We’re Back

This is the grateful refrain that’s been heard recently at the St. Simons Land Trust in reference is to the organization’s ability to host their annual Oyster Roast in January after having to skip a year because of the pandemic. “Hosting any event of almost any size was unwise in most of 2020 and 2021,” according to the Land Trust’s Oyster Roast coordinator Marty Moody. “But this annual event, with an anticipated crowd of nearly 1,500, was unquestionably something we had to cancel in 2021.”

Instead, the Land Trust partnered with the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce in hosting the first-ever Restaurant Week in Glynn County. “Because we knew that so many eating establishments were suffering this past winter, we were grateful that Ralph Staffins, president and CEO of the Chamber was willing to partner with us in an attempt to drive traffic to local restaurants and cafes during a really difficult time,” said Emily Ellison, executive director of the Land Trust. “Now, however, we feel that the significant decline in covid cases is giving us the opportunity to once again host this muchloved event. And we are thrilled!”

So are the thousand-plus guests who attend the event every year and the many vendors, restaurants, and sponsors who have participated in the Oyster Roast for the past two decades. “My crew and I have been stringing hundreds of feet of electrical wire at the Oyster Roast for years,” said Mike Malone, president of Malone Electric. “It’s a

tremendous amount of work – taking nearly a week to cover most of Gascoigne Bluff Park with lighting that is needed to illuminate the event – but it’s all worth it when you see the community spirit that is generated when that many people come together. I’m so glad that the Land Trust is able to bring back the Oyster Roast in 2022.”

The first SSLT Oyster Roast was held at Village Creek Landing in 2000 (the same year the organization was founded) with 70 guests in attendance. But 70 people was far more than had been expected. The oysters were soon gone and had to be supplemented with hotdogs and other quickly grabbed food that volunteers rushed to purchase. As the event grew, so did the venue that was required. The Oyster Roast soon moved to Fort Frederica and finally, after reaching ticket sales of more than 600, it relocated permanently to Gascoigne Bluff Park.

Situated along the Frederica River, with its mighty live oak trees that

are strung with tons of Spanish moss and Mike Malone’s magic-making lights, Gascoigne Park became the perfect setting for a winter’s night festivity. Frances McCrary, a co-founder of the Land Trust who has been at every Oyster Roast since that first one at Village Creek, says that each site has provided something special. “Each one is unique, especially because of the weather. But I really love Gascoigne Bluff as a venue, with the lights twinkling in the trees, it’s just so lovely.”

The Land Trust is quick to say that they wouldn’t be able to host the event without the help of Malone Electric and the nearly 100 other businesses that participate. “I’ve always been so impressed by the local restaurants,” says Frances McCrary, who in addition to being a co-founder twice served as Chair of the Land Trust’s board of directors.

“It absolutely would not be possible without the many restaurants who give so generously,” adds Ellison. “From Southern Soul to The Cloister, businesses large and small provide us with delicious food, with staff time, and with financial support. And if we didn’t have community leaders like Charlie Williams, owner of Crabdaddy’s and Fiddlers, and Steve and Sandy Schoettle at Sea Island Forge, steaming and roasting the oysters every year. If we didn’t have Bob Thompson spending the night on the grounds and cooking hundreds of pounds of Low Country boil. If we didn’t have an army of dedicated, hard-working volunteers, there is no way we could pull off such an event.”

In fact, that corps of volunteers has tripled over the last few years. More than 140 people begin helping months before the event and

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lead efforts to set up the day of the Oyster Roast, serve food and drinks, break down afterwards, and leave Gascoigne Bluff spotless when the night is done. On January 22, they will be there once again in their red volunteer aprons. And with more food booths than usual, their help will be needed more than ever.

In addition to oysters, shrimp, and other seafood, there will be barbeque, soups and chowders, salads, mac-and-cheese, and an entire booth devoted to desserts. All of this will be provided in the safest environment possible, according to Mary Moody. “Although it is now possible to hold large events again, we are still taking precautions such as providing individual servings that people can easily pick up rather than having large platters of food that are exposed to the elements and to hundreds of people.”

Mostly, the Oyster Roast is going to be FUN! After nearly two years of lockdowns, wearing masks, ordering takeout, and spending almost no time with family and friends, people are hungry not just for oysters but to gather again and enjoy a special evening along the river. The Land Trust is expecting a record crowd and will be offering some surprises this year.

A couple of years ago, Patrick Parker, a member of the Land Trust’s board and a longtime sponsor of the event that was named one of the Top 20 Events in 2020 by the Southeast Tourism Society, said that there are many great traditions around the Golden Isles. “But my absolute favorite is the Land Trust’s Oyster Roast. It’s for a wonderful cause, of course, but the thing that sets it apart is how big it is and how many people come together to do the work necessary to make it a success.”

When asked recently about how he feels after a year without the Oyster Roast, he replied, “It’s one of the highlights of the season. It was a true disappointment when the pandemic prevented the event from being hosted in 2021. I am therefore excited to see And what about after the lights come down and everyone has gone home? Not only are oysters valued as a favorite food source since indigenous peoples lived in the Golden Isles thousands of years ago, they also greatly benefit our environment by acting as aqua filters and always leave something of themselves behind. After the 2020 Oyster Roast, almost 3,000 pounds of oyster shells were recycled and used in living shorelines along the coast. It’s expected that even more of these durable shells will be recycled in 2022.

For literally thousands of reasons, the Land Trust and their supporters are glad to be saying, “We’re back!”