pull out poster pg 24 SUPPORT OYSTERFEST Thank you!
L A V I T S E F OD O F A E R S m u E k T o A ST A The Sko W L A U N 36TH AN esents r p b u l C y otar
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October 7 & 8, 2017 • Shelton, WA
Washington State Seafood Festival 1
2017 OYSTERFEST
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2017 OYSTERFEST 2
Washington State Seafood Festival Since 1982, OysterFest, has been a premier event and economic force in Shelton. Though food is paramount there is much to see and do including entertainment, kids’ hands on activities, marine displays and the regional shucking competition. The Washington State Seafood Festival or OysterFest, is hosted, presented and coordinated by the Skookum Rotary Club of Shelton WA. In 2017 they welcome Les Shwab Tire as an official event sponsor. Attend OysterFest for the great food, entertainment, beverages... and because every dollar spent at the event goes right back into the community! Yes, every vendor at OysterFest is supporting a great local cause. Don’t miss out on the excitement on the Shucking Stage. And while the shuckers compete for the fastest time in the official West Coast Oyster Shucking Championship, the Seafood Cook off invites professional and amateur chefs to compete in an exciting seafood battle.
It’s not just great food, beers, wines, or entertainment– exhibits also demonstrate how important clean water is and the on site displays and marine touch tanks allow visitors to get “up close” with a variety of wonderful sea creatures including crabs, starfish, sea cucumbers and limpets. This and more has made Washington’s Seafood Festival a much anticipated family event. Thank you for making it all possible, we couldn’t have done without you – vendors, exhibitors, customers. Thank you to the 2017 OysterFest official sponsors: Les Schwab Tire – event sponsor Taylor Shellfish Shucking Competition The Shopper – Cook Off Sponsor IFiber – Entertainment Sponsor
2017 Program West Coast Oyster SHUCKING Competition – 9
ENTERTAINMENT Schedule – 17 COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Local 4th Graders enjoy Kids’ Day –22 Washington State WINE TASTING – 26 SEAFOOD COOK OFF – 33 TURQUOISE ON THE HOOD What cause the bloom on the Canal and NASA’s view - 35 BIVALVES FOR CLEAN WATER – 41 VISIT OUR TOWNS Towns & lodging directory –44 Getting to OysterFest – 5 Parking & Shuttles – 4 RV camping – 46
Oysterfest is produced by the
October 7 & 8 Shelton, Washington
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2017 OYSTERFEST
Welcome to OysterFest –
the 2017 Washington Seafood Festival A message from the Grand Old Oyster (GOO), Melanie Bakala Welcome!
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The Details: FREE Shuttle Bus
Free shuttle bus service will be provided from Shelton Civic Center, Shelton Yacht Club and from the parking area at Shelton High School. Shuttles run on approximately 30 minute intervals.
On Site Parking
All parking is free! Handicap parking is available near the gates. Exit Hwy 101 onto Sanderson Way road and follow signs to OysterFest.
Cash Machines at OysterFest
There will be two ATM’s conveniently located at the event. Check the Official OysterFest map for details.
Sorry, no pets, please!
Pets ARE NOT ALLOWED at the event with the exception of service dogs. Please leave your pets at home , thank you!
2017 OYSTERFEST 4
Hours & Admission
OysterFest is October 7 & 8 SAT: 10AM – 6PM | SUN:10AM – 5PM Admission $5.00
Contact
We would love to hear from you! You can leave a message using the contact form online at oysterfest.org. Join us on Facebook at: OysterFestWA for updates on the event!
The Event you don’t want to miss!
2017 OYSTERFEST, October 7 & 8, is hosted on Sanderson Field Airport, 1/2 mile north of Shelton, off US Hwy 101. There is plenty of parking as well as weekend camping opportunities! See page 46 for details.
Getting to OysterFest Google Address: 21W Sanderson Way, Shelton
North: Follow Hwy 101 along Hood Canal from Quilcene – OysterFest is
located just before you enter Shelton. The North 101 accesses Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend. Hwy 101 continues on to Olympia
South: On I-5 take Exit 104 in Olympia and follow Hwy 101 to Shelton. Bremerton/Seattle Ferries: Hwy 3 towards Belfair & Union take you directly to Shelton. SR 106 follows the shore of Hood Canal from Belfair to Union, making a nice scenic drive towards the event.
How far will you go for fresh oysters? from Olympia from Tacoma:
23 miles 53 miles
from Seattle: 82 miles from Portland: 134 miles
Here to help: Hoodsport Visitor Information Center 150 N Lake Cushman Road / Highway 101, Hoodsport WA | (360) 877–2021 Shelton Visitor Information Center In The Red Caboose at 221 West Railroad, Shelton, WA | (360) 426–2021 Official Event Website: oysterfest.org
2017 OysterFest
www.hcc.net
360.898.2481
Sponsored by the Skookum Rotary Club PO Box 849, Shelton, WA, 98584 WWW.OYSTERFEST.ORG This publication is produced by IMAGE IN ACTION DESIGN in partnership with the Shelton Skookum Rotary Club. For contribution guidelines and advertising contact: Rachel Hansen | Image in Action Design, PO Box 622, Shelton, WA 98584 | 360-427-5599 www.nwevent.org
Copyrighted Material 2017
Enjoy OysterFest!
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2017 OYSTERFEST
Thank you, Dick Oltman
for sharing your vision with the community. OysterFest would not be here today without the vision of Dick Oltman, a Shelton Rotarian. In 1979, retired from a military career, Oltman was completing a graduate program in tourism at George Washington University that required a thesis. Oltman’s thesis was a plan to
Richard Major Oltman 1928 – 2017
promote tourism and awareness of the shellfish industry at the West Coast Oyster Shucking Championship and Washington State Seafood Festival, or OysterFest. Oltman approached the Skookum Rotary Club with his idea to blend tourism with industry awareness and the members loved the idea. The Club voted “yes” on March 10th, 1982 and, with less than seven months to plan and get energized and organized – they pulled off incredible results. The first year’s event was scheduled for just five hours both Saturday and Sunday, netting $9,600 versus the $1,500 budget projection.
Oltman’s initial OysterFest “road-map” included an operating plan, event policies and set ambitious goals for community involvement. Many of the original procedures are still in use today and offer a guideline as the event is passed through member generations. OysterFest serves as a major fundraiser for the Skookum Rotary Club and many local nonprofit groups rely heavily on this event to raise
their annual budget. Public organizations are invited and encouraged to provide hands-on exhibits and use this opportunity for community education and outreach. From safety around live electricity to precautions on eating raw shellfish – the information provided by the groups and organizations is essential. In keeping with Oltman’s desire to demonstrate that the shellfish and timber in-
You’ve got to
see this.
dustries can and do co-exist successfully, the industries were invited to participate in the event and displayed included the importance of stream quality and shore maintenance through industry as well as residential use. As part of Oltman’s original thesis, October was selected not just to insure that the local shellfish was at it’s peak for consumption, but also to promote off season area events.
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Shelton•Belfair•Port Orchard•Poulsbo•Port Townsend 2017 OYSTERFEST 6
Important to Mr. Oltman was the fact that the whole family was engaged at OysterFest. He was proud that youth education was a key component of the event. He regularly attended and supported the annual Kids’ Day which welcomed Mason County students for a field day at the event prior to opening to the public. Hundreds of volunteers and educators came together to offer hands-on “stations” that the students could visit with their classes. “OysterFest was conceived as a family event, and it still runs that way,” said Oltman in an early interview. Family rates, diverse entertainment,
marine exhibits, youth activities and careful monitoring continue to make it a fun event for all ages. Dick Oltman passed away in July 2017. Volunteers and the Skookum Rotary Club are honored to foster and continue his vision, proudly returning event profits to the community. From scholarships, academic recognition, and the Mason County Science Fair to sponsoring water quality programs and providing funds to many service groups including food banks and homeless shelters – Oltman founded a legacy that will continue to have impact on the area for years to come.
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Real pearls in our oysters Dick Oltman’s vision is possible because of the many hundreds of volunteers that take time out of their schedule each year to spend the weekend at OysterFest. OysterFest is an all volunteer event. They don’t just staff booths and run the event – they also plan, organize, set up and break down the event. The hidden pearls of OysterFest are these volunteers who run every single aspect of the event, caring
for Oltman’s vision, celebrating some of our community’s most treasured resources, promoting the Rotary ideal of service above self and ensuring that OysterFest continues to give to our community for many years to come.
Thank you!
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2017 OYSTERFEST
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How fast can you shuck an oyster ?
