Money raised by AMOF during the festival has been donated for charitable purposes. In 2010, the major fundraiser of the festival was for Gulf coast fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
communities, whose oyster industries were struggling after being shut down by the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
.
Notable participants
- Jodi RellJodi RellMary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...
— the 72nd and current governor of Connecticut, attended the 2008 festival. - Linda McMahonLinda McMahonLinda Marie McMahon is an American professional wrestling magnate and politician. She is notable for her career developing WWE with her husband Vince McMahon. She was in the company from 1980 to 2009. During this time, WWE grew from a small regional business in New York to a large multinational...
— a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician, plunged a firefighterFirefighterFirefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
in a dunk tankDunk tankA dunk tank, also known as a dunking booth or dunking machine, is an attraction mainly used in funfairs, fundraisers, and personal parties. Basically, a dunk tank consists of a large tank of water, over which a seat is suspended...
in the "Dunk your favorite firefighter" festival activity during her 2010 campaign for a seat in the US Senate for Connecticut. - John A. Smith — a world-traveling sailor and writer, wrote, "It's kind of sad to hear that none of the oysters at the recent 'Oyster Festival' were from local waters and that most of the oyster boats are now in museums," in his book of travels Little Fish Big Pond while talking about Milford as his home town.
Surrounding events
On the Friday evening before the oysterfest, there is a surrounding event called "Oyster Eve," which includes activities such as dancing, dining, and a 90-minute cruise on a 80 feet (24.4 m) schooner around the Long Island SoundLong Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. Around 1,500 people came to downtown Milford for Oyster Eve in 2010.
In 2010, the Daniel Street nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
began hosting what they dubbed the "1st Annual Oyster Festival After Party" on the evening after the main events close.
See also
- Norwalk Oyster Festival
- Offical Milford Oyster Festival Website
- Oyster festivalOyster festivalAn oyster festival is a food festival centered around the oyster. There are a number of oyster festivals worldwide, including the following:-Australia:* The Brisbane Water Oyster Festival — Woy Woy, New South Wales...