The 2019 Austin Oyster Festival is slated to shell out their biggest bash this year, serving up a bounty of delectable dishes, drinks and entertainment with a side of philanthropy. The festival takes place Saturday, Feb. 23 from Noon to 6 p.m. at Republic Square and benefits Central Texas Food Bank.
This year’s Austin Oyster Festival highlights Gulf and East Coast oysters prepared in nearly every way imaginable by noted Eddie V’s Executive Chef Chris Bauer, combined with an extravagant Bloody Mary Bar, local beers by Bell’s Brewery, live local music and raffle prizes. The event is sponsored by Deep Eddy Vodka, Do512, Austin Seafood, Bell’s Brewery, Eddie V’s, Topo Chio, Bloody Revolution, and Premiere Events.
VIP Admission
VIP admission ($115 per person) to the Austin Oyster Festival includes entry, live entertainment, seven food-and-beverage vouchers redeemable at any food station or beverage bar, access to the VIP Lounge area with private entrance, featuring two VIP oyster tastings, dedicated private bar access in the VIP area, dedicated bathrooms in VIP area, and an incredible sponsor swag bag from Eddie V’s for each guest.
This year’s VIP Lounge will feature VIP Chef Oyster tastings throughout the day including bites by Chef Shane Stark of Mongers Market + Kitchen, Chef Gerard Kenny of Le Politique, Chef Russell Dougherty of The Little Darlin’ and Chef Chris Bauer of Eddie V’s Edgewater Grill, as well as offerings from Nightcap, Salt Traders Coastal Cooking and more. The lauded local chefs will present VIPs with private oyster tastings sure to delight and surprise guests, alongside Deep Eddy Vodka speciality cocktail pairings.
General Admission
General admission ($60 per person) to the Austin Oyster Festival includes entry, live entertainment and six food-and-beverage vouchers redeemable at any food station or beverage bar. Additional vouchers may be purchased inside the festival.
Food Offerings
The Austin Oyster Festival Raw Bar includes Austin Seafood Oysters delivering a premium selection of small harvest texas gulf oysters and pristine northeastern coast oysters. The Grill Bar features to-die-for smoked bacon Oysters Rockefeller, fresh grilled oysters with roasted garlic and anchovy butter, Creole barbecue butter shrimp on grilled garlic bread, and oyster and rock shrimp gumbo with Andouille sausage and the Fry Bar includes a crispy oyster banh mi sandwich, New Orleans-style oyster and shrimp po’boys and more.
Beverages
In addition to Bell’s Brewery beers, the beverage menu for the event includes local favorite Deep Eddy 10-times-distilled vodka, as well as Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka, Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka and Deep Eddy Orange Vodka. And it wouldn’t be the Austin Oyster Festival without the lavish Bloody Mary Bar, which includes all the extra fixin’s to make a personalized cocktail.
Entertainment
The Premiere Events Stage presents live local music featuring some smooth stylings from Robert Kelly and The Blue Mist, Chansons Et Soulard and more.There will also be a silent raffle presented by the Central Texas Food Bank offering the chance to win great prizes while supporting a charity that feeds the less fortunate.
Sink Your Shucks
This year, as part of a partnership with Texas A&M Corpus Christi’s shell-recycling program, Sink Your Shucks, program volunteers will be on hand at the Austin Oyster Festival to pick up more than 2,000 pounds of oyster shells and share information with attendees about this remarkable program. Founded in 2009 by Harte Research Institute and TAMUCC, Sink Your Shucks (www.OysterRecycling.org) was the first program established in Texas that reclaims oyster shells from area restaurants and returns them to local waters, providing materials to form new reefs and habitats for fish, crabs and other ocean organisms.