It looks simple enough – insert, twist, flick, repeat. However, if you’ve ever attempted to shuck an oyster you will know, it’s anything but easy. Just ask around – damage from shucking knives and stubborn oysters is as common as stories of ladder accidents and stepping on septic nails! No, these shuckers know what they are doing and know just where to press the tip to coax the shell open without leaving a shattered mess or a stabbed artery. OysterFest is a great opportunity to learn a few tips on shucking, but watch carefully, they move quick! Over the course of two days of competition from noon to close contestants vie for the title of the fastest shucker or the best half-shell shucker – or – both titles. The championship in Shelton is a preliminary event to the U.S. shuck-off at St. Mary’s Oyster Festival (October 21-22) in Maryland. The National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest® features the fastest men and women shuckers competing for cash prizes. National winners can go on to compete in the International Oyster Festival in Galway, Ireland. In 1984, Dave (Diz)Schimke, from Bow, WA, won the West Coast Shucking
Championship at OysterFest and proceeded to hold the title at the National event. Schimke’s victory in MA won him a $500 cash prize and the right to represent the United States in the oyster opening internationals in Galway, Ireland. There he received title for the best presentation laurels. The West Coast Shucking Champion goes through more than 6000 oysters (donated by Taylor Shellfish). A shucker draws a tray of two dozen oysters by lottery and arranges them in preparation. An appeal may be made if the contestant feels an oyster is of inferior shape. A basket of oysters is passed to each shucker from which they can choose more favorable alternates.
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2017 OYSTERFEST
As the contest begins, the shuckers hold their knives at head height to indicate readiness. At the signal from the chief judge, the timekeepers start their watches and the contestants begin. The shuckers rapidly open and place each oyster, completely severed from the shell, on its unbroken half-shell on the tray. The trays are coded and the judges sequestered so that the competition is completely impartial. Speed is paramount on Saturday – with the fastest times coming in under two minutes! On Sunday, speed is still a factor, but even more important is presentation in what are called the Half -Shell trials. Each contestant must not only shuck 24 oysters, but place each on its back in the half shell. An appetizing arrangement of a tray of shucked oysters is rewarded over a sloppy or butchered offering where speed has been favored. Any cuts in the oyster itself, or pieces of shell in the finished half-shell, will cause points to be deducted from that shucker’s overall score – which means the person
Get your Shuck on
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
All oysters taken on public tidelands must be shucked on the beach, and the shells left behind. You will need a shellfish license , an oyster knife and a pair of gloves. Adults may shuck a child's daily limit so long as the child participates in some way in the gathering. For illustrated details on two popular shucking methods, visit wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish.
HINGE-ENTRY SHUCKING METHOD: Insert the blade, of the shucking knife at the hinge at the smallest “point.” Twist the blade until there is a slight pop. Slide the blade upward to cut the adductor muscle which holds the shell closed. Apply a firm hand but not too much force. Remove top shell and carefully slip blade along inside of bottom shell to cut the other side of the adductor muscle to release meat from shell. wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish
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Oysters - Clams - Mussels Geoduck - Smoked Salmon 2017 OYSTERFEST 10
who shucks fastest may not necessarily end up the winner. Prizes are awarded each day for the fastest times at 5:30 PM. On Saturday the prize for first place for Speed Shucking is $400. On Sunday, the winner gets $600 for presentation at the Half-Shell competition. Prizes are given through the 6th place each day. There are also cash prizes for the fastest amateur shucker each day.
2016 WEST COAST OYSTER Shucking Championship
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SPEED SHUCKING – SATURDAY 1 MIRIEL SILVA 01:12:84 Jolly Roger Oysters, WA 2 FRANCISCO LEON DIAZ 01:28:94 Coast Seafood, WA 3 JAIME RAMOS 01:29:63 Goose Point Oysters, WA 4 GERARDO LEON 01:32:00 Rock Point Oysters, WA 5 GABRIEL QUINTANA 01:46:46 Goose Point Oysters, WA 6 RAYMUNDO MEZA 02:05:16 Jolly Roger Oysters, WA HALF SHELL SHUCKING – SUNDAY 1 MIRIEL SILVA 02:02:20 Jolly Roger Oysters, WA 2 SERGIO MERINO OROZCO 02:12:90 Taylor Shellfish, WA 3 DAVID LECK 02:29:90 Salty’s on Alki, WA 4 SEAN BEYO 02:36:80 Hog Island Oyster Co, CA 5 FRANCISCO LEON DIAZ 02:37:10 Coast Seafood, WA 6 MARIO LEON 02:46:00 Rock Point Oysters, WA
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2017 OYSTERFEST
It’s all about the Oyster!
Know your Oysters The not so secret – secret to good oysters – is safe handling. From the moment you purchase, insure that they are kept cold and fresh – on ice or covered with a damp cloth in the fridge to keep them moist. Fresh oysters must be alive just before consumption or cooking. Tap on the shell– a live oyster will close up and is safe to eat.
Olympia
The native oyster to Washington State, the Olympia oyster is a half dollar size with a metallic finish. The Olympia oyster fishery ran from the mid-1800s until about 1915 supplying California’s demand for oysters. The oysters were harvested from shallow bays of southern Puget Sound and Willapa Bay until pollution and over harvesting caused a collapse of the wild fishery.
Pacific
Native to Japan, farmers began experimenting with the Pacific oyster in 1904. Washington began importing seed in commercial quantities in the 1930s. This practice of importing seed lasted for over 45 years. The Pacific is now the most important commercial species on the West Coast. Beginning in the 1950s researchers began to study Pacific reproduction to reduce the dependence on seed imports. Since the 1970s local shellfish growers have relied on hatcheries for the production to meet the demand for NW oysters.
Kumamoto
The Kumamoto has a small deep cup and a sweet meat that is prized by raw oyster consumers. Brought to WA from Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, they are unable to reproduce in Northwest waters so growers rely exclusively on hatchery stock. The prized cup of the Kumamoto oyster and its limited supply has growers altering growing practices to create cupped Pacific oysters to meet half shell market demands. Growers use flip or tumble bags to chip the shell of the Pacific and force it into a deeper cup. Specialty oysters with names such as Kusshi, Shigoku, Sea Cow, Blue Pools, Chelsea Gems, and Baywater Sweets, are the result.
2017 OYSTERFEST 12
Virginica
The decline of the Olympia oyster opened the door for the import of the Virginica from the east coast in the early 1900s. The eastern oysters did not adapt well to NW waters and experienced large die off when transplanted. There are still beds of Virginicas raised by WA shellfish farmers.
How does your oyster grow? Have you ever wondered how the same species of oyster, Pacific for example, can have such varied flavors or textures? Like different wines with a terrior, oysters have a merrior – growing area and method make all the difference! Not all beaches are created equal – some are muddy, some sandy and some rocky. Each type of growing ground has opportunities and limitations for success. Oysters grown on top of muddy ground often sink into the mud suffocating them for they aren’t able to circulate water and food into their bodies. Muddy bays have led to culture techniques that suspend the oysters above the mud such as long lines, stakes, suspended nets, and racks and bags. Firm sandy and rocky bays allow for oysters to be grown on the bottom as well as using the off bottom techniques described for muddy areas.
In addition to substrate type, location of the oysters on the beach will determine how long the oyster will take to achieve a marketable size. Oysters grown in the intertidal area are exposed to daily tidal inundation will have well developed adductor muscles and thicker shells thus being heartier for shipment. Oysters suspended in the water column for growing will have the benefit of a constant food source and thus grow quickly but will have delicate shells and be susceptible to the elements. (continued next page)
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2017 OYSTERFEST
(continued from previous page) Often times suspended oysters are placed in the high energy inter-tidal environment for a few weeks prior to market to harden the shells for shipment and condition the oysters to hold their shells shut.
The method of growth can greatly change the shape of the oyster. A Pacific allowed to grow naturally on the beach will have a sturdy irregular shell with a great deal of frills. The regular exposure to low tide exposure, strengthening the shell, protects the meat from heat and predators like sea stars and crabs. In Europe, where there is very limited tidal change, some farmers manually pull the oysters from the water for periods of time to mimic the tidal action. The tumble bag creates an altered but very marketable shape for cultured oysters. Oysters are placed in the bag as small seed and the tide does the rest. The tidal flip and roll chip off the fragile lips and force the oyster to curve. The result is a deep cup in its lower shell.
Pacific oysters grown in Willapa Bay have a different “merrior” from those grown in Samish Bay. Hood Canal oysters are claimed to be more briny than the sweeter cucumber flavored bivalves grown in Hammersley Inlet or South Puget Sound waterways. Just like the well attuned vintners of the Rhone Valley, oyster connoisseurs are able to detect the subtleties of each bay by tasting the meat and observing the shell. Can you taste the difference?
Each bay has its own selection of phytoplankton yielding oysters with different meat colors and flavors.
FRESH FROM WILLAPA BAY Welcome to OysterFest! FLY BY OUR RETAIL STORE If you live for oysters like we do you will love our fresh and innovative products – from live shellstock in various sizes; the freshest hand-shucked Goose Points; to specialty products like party-ready shooters complete in a re-useable shot glass with a Northwest Pacific oyster in our zesty sauce (customize our oyster shooters for your business or family events); or blue seal oysters, high pressure banded and pre-shucked, ready to eat.
Goose Point Retail is open seven days a week, 9AM to 5PM.
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2017 OYSTERFEST 14
www. goosepoint.com (360) 875-6629 | 1-888-875-6629
Eat your way through OysterFest... it’s for a good cause! From a delicate seafood ceviche to corn on the cob – and, of course, fresh local oysters prepared in every way imaginable – there is something for every palate at OysterFest. Every food vendor – with no exception – is volunteering their time to create delicious bites to support local organization with proceeds benefiting Mason County based organizations. What does that mean to you? Every bite of deep fried oyster, coconut shrimp, strawberry shortcake, or Squaxin fry bread with fresh grilled salmon... gives you a burst of karma!
To navigate the food booths be sure to pick up the event map with your tickets. Even though it is the third year for the event at its location on the runway, orientation is still new to some long time visitors. The busiest booth on site is the coconut shrimp. Hosted by the Senior Services for South Sound the shrimp are often sold out by mid-day. The succulent shrimp in crunchy crispy coconut are a popular combination. Senior Services for South Sound raises funds to help seniors remain healthy and independent in their homes. The group also supports seniors with Meals On Wheels, and health and social services. Maybe get two orders of coconut shrimp! Be sure to try the Squaxin Elders salmon & fry bread. Grilled to perfection, moist and fresh, the slab of seasoned salmon perfect complements the crispy hot fried bread. All the proceeds go to assisting elder members of the Squaxin Island Tribe.
Interested in the oysters? If you can
imagine it, the folks at OysterFest have probably made it happen –grilled oysters bathed in melted garlic butter; Oysters Rockefeller, with a delicate wash of seasonings; deep fried oyster fritters with a tangy ice cold dip; fortifying hearty – burn your tongue– oyster chowder; skewered oysters wrapped in rashes of thick bacon – well, you get the idea. A purist when it comes to your oysters? That’s covered too. After all, Mason County is home to the best oysters in – the world! Sweet tumbled yearling Pacifics with a fresh cucumber finish and briny liquor or firm kelpy flavored shore harvested two season oyster – check out page XX to pick your shucks! Stop by the raw oyster bar hosted by the Marine Education Science Society (MESS) for some of Hammersley Inlet and Hood Canal’s finest examples.
Above –Squaxin salmon & fry bread and coconut shrimp are popular food choices at OysterFest. Right – In the half shell raw shooters are a “must try” (or at least attempt). 15
2017 OYSTERFEST
(continued from previous page)
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These prized shooters need no dressing – but if you like, splash on a little mignonette—a piquant sauce made with vinegar and shallots, or a squeeze of lemon – both are a perfect balance to the briny, somewhat creamy oysters. Again, go crazy – not only is it good for you – unless your doctor gave you reason to not eat raw seafood – it’s for a good cause. Where ever your taste buds wander through the food tents this year at OysterFest it will surely to be a fun and tasty experience.
YOU are the focus.
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Pair with a great brew Micro brews share the spotlight with food at OysterFest. Featuring a live music stage, rain or shine – the beer garden is a popular meeting spot. You will be asked to show ID at the entrance to receive an “OVER 21” bracelet to gain access to the area. liminary
2017 Micro Brew Line Up
Kona – Big Wave, Longboard, Wailua Wheat, Pipeline Porter; Red Hook – ESB, BI Coastal, Seasonal;Widmere – Hefe; Stella Artois; Shock Top; Narrows Brewing – IPA, Belgian Blond; Franziskaner – Weisse; 10 Barrel – Apocalypse; Elysian –Mens Room, Night Owl; Schooner – Exact; Iron Horse – Irish Death; Samual Adams – Angry Orchard; Blue Moon; Deschutes – Jubeale; NI-Li Big Juice – IPA; Silver City – Tropic Haze; Woodchuck – Rasberry cider;
Lagunitas – Lil’ Sumpin Sumpin; Lost Coast –Tangerine Wheat; Cascade Lakes – Blonde Bombshell; Georgetown –Bodhizafa; Ballast Point -Session IPA; North Coast – Pilsner; Silver Moon – Porter Snakebite; Mac & Jacks. 2017 OYSTERFEST 16
Live music for all tastes from blues & vocals to rock’n’ roll
Entertainment at OysterFest features some great new acts as well as a few old favorites. Presenting an eclectic variety of live music styles along with the exciting Shucking Competition and Seafood Cook off - OysterFest hosts plenty to see and do for the whole family. The local Shelton band, High Ceiling, will open the 2017 event with their “good feeling” music in the beer garden (21 and older). High Ceiling was awarded Reggae artist of the year for 2010 at Somojo Magazine and Radio. More recently, High Ceiling won awards in two categories at the Olympia Music awards; High Ceiling’s song “Illusions” received the top award for song of the year and the group also won Reggae artist of the year for 2012.
variety of songs written around and about the subject of fishing. That’s why they call their unique brand of music “Fish ‘N Music.”
While the wine stage (open to all ages) presents the Family String Band and the vocals of singer Joanne Green, the much anticipated return of the Bobbers will get the audience moving at the Microbrew Stage with an energy-packed, audience-friendly performance playing a wide
An annual favorite – Hurts like Hell – will follow Andrew Landerson the Microbrew stage Saturday. Hurts Like Hell formed in Olympia in 2011 when drummer, Ben Hawkes, dreamed of putting his favorite local players in a blues band together. The band wrote and toured locally
Formed in 2011, Michele D’Amour and the Love Dealers is a Seattle-based band playing blues and r&b. The band’s 2017 album, Lost Nights at the Leopard Lounge, includes twelve new original tunes which they will be sure to share with audiences on the Wine stage Saturday.
and was voted Weekly Volcano’s Best Blues Band in Olympia in consecutive years. The band brings their blistering brand of blues rock to bars, venues and clubs all over the Great Northwest. Sunday’s Microbrew Stage starter, Chrome Betty Band, traces its roots to the Olympia garage band scene of the 1960’s.
ENTERTAINMENT Saturday, October 7 MICROBREW STAGE 10:00 AM 10:30 AM 11:00 AM 11:30 AM
HIGH CEILING 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
12:00 PM 12:30 PM 1:00 PM 1:30 PM
BOBBERS 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
2:00 PM 2:30 PM 3:00 PM 3:30 PM
ANDREW LANDERS 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
4:00 PM 4:30 PM 5:00 PM 5:30 PM 6:00 PM
HURTS LIKE HELL 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM event closes at 6:00 PM
WINE STAGE FAMILY STRING BAND 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
MICHELLE D’AMOUR LOVE DEALERS 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
HILARY SCOTT 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
TAMMY FROST BAND 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Visit Oysterfest.org for updated schedule
Want a great steak? Look no further! Celebrating 7 years of delicious food in Shelton.
360-432-5844 Monday thru Saturday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
405 Railroad Avenue in Downtown Shelton – minutes from OysterFest
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Sunday, October 8 MICROBREW STAGE 10:00 AM
event opens @10:00 AM
10:30 AM
PINE TOP PICKERS 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
11:00 AM 11:30 AM 12:00 PM 12:30 PM
CHROME BETTY 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
1:00 PM 1:30 PM 2:00 PM 2:30 PM
WINE STAGE
PSYCHEDELIC SHADOW SHOW 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
continued next page continued from previous page KIM ARCHER BAND 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
3:00 PM 3:30 PM 4:00 PM 4:30 PM 5:00 PM
STRIKE NINE 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM event closes at 5:00 PM
MUCHO GUSTO 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Visit OysterFest.org for updated schedule
Four of its members quit their formal musical education to pursue rock and blues music. Chrome Betty Band primarily performs covers of rock and blues tunes along with a few original tunes of their own. Sunday, on the Wine Stage (all ages) enjoy The Pine Top Pickers from 10:30 to 12:00, the Kim Archer Band takes the stage at 12:30 PM, followed by Mucho Gusto at 3:00.
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Psychedelic Shadow Show takes the stage at 1:30 Sunday, treating audiences to an authentic experience in the music of Jefferson Airplane, Cream, Joplin and many more favorites performed as they were by the original artists. Starting at 3:30 PM, round the event off in at the Microbrew with Strike Nine, a popular rock and roll favorite. For schedule updates visit the OysterFest website, oysterfest.org or view the on site map available at the gate.
From golfing to geoducks
There’s plenty to see and do at OysterFest!
After you have had your fill of great food and drink, stop in at a few of the family activities! There are plenty of exhibits to see, touch, and experience at the 2017 OysterFest event for the whole family. Everyone enjoys examining the beautifully detailed model ships displayed by the Shelton Scale Ship Modelers. These hand crafted masterpieces are set up in a large tank on site at OysterFest. Spectators can watch them traverse a scale waterway complete with docks and obstacles.. Nearby, the Sanderson Field Flyers demonstrate remote control airplane and encourage questions and participation.
There are lots of fun activities for kids throughout the event including children’s entertainment on a special “Kids” stage, mini golf presented by local Boy Scout Troupes, face painting, crafts, carnival games, the famous barrel train rides and lots of hands on fun including educational exhibits and, of course the marine touch tanks filled with intertidal sea creatures. There is definately mch to see and do!
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Bring your curiousity!
Educational exhibits intrigue & inspire. OysterFest features exhibits that showcase the beauty and delicacy of the Puget Sound ecosystem. Attendees enjoy hands-on opportunities to learn about the tidal zones and opportunities to protect and enjoy our local waters. The marine touch tanks are a perennial favorite. With creatures gathered in local waters exclusively for these exhibits, the ecosystem in the touch tanks is as close to mother nature as you can get without actually being there. The environment in the tank provides healthy living conditions for crabs, bivalves, sea cucumbers, sea stars, sand dollars, periwinkles, hermit crabs, moon snail and other species that dwell in our waters. Observe how the animals interact in their native habitat and be sure to ask lots of questions from volunteer guides or the Washington Sea Grant biologists nearby in adjoining booths.
Connect with your local shellfish farmers, learn about upcoming shellfish events in your community, and more.
Based at the University of Washington, Washington Sea Grant provides statewide marine research, outreach, and education services. The National Sea Grant College Program is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. In addition to the marine touch tanks there are exhibits on aquaculture practices, education, water quality, natural resources and public safety.The Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association works on behalf of its member to illustrate a spectrum of issues in their booth including environmental
Striving to ensure a healthy industry and environment for shellfish farming on the Pacific Coast www.pcsga.org
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protection, shellfish safety, regulations and provide public information materials and answer questions. The Mason County Noxious Weed exhibit educates the public on degrading impact of noxious weeds and offers advice on which native plants can help home owners protect their waterways. The Mason Conservation District also provides information to assist residents by providing a link between landowners, industry, and government agencies and presenting technical and financial assistance to residents willing to implement conservation best management practices.
Also on-site with information is the Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Program. Their mission is to educate and prevent illness in people who eat Washington-grown molluscan shellfish. If you have any questions about when and where oysters or clams are safe to eat; how you should handle them; or what seafood eaters with special health conditions should be aware of – stop by the DOH booth to get all your questions answered!
Thank you Mason County citizens for your support.
The Mason County PUD # 3 also provides an educational display at OysterFest. Stop by their booth in the souvenir tent for hints to reduce energy use and information on electricity safety. In addition their are multiple booths displaying the local programs supported by funds generated at OysterFest as well as important work and humanitarian efforts of the Skookum Rotary Club and Rotary Interational. Take the time to see what your OysterFest dollars and donations go! Check out all the exhibitors and their locations in the map and schedule available at the ticket and information booths or view the list online at oysterfest.org.
Celebrating 25 years of service. We provide transportation choices that connect people, jobs, and community; increasing the quality of life in Mason County. • Fixed Route • General Public Dial-a-Ride • Bike & Ride • ADA Accessible • Travel Training • Volunteer Driver Program for Seniors • Community Vans for Lease • No Fare in Mason County • Commuter Programs • Express Service • Service to Olympia, Brinnon & Bremerton • Park & Ride Locations
360-427-5033 | 1-800-374-3747 MASON MasonTransit.org TRANSIT AUTHORITY 21
2017 OYSTERFEST
Kids’ Day is 25 years old ! Educating Mason County students about safety & water quality
Once a twinkle in the eye, the OysterFest Kids’ Day is celebrating 25 glorious years. Hosted by Washington Sea Grant and Skookum Rotary for the past 25 years, Kids’ Day at OysterFest has provided students a unique, fun opportunity to learn about the world they live in and how to protect and care for the environment and themselves.
The goals of Kids’ Day are simple, teach students tools for daily living to improve water quality, protect the environment, and practice personal safety. This year we will top 12,500 students served. Kids’ Day has been a great source of inspiration and information not only for the students and teachers, but also the hundreds of community members that have helped to carryout the program year in and year out.
Each year, 500 fourth grade students in Mason and Thurston counties have participated in hands-on activities that focus on water quality, pollution prevention, marine animals, ecosystems, electrical safety, conservation of natural resources, boating safety and more—teaching our children Volunteers enjoy lunch between classes of students at important lessons and providing them with the 2016 Kids’ Day. useful tools for the future. 2017 OYSTERFEST 22
Community volunteer guides wait for student groups at the 2016 Kids’ Day.
Examining treasures in the touch tank with educators.
Along with the teachers, community volunteers and agency staff are the key to Kids’ Day’s success and we can’t thank them enough for their dedication to our future leaders. Thank you Mason County PUD No.3, Washington State Department of Health, Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington State Parks, Mason Conservation District, The Marine Education Science Society, Washington State University, Skokomish Indian Tribe, Taylor Shellfish, North Mason and Pioneer Kiwanis clubs, and Washington Sea Grant for providing the life long learning lessons to the students. A huge thank you to the grandfather of OysterFest, the late Dick Oltman, for encouraging this educational addition to OysterFest and for volunteering for many years with his wonderful wife Patricia. For more information about Kids’ Day contact Teri King at wsgcanal@uw.edu or 360.432.3054. Note Kids’ Day at OysterFest 2017 is full and no additional students can be accommodated.
Starfish, sea urchins, crabs and sea slugs... oh my!
222 CAPITOL WAY N • SUITE 114 • OLYMPIA , WA
LOCAL OYSTERS, MANILA CLAMS, MUSSELS, AND GEODUCK PREPARED FRESH
(360) 915-7784 CHELSEAFARMS.NET
/CHELSEAFARMSOYSTERBAR
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@CHELSEAFARMSOYSTERBAR
2017 OYSTERFEST
The Skookum Rotary Club presents This event is powered by
Volunteers Thank you!
36TH ANNUAL WA STAT
• S P EED & H A L F -SHEL L S • 6 0 + NO N-P RO FITS SER VIN • S EA F O O D CO O K-O F F • R V C AM PIN • WA S H I NG T O N STATE WIN • WATER QU AL ITY EX • L I V E M U SIC O
October 7
SAT 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sanderson Field, S FREE SHUTTLE SERVIC
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ADMISSION $5.00 | FREE PARKING
TE SEAFOOD FESTIVAL
S H U C KI NG CHAM P I ON SH I P N G S E A F OOD/N O N - SE AF OO D G • FA MILY FU N & E N T E R TAI N M ENT N E & MICR OB RE W TAST I N G X H I BITS & ACTIV I T I E S O N TWO S TAGES
Enter to Win a Best of Mason County Prize Basket at the Information Booth!
7 – 8, 2017
| SUN 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Shelton, Washington E THROUGHOUT SHELTON
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Wineries at 2017 OysterFest
What wine goes with a poached dill salmon, geoduck or clam chowder? OysterFest believes the answer is a Washington State wine. To help
make a perfect pairing, OysterFest annually hosts a tasting hall featuring Washington wines exclusively. This year nineteen Washington wineries have been selected to showcase their best wines at OysterFest. Wines that have garnered accolades and medals throughout the Northwest. Whether you prefer a robust red, a subtle white, or sweeter options – you will find it at the 2017 OysterFest. Friends will gather to visit with vintners and share the opportunity to sample over eighty wines brought by the wineries. Purchase a souvenir glass for $5 and tasting tickets for $1 each.
Tickets are redeemable at any of the winery tables for a sample pouring. Each taste of wine is two to four tickets, depending on the wine. Find a particular blend you want to take home and share with friends? Don’t worry, try to your hearts’ content and then head over to the Rotary sales table in the wine tent to purchase bottles of your favorite wines to take home! The Skookum Rotary Club is pleased to announce Scatter Creek Winery has been chosen to carry the OysterFest labels this year. Two wines were selected – Peach Breeze Chardonnay & Daves Rajin Red Blend (see labels this page). Scatter Creek Winery, established in 2005, is a family owned & operated boutique winery, in Tenino, WA. The winery handcrafts each award winning wine using grapes carefully selected from Eastern Washington. Scatter Creek hosts a beautiful downtown Tenino tasting room where visitors can savor their whites, reds, and delicious dessert wines. They are also in the process of creating Scatter Creek Brewing on site as well.
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In addition the OysterFest label wines, Scatter Creek will have Tango Wit Da Mango!, Anika Rossa Merlot, Peach Breeze Spiced, & Berry Select “Holidaze” available for tasting at OysterFest 2017. We invite you to “Experience the Creek” to see for yourself why they were choosen this year by OysterFest – they have been awarded multiple medals as well as been selected as the 2014 Runner Up Best of Western Washington and, more recently, 2016 Runner Up Seattle’s A List. The OysterFest Wine Tasting Tent is located in the center of the event area. You must be 21 or older to enter. ID bracelets are available for verification at all the entrances.
2017 OYSTERFEST LABEL Hand Crafted Wines | Tenino, WA
Family owned boutique winery, established 2005, located in Tenino, Washington. Producing a variety of Award winning hand crafted wines – soft whites, smokey reds & delicious dessert wines! Our beautiful 4000’ tasting room is warm and inviting. Sit back, relax, and let us pamper you! Rental Space – Private events, anniversaries, weddings, parties & meeting room (10 to 60).
HOURS:
Thursday – Monday 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM Stop by the Tasting Room & Gift Shop
Scatter Creek Winery
237 Sussex Avenue West, Tenino, Washington
Find us on Facebook
n! Coming Soo
Scatter Cre
Terril & Andrea Keary Scatter Creek Winery
ek
BREWING
2014 Runner-Up Best Winery Best of Western Washington
360-264-WINE (9463)
scattercreekwinery.com
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2016 Runner Up Best Winery in Seattles A List 2017 OYSTERFEST
2017 OysterFest Wineries CONVERGENCE ZONE CELLARS is a family-owned and operated winery located in the Puget Sound Convergence Zone (Woodinville) and in weather-weary North Bend. “I like the people attending OysterFest,” remarks owner and winemaker, Scott Greenberg, “They are very knowledgeable and passionate about their wine. This will be our 5th year at OysterFest. My parents (Harold and Marian Greenberg, former owners of KMAS radio, who both passed away this year) had a booth at OysterFest for many years. I feel I am carrying on their commitment to the community by our own participation in the event.” Their tasting room is located in Woodinville’s Warehouse Winery District. Produced in
Western WA, the grapes for their wines are from Eastern WA vineyards. czcellars.com
DAVENPORT CELLARS is family owned local boutique winery also located in Woodinville. The vineyard sources include Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge, Ciel du Cheval, Kiona, Sheridan, Bacchus and Dionysus. Davenport is committed to producing quality wines which are true to the vine and true to the vintage at an affordable price. davenportcellars.com HARBINGER WINERY Located in Port Angeles, Harbinger is the most northwestern winery in the continental United States. First time displaying at OysterFest, they will bring a selection of their best wines –
Harbinger Winery has won numerous awards for their wines
Voignier, a 2015 Viognier; La Vie in Rose’ - 2016 Rose; Malbec, a 2014 Malbec; and El jefe, a Red table wine. Skookum Rotary welcomes Harbinger to Shelton! harbingerwinery.com HOODSPORT WINERY, originated in 1978 when there were only sixteen wineries in Washington, now there are
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over six hundred! Located in Hoodsport, the winery has been attending OysterFest since the first year. “The winery has not missed an OysterFest,” commented Peggy Patterson, owner and operator, “most fun was the first one and being the only winery. Quite unique.” The winery is known for its fruit, berry and grape wines.
open daily, 10 - 6PM. hoodsport.com
HORIZONS EDGE WINERY was established in Zillah in 1983. Horizon’s tasting room allows spectacular views of Mt Adams, Mt Rainier and vineyards while sampling in an intimate setting. horizonsedgewinery.com HYATT VINEYARDS was established by Leland and Lynda Hyatt. The winery site was planted in 1983 with full crush and production facility. Hyatt has three vineyards, growing a wide array of grape including Riesling, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, Malbec and varieties of Muscat. OysterFest 2017: 2014 Pinot
Gris, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2016 Desert Rose, 2014 Zinfandel hyattvineyards.net LEONY’S CELLARS is a boutique winery based in Cashmere. Their wines are handcrafted in small batches using premium Washington grapes. In 2017 Leony’s will present: Moreno Red blend - non vintage blend of Syrah, Cab franc, pinot noir, pinot meunier, Sinful Barbera Port - 2016 Port wine; the Hunt Gewurztraminer - 2016 White wine leonyscellars.com MADSEN FAMILY CELLARS is a boutique winery located just north of Olympia, exit 111 off I-5.The winery features Bordeaux red varietals, several blends, along with selections of both dry and sweet white wines. “This will be our 9th year at Oysterfest!” reported Dana Madson, “we just love the people and really enjoy mingling with them, and also checking out the great seafood offerings!” The Madson tasting room is open Wednesday thru Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM, plenty of parking with room for motor homes. Stop by and taste our award-winning wines! Madson will be bringing their Lightly Oaked Chardonnay, Carber-
Award Winning Wines Open daily South of Hoodsport on HWY 101 360-877-9894
www.hoodsport.com
TM
Fine Wines • Chocolate Truffles • Gourmet Coffees
MARCHETTI WINES is one of the oldest wineries in the area, they specialize in unsulfited red wines using grapes from growers in the Columbia Valley. MAISON DE PADGETT These are dry dinner wines with WINERY specializes in Charno chemicals used in producdonnay, Muscat, Gewürztramin- tion, with the wines made & er, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, aged in oak barrels. These wines Syrah, Pinot Noir, sweet wines are never put in stainless steel. and ports. Owned and operatThis multi-generational methed by the Padgetts, guests are od of wine making produces invited to tour winery. They will unique and flavorful wines be bringing the following wine reflecting the flavors of the this year to OysterFest – Funkey grape varietal. Featured vintages Monkey Winter Harvest, Smok- at OysterFest – Cabernet Franc ing Gun Coffee Port, Singing - 2015 dry red; Sangiovese Toad Late Harvest White Wine, 2016 dry red; Zinfandel - 2016 and Bite Me Peach Port. dry red; Petit Verdot - 2016 dry maisondepadgettwinery.com red marchettiwines.com net Franc, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, and Orange Muscat Dessert Wine. madsenfamilycellars.com
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Hoodsport has received over 500 awards – the highest award for their 1994 Cabernet at Vin Expo in France in 1996. They will be bringing the following wines for sampling at OysterFest: Island Belle red table wine from the Puget Sound Vineyards located on Stretch Island, Chardonnay 2012 from the Columbia Valley appellation, Majestic Olympus 2011, as well as a Cabernet blend red table wine and Sangiovese 2012 crafted from grapes from the Benches. The tasting room is
H O W O I DN E S R P Y O R T
VISIT US ON THE SCENIC OLYMPIC PENINSULA
Call or stop by Brady Landcape Supply for all your yard needs!
Congratulations & Thank You Shelton Skookum Rotary on 36 years of supporting the community with OysterFest !
360-426-0700
922 East Johns Prairie Road, Shelton, WA 98584
bradytrucking.com
What You Don’t See Is Important, Too
Behind the scenes, our working forests are protecting clean water, clean air and wildlife habitat—all while supporting the local economy. We’re the best neighbor you’ve ever had.
MASQUERADE WINE CO., Bellingham’s urban winery, crafts red, white and sparkling wines. Their méthode champenoise sparkling wines are excellent with oysters and other seafoods. When asked about his impression of OysterFest after his first year, (2016), vintner, Bil Kimmerly commented “I am one of the few Washington state producers of sparkling wines, which I think are excellent wines to pair with oysters, I have long had my eye on this event as a good match. I liked how well attended the wine tent was and how enthusiastic the attendees were for my wines.” OysterFest 2017: Columbia Gorge Chardonnay - 2013 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir masqueradewines.com MOSQUITO FLEET WINERY is a small, family owned and operated boutique winery with several 90+ point wines on record. Mosquito Fleet is known for their award-winning reds. This family owned and operated boutique winery produces approx 1,000 cases of award winning red wines each year. Their facility and tasting room is located in Belfair. Stop in Saturdays 12-5pm to taste. 2017 wines – Cabernet Sauvignon, Meritage and Cabernet Franc. mosquitofleetwinery.com
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PROSSER VINEYARD & WINERY is a boutique winery that makes hand-crafted award winning wines in Prosser WA. Specializing in red blends, the vintner combines uncommon varietals in harmony to create a unique experience. Featured vintages at OysterFest – Bills Estate Syrah - 2014 Syrah; Prosser Cabernet Franc - 2014 Cabernet Franc; Prosser Bill’s Blend - 2014 66% Sangiovese, 34% Syrah; Bills Sangiovese 2014 Sangiovese. SCATTER CREEK WINERY is a family owned winery in Tenino. Established in 2005, Scatter Creek has won multiple awards including second place in the 2014 Best Winery (Evening Magazine). Scatter Creek is the 2017 featured winery, two of Scatter Creek’s wines will carry the 2017 OysterFest label. scattercreekwinery.com STINA’S CELLAR is a family owned and operated winery located in Lakewood with a focus on small lots. They have attended OysterFest for eleven years. When asked to share thoughts on OysterFest, Perry Preston, owner reflected,“It is very well organized and run. Love that it is also a vehicle for other local non profits to raise money.” The Stina Tasting Room is open
Thursday – Saturday, noon – 6:00 PM. 2017 OysterFest: Siegerrebe (locally grown German white); Sweet Pomegranate Wine; Montage (red blend); and Tempranillo. stinascellars.com STOTTLE WINERY, wines are locally produced in Lacey, Washington with tasting rooms in Lacey and Hoodsport. Stottle produces hand crafted, award-winning wines from the vineyards in Washington. Stottle Winery has attended the event for four years, “OysterFest is a great way to wrap up the summer,” commented Josh Stottlemeyer when asked about his impression of the event, “great wine, great food, and good people. It draws people from around both of our tasting rooms as well as those farther afield.”
Stottle will be bringing the following wines to OysterFest: 2014 Cuvee de la Reine - blend of Viognier and Roussanne; Red Super Tuscan style blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon; 2013 Big Eddie - Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec; 2014 Lucille Late Harvest Viognier - white dessert wine stottlewinery.com TANJULI WINERY produces wines from their Rattlesnake Hills vineyard. “We have been participating in OysterFest since 1999 and have attended it since 1991,” said Tom Campbell, owner of Tanjuli Winery, “I think it is wonderful that the community around Shelton has shared their relaxed beauty and made it possible for the local non profit groups to be the food vendors through raising funds for the organizations.” Tom loves the grapes that come from the Rattlesnake Hills, an area he came upon in 1981 thanks to UC Davis classmate Stan Clarke. Stan had Tom establish the white wine production for Quail Run Winery in Zillah in 1982, and in 1984 Tom and his wife Hema settled into the Rattlesnake Hills to start Horizon’s
Edge Winery, eventually selling it to the Padgetts in 1999 to focus on other ventures in Woodinville and his home state of Montana. But they couldn’t stay away for long, and in 2005 they returned to plant a small, seven acre vineyard for the production of unique estate wines. Today, the Tanjuli vineyard consists of Pommard Pinot Noir, Lampia Nebbiolo, Carménère, Mourvèdre, Aglianico, Sagrantino, Teroldego, Viognier, Picpoul Blanc, Orange Muscat and Black Muscat. Each small block of grapes is meticulously managed from vine to bottle, resulting in wines that are “at once old and new, imaginative and familiar, rare and remarkable.” At OysterFest they will feature Picpoul Blanc 2014 Sweet, Orange Muscat 2013, Carmenere 2013, Pinot Noir 2014 tanjuli.com WALTER DACON WINERY, located south of Shelton ( Taylor Town exit off Hwy 101), is owned and operated by Ann and Lloyd Anderson. Dedicated to Rhone style wines and sourcing grapes from vineyards in the Yakima and Columbia valleys, Walter Dacon wines reveal “the underlying fruit blended with gentle, precision use
Windermere Real Estate/Himlie, Inc. Supporting OysterFest since 1982
Himlie, Inc. Proudly serving Mason County since 1964.
(360) 426-2646 windermereshelton.com
920 W Railroad Avenue, Shelton WA 98584
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of oak.” Their tasting room, just minutes from OysterFest, is open Wednesday – Sunday, from 12 – 6 PM.
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822 E Hiawatha Blvd. Shelton, WA 98584
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LOCALLY
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Cole Bronson Assistant Manager
26944
Call for an onsite walk-through or visit our Shelton showroom.
WESTPORT WINERY was honored in 2016 as one of the top twenty “most-admired wineries” in North America by Winery & Vineyard Management Magazine and it was named “2011 Washington Winery to Watch” by Wine Press Northwest. They have been voted Best Winery by King 5 Evening Magazine seven times. They were named the Best Washington Family Business Silver Medal winners in 2012, received the Grays Harbor Environmental Stewardship Award in 2015, and were name Best Winery, Best Wine Shop, and Best Boutique Winery for 2016 by South Sound Magazine.
“We love Oysterfest because of the number of guests who attend and our ability to reconnect with them each year, “ remarked Carrie Roberts from Westport Winery, “I think we’ve been attending for about 8 years. It’s one of our favorite off-site events. We love how excited the people are and how busy the event is.” Westport Winery Garden Resort, is located on the corner of Hwy 105 and South Arbor Rd between Aberdeen and Westport. The resort (including the restaurant, bakery, plant nursery and 15-acre display garden) is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Featured wines: Bog Berry Blush (cranberry gewurztraminer), Jetty Cat (red blend), Fleur de Lis (pinot gris), Courage (cherry apple cider), and Shelton From the Storm (Port). westportwinery.com
Westport Winery, between Aberdeen and Westport | Westport Winery photo
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SUN – THURS: 10am-12am FRI– SAT 10am -1am
DOMINOS.COM 2017 OYSTERFEST 32
OysterFest Cook-off
You don’t have to wait until March for tournament excitement anymore. How does October Madness sound to you? We say, Delicious! This year’s OysterFest Cook Off is getting a makeover. For the first time ever, the Shelton Rotary Club is taking the reins and introducing an all new format. We’re kicking up the energy and raising the stakes. Think the NCAA Basketball Tournament meets Chopped. In hopes of offering contestants a more level playing field, this year’s competition will be divided into two divisions. On Saturday, kitchen hobbyists will show off their home cooking skills, while Sunday some of the best chefs in Western Washington will throw down in a true kitchen battle. Eight contestants in each division will be paired off in first round head to head matches.
Similar to the past cooking events, in this round contestants are welcome to bring their own ingredients to impress the judges with a recipe of their choosing. Anything goes, as long as seafood is the highlight of their dish.
The winners of those matches will move on to the Final Four, where we kick up the heat by requiring contestants to utilize only ingredients found in our new fully stocked kitchen. The last two cooks to make it to the final match in their respective divisions will battle for the title of OysterFest Cook Off Grand Champion. The Championship match will be full of mystery and drama when we surprise the final two contestants with an array of secret ingredients that they must transform in some creative and delicious way to wow the judges. We can’t send everyone home until we crown one Top OysterFest Chef, so on Sunday afternoon we will invite the Amateur Champion back to take on the Professional Champion.
2016 OysterFest Cook Off
This too will feature an assortment of secret ingredients that the cooks will be expected to use. Don’t place your bets so fast though,
because we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves. Professional cooks are used to being under pressure in the kitchen, so we want to make this Champion feel extra at home on our court! In years past the cooking competition has been judged by a panel of professional cooks and cooking instructors. With a new focus on showcasing local businesses and people, we are excited to welcome a new panel of judges from right here within our own community. Political leaders, local celebrities and community heroes will be diving fork first into this food fight. Aside from new judges and a new format, we’re excited to unveil a new feature to our competition kitchen, one we suspect will add a whole new level of drama to the competition.
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This year, thanks to the generous donations of sponsors, local farmers, and local business owners, contestants will be treated to an assortment of pantry staples, fresh produce, meats and shellfish to choose from. From custom spices to fresh oysters, cooks will be required to think quickly when preparing their dishes as they work their way up to the final round.
Bragging rights must be earned!
Chef John Cruse and Smoking Mo’s owners, Tom and Mo Beben have the honor of stocking the kitchen and selecting the secret ingredients to be unveiled in the final matches.
We’re even inviting your favorite food vendors to give us the assist by bringing around occasional complementary bites to keep us all fueled and in the game. We bring the action, you bring the excitement.
We definitely want to keep the selections manageable for the brave competitors on Saturday, but don’t expect us to take it so easy on the Pros!
Excitement and energy will be on special in this culinary court. We’re bringing music, laughs and a whole lot of friendly competition. We invite spectators to get in on the action. Cheering squads and adoring fans are encouraged to voice their support for their favorite cooks.
It’s a food fight, OysterFest style!
Spectators watch chefs in the 2016 OysterFest Cook Off
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Turquoise Waters on Hood Canal
You didn’t need to travel far this summer to bask in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Throughout Hood Canal beginning in mid July, residents, visitors and pilots were blessed with the glistening sight of Caribbean blue waters. The beautiful waters are created by a coccolithiphore bloom of Emiliania huxleyi.
Article & photo credit:
T. King, Washington Sea Grant and SoundToxins
The species was confirmed by Brian Bill, NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center and SoundToxins. He used a scanning electron microscope to identify E. huxleyi from a sample of water taken by Lyndsey Guild at the Union City Marina. Lyndsey, Coordinator for the SoundToxins program took a whole water sample for NOAA since the coccolithophore is so small and would slip through a phytoplankton net. Coccolithiphores are visible around the world, the White Cliffs of Dover for example, are made of coccoliths. E. huxleyi is the most prominent coccolithiophore throughout the world’s oceans. This single celled plankton is surrounded with calcite plates known as coccoliths and look like elaborate hub caps. These calcite plates scatter more light than they absorb mak-
ing the surface waters brighter. E. huxleyi thrives in the warm, stratified waters throughout Hood Canal. The stratification has locked the nutrient rich waters below the thermocline thus starving the plankton in the upper layers of the Canal from nutrients. Coccolithiphores easily out compete other species of plankton in nutrient limited waters. In areas of the Canal where nutrients are flowing in such as major rivers, you can clearly see the bloom pull away from the shoreline in the satellite photos. Once the rain and wind came into Hood Canal in mid August, the bloom disappeared as the waters of the Canal mixed and other species of plankton were able to take their turn blooming.
NASA has been able to capture the 2016 and 2017 blooms with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite and the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite. Using both satellite and Canal side images has helped to document the events for scientists, residents and visitors. Coccolithophores have been linked to the chemical balance between the atmosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere. They play a role in global carbon cycling with their ability to fix inorganic carbon. As they graze, they produce dimethyl sulfide emissions which may contribute to marine cloud formation and climate regulation. In addition, the coccoliths are being studied for nanotechnology related to telecommunications, optoelectronic devices, and biomedical uses. E. huxleyi also has a host of biotechnology uses because of its anti-parasitic, anti-tumor, antibiotic, and anti-fungal properties. Never fear, these blooms of E. huxleyi do not interfere with your ability to harvest and consume fish and shellfish or to swim. E. huxleyi is not known to be toxic. We never know when, where or how long the bloom will be in Hood Canal so we all treasure the time we have.
Hood Canal’s distinctive “hook” glowing green from space | Photo credit: NASA
The Bivalves for Clean Water Facebook page is a great place to find out when the Canal is blooming.
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the Marine Education Science Society RE (MESS) LTU members now providing the U C touch tanks and some of the lessons. INLE T
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The Washington State Department of Health staff created Oscar the oyster especially for Kids’ Day at OysterFest in the mid 90’s to demonstrate to students how shellfish concentrate phytoplankR E M ton andHpollution in their bodies. Both AM Oscar and the touch tanks are also on display for OysterFest.
We sure do.
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Organizations that have been partici- Family owned & operated South Sound Mariculture prides pating since 1993 include: Washingtonitself on producing premier oysters & clams. Riding the currents State Department of Health, Wash- of Hammersley Inlet, our unique tumble bags roll with the tides, ington State Department of Ecology, creating perfect oysters that are firm & full-flavored. Mason Conservation District, Washington State University, Mason CountyOur shellfish are available through Hama Hama Oyster Co. and Medic One, Mason County Public are featured in restaurants all over the world. Utility District #3 and Washington Sea Grant. Organizations joining them in We are pleased to support the Marine Education Science 2016 include the North Mason Kiwan-Society at the 2017 OysterFest. Stop by the Raw Oyster of the is, Marine Education Science Society, Half Shell booth to taste the freshness and join us and the Skokomish Tribe. in sponsoring marine education at events Teachers utilize Kids’ Day to jump start and in our local classrooms. environmental lessons for their students You know the event is a big success when you see students thriving, teachand expand upon them in their classproud to small GOO ers engaged andbe theaoriginal room with the aid of the lesson plans We’re Mason County. Dick Oltman andinKids’ Day volunteer, provided. Kids’ Day offers sessions on farm exclaim that “Kids’ Day is one of the water quality, pollution prevention, best things we ever added to Oystermarine animals, ecosystems, electrical Fest. Now some 23 years and 12,000 safety, conservation of natural resourcstudents later the event is still going es, boating safety and more—teaching children important lessons and provid- strong, funded completely by the PO Box 622, WA 98584 Skookum Rotary Club Foundation and ing useful toolsShelton for the future. Washington Sea Grant with incredible southsoundoysters.com
Shuck & Share 5k Run
Support Project Share | 8 AM, October 8, Shelton
Photo: PUD#3
Hundreds of runners show up each year to participate in the Shuck & Share 5k run, which happens on OysterFest Sunday. The proceeds from the race help fund Mason County PUD 3’s Project Share program. Project Share is a customer-funded assistance program to help limited-income families in crisis situations who need help paying their electric bills. Through the generosity of donors, more than 300 low-income families are helped each year with a $175 payment on their accounts. As other sources of aid continue to dwindle, more of our customers rely on Project Share for assistance. For more than 30 years, Mason PUD 3 customers and employees have generously funded Project Share.
The Shuck & Share race began in 2014 as a way to raise awareness (and funds) for the Project Share program. It attracts about 200 runners each year and raises approximately $3,000 for the program. Mason PUD 3 employees and local community members volunteer their time to organize the race each year. It relies heavily on these volunteers and sponsorships from about 30 local businesses to be successful. The race takes place on October 8, 2017 at 8:00 a.m., and begins at the Huff and Puff across from the Shelton High School.
Photo: PUD#3
You don’t have to be a PUD 3 customer to help - simply register for the 5k at pud3. org/run or www.active.com “Shuck & Share 5K 2017”. Or if you prefer, you can send a check payable to “Project Share” to PO Box 2148, Shelton, WA 98584.
The Port of Shelton is proud to partner with the 2017 OysterFest event. portofshelton.com 37
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All aboard the Shellfish Trail Similar to the wine trails of Eastern Washington, the trail will bring you from the Columbia River north to the Canadian border and explore not only Washington’s famous oysters, but also clams, geoducks, and mussels. Visit farms, gather your own shellfish off public beaches and attend events that embrace this resource, like OysterFest. The Washington Shellfish Trail will guide you on your journey.
Select a mini geographical tour or focus on one specific type of shellfish. The options are endless and build upon the other Washington trail systems such as the Strait of Juan de Fuca Scenic Byway. All of the stops will have specific points of interest and learning opportunities that will enhance your adventure. Did you know that the North Bay WDFW property boasts the largest population of Olympia oysters in Puget Sound? This and more will be highlighted features on the Trail.
We will also have an oversized picture frame for you to take commemorative Understanding the role of shellfish in our communities is essential to the long photos of your adventure at key stops. Stop by the WA Sea Grant booth at term health of our shellfish resources. OysterFest to catch your family shot in The trail emphasizes the interconnectthis giant frame and tag tour visit on edness of aquaculture within our rural communities and the value of shellfish facebook #shellfishtrail. to our well being. The Shellfish Trail If you are interested in your shellfish was awarded funding from the Nacompany or site becoming part of the tional Sea Grant Program and is being trail please visit the shellfishtrail.org developed by Image In Action Design website for details. and Washington Sea Grant. 2017 OYSTERFEST 38
Washington
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.ORG
Chart your course to OysterFest Cradled by acres of evergreen forests, in the shadow of the Olympic range, Mason County hosts a myriad of lakes, streams, saltwater coves and inlets– abundant with life. Come for the oysters, but stay and enjoy all the other great things the area has to offer! No matter whether you are wanting adventure, family fun – or a quiet day relaxing – in Mason County you are 15 minutes from creating the next amazing life experience – year round! Shelton is home Taylor Shellfish Farms. Shipping their Mason County product worldwide, this business offers a retail store on site as well as tours by request.
Hood Canal’s clear deep waters provide world-class shrimp and salmon fishing, scuba diving, and miles of shoreline for boaters, kayakers, beachcombers and shellfish lovers. From luxurious & unique lodging and dining –to sampling local wines and spirits or simply a walk on the beach– this is an excellent place to spend a few rejuvenating days.
Want to try your hand at gathering shellfish? Local state parks “plant” shellfish for the public to harvest. Arm yourself with a license (available locally at retail stores) and head to the low tide mark. Check out page 46 for a list of beaches in the area where you can collect your own shellfish.
The southern portion of Hood Canal provides recreation opportunities with easy access to mountain trails and alpine views. Stop by for visit at the Hama Hama Oysters in Liiliwaup. Family owned and operated, Hama Hama has been harvesting oysters and clams on the Canal for four generations – grown and available on site daily. Hama Hama has a full retail store as well as a Oyster Saloon on site. The Oyster Saloon serves beer and wine as well as delicious local entrees like crab cakes and grilled oysters.
grow with us Your Committed Community Partner bringing 200 SUSTAINABLE JOBS to beautiful Mason County.
Sierra Pacific Industries P.O. Box 700 Shelton, WA 98584 (360) 427-8200
spi-ind.com/careers
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Your ONE STOP Complete Outdoor Recreation Store Since 1948
Let Your Adventure Begin at Verles! Alumaweld • Smokercraft Yamaha • Suzuki • Mercury EZ Loader Trailer
Fishing Tackle & Gear, Hunting Gear & Marine Accessories Fishing & Hunting Licenses Check out Specials @VerlesLLC
741 WEST GOLDEN PHEASANT ROAD, SHELTON PHONE: (360) 426-0933 FAX: (360) 427-0866
verles.com
Boat Launches & Marinas Hood Canal
South Puget Sound
Twanoh State Park Between Belfair and Union Double boat launching ramp and parking area, parks.wa.gov
Fair Harbor Marina (360) 426-4028 | Grapeview, WA Services include fuel dock, moorage, store, espresso, showers and restrooms.
Port of Allyn North Shore Dock & Launch (360) 372-2408 | Allyn Launch ramp and dock, marine pump-out. portofallyn.com
Hood Canal Marina (360) 898-2252 | Union Privately owned marina open to the public. Pleasant Harbor Marina (360) 796-4611 A well protected, deep water full-service marina, gas and diesel for boats, supplies, moorage and dining. pleasantharbormarina.com Potlatch Boat Launch Skokomish operated launch Between Potlatch & Hoodsport, near Cushman power facility Quilcene (Herb Beck) Marina Where Hwy 101 bends sharply in Quilcene, turn onto Linger Longer Road, follow to end and turn left into the Quilcene Marina. Rest-A-While Marina (360) 877-9122 | Hoodsport Lunch, moorage, storage, rentals. SummerTide Resort & Marina (360) 275-9313 | Tahuya Lodging, RV space, supplies
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Allyn Waterfront Dock & Park (360) 275-2430 | Allyn, WA Marina features launch ramps, moorage and pump-out. Park includes gazebo and play area.
Latimer’s Landing Pickering Passage, Harstine Island Located adjacent to the Harstine Island bridge. Jarrell Cove (800) 362-8823 | Harstine Island RV sites, fuel dock, pump out, store, and beach. Jarrell Cove State Park Harstine Island, WA | parks.wa.gov Moorage, buoys, pump-out, tent sites, showers. Shelton Marina & Yacht Club (360) 426-9476 | Shelton Public launch ramp, gas dock Arcadia Point Squaxin Tribe launch, open to the public, popular with kayakers, has trailer parking and nice beach Hope Island State Park Buoys, access to a 106-acre marine camping island park by beach landing only.
Bivalve Shellfish
Canaries in the coal mine, grazers of the sea By Teri King and Janis McNeal
Article reproduced with permission of Washington Sea Grant
Shellfish are a keystone species, studied by water investigators to determine the health of a water body. Clams, oysters, mussels and other bivalves filter seawater and, in the process, can accumulate environmental contaminants in their tissues. Polluted shellfish beds are often an early warning to a larger problem that needs immediate attention. Marine water quality standards are more stringent for shellfish harvesting than for wading and swimming. Since shellfish are a food, the threshold for contamination is much lower than for external contact with marine waters. Bivalve shellfish also play an important role in the food web. These grazers of the sea filter copious amounts of phytoplankton rich water, converting it into a delectable dish — just as cows grazing in a pasture convert grass into steak. The role of shellfish in this transformative position within the marine ecosystem is essential in the cycling of nutrients in our marine waters. By converting phytoplankton into tissue and shell, the shellfish are able to improve light penetration in the water column, reducing overall turbidity and benefiting larger aquatic plants such as eelgrass. Bivalve shellfish help control the overabundance of phytoplankton in parts of Hood Canal and South Puget Sound, where nitrogen has led to over-fertilization of marine waters. The best option for marine waters is to greatly reduce
the flow of nitrogen from land to sea. Failing that, bivalve shellfish introduced into nitrogen-rich marine waters can be an effective part of a remediation plan. The animals consume and retain nitrogen. When they are harvested, the nitrogen they consumed is removed from the system. It’s in the Water Shellfish harvested in clean water are safe to eat; shellfish harvested in dirty water are not. Clams and oysters filter the water, picking out phytoplankton, bacteria and viruses to feed themselves. Shed by all warm-blooded animals, fecal coliform bacteria are food for bivalve shellfish and can cause illness in humans. Information is available from the Washington State Department of Health’s Office of Shellfish and Water Protection or local county health jurisdictions. The state and counties generally do not assess private tideland water quality. Shoreline property owners may be able to infer the water quality of their tidelands based on state assessments of a nearby commercial operation or public beach.
Another approach would be to sample your beach’s shellfish and submit them to a lab for analysis. One test, however, will only be a snapshot of the water quality conditions on your beach on that day. Contamination levels can change with property use, weather and season. Do not harvest and eat shellfish if there are any doubts about their safety. Septic Systems Standing on your beach looking up at the land, what do you see? A house, a dog, a nicely manicured lawn — and a bright green algae trail coming from a bulk head weep? Does your house have a septic system? If so, do you know where it is located? Inspections are important to make sure that all of the components of your system
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are working properly and the septic tank doesn’t need to be pumped. Routine septic system inspections will help catch problems before they give you a stomachache. Animal Waste Dogs, cats, chickens, birds, horses and other livestock all can contribute to fecal coliform pollution. Letting the rain wash through your yard can flow down to your shellfish. Pick up your pet waste, bag it, and put it into the trash, not the septic system. For livestock, contact your local conservation district for manure management assistance. If you have a dock that seals and birds like to visit, it is important to sweep the feces into a bag, not the water, and put the bag in the garbage. 2017 OYSTERFEST
Yard and Garden What products do you use on the lawn or in your garden to keep it free of weeds and pests? Are those products running off onto your beach? If they are, the shellfish may be concentrating those compounds in their bodies. Try slower-release fertilizers that bind better to the soil and plants, releasing nutrients needed throughout the season. If you use fertilizers, use only the recommended amount. You may even decide that you don’t need a bright green lawn and the fertilizer applications that go with it. A simple way to see how far your fertilizer is running is to dye it with a food-grade dye — a blue dry drink mix will work. Fertilize with the dye-covered granules as usual, then water. If the dye is running into the water, you know the fertilizer is right there with it. Keeping fertilizer applications farther from the shoreline may help. Remember: fertilizers make sea plants, as well as land plants, grow. Filter Your Runoff Plant and maintain shoreline vegetation. Trees, shrubs and small plants can all work together as a biological filter, taking up excess nutrients and water that would otherwise run onto the beach. The fibrous roots of trees and shrubs can also help to hold the soil on the bank and keep it from being washed down on top of your oysters or clams. Pacific oysters have an ability to clap their valves and uncover themselves — up to a point — but the smaller Olympia oysters can suffocate if buried under too much silt.
Too much sediment running onto the beach can also bury clams deeper, smothering them if they cannot climb higher to expose their siphons to the water. One of the greatest joys Puget Sound has to offer is the opportunity to dig clams and shuck oysters, creating a healthy, delightful meal out of a day’s gathering. Even more special is the ability to step right outside your front door and harvest shellfish from your own tidelands. By taking care to limit the nutrients and pathogens running off of your property and into the Sound, and by maintaining a healthy population of shellfish on your beach, you will be helping to improve the water quality of Puget Sound — one bite at a time.
Assistance for Waterfront Owners Teri King from Washington Sea Grant offer technical assistance to waterfront property owners interested in enhancing their beach with shellfish for personal consumption and water quality concerns. She also works with tideland owners to develop small and large scale shellfish culture operations. Since 1977 Washington Sea Grant has offered training to tideland owners and shellfish producers about sustainable culture methods, optimizing production, animal health, seafood safety, harvesting, pollution and processing. For more homeowner opportunities or to schedule a site visit contact (360) 432-3054 or wsgcanal@uw.edu or visit wsg.washington.edu.
Congratulations OysterFest on 36 Years!
Gillis Auto Center | (360) 426-5585 •1-800-365-4096
West 180 Hulbert Rd • Shelton • 24 / 7 at gillisautocenter.com
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The world is your oyster – there’s an app for that Want to know about all your favorite oysters and where to find them? Pearl gives users a way to learn about oysters and find what is available with real-time restaurant menu information.
Hama Hama Oyster Co and South Sound Mariculture for providing oysters & shuckers!
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BRININESS amount of salinity CUCUMBER NOTES green, slightly bitter flavor of a cucumber SWEET mild and sweet not briny MELON flavor of the raw oyster SALINITY Salt is often the first and sometimes primary flavor of an oyster. Oysters with very low salinity, can taste flat, sweet or almost buttery. TEXTURE should be soft and fleshy, crisp on the palate. FINISH last impression after swallowing. Common finishes are MINERAL, METALLIC, EARTHY, KELPY, CUCUMBER or MELON.
THANK YOU!
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Oysters offer a variety of flavor notes due to species and merrior.
Proceeds benefit the MESS Marine Touch Tanks @ OysterFest!
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Originally established solely as an “oyster app,” Pearl has expanded to host “a sea of choices” following seafood – farm to table. Download the free app and help farmers by tagging a few of your favorites at OysterFest!
Visit the Oyster Raw Bar near the entrance for Hood Canal & Hammersley Oysters!
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The app outlines Pearl’s vision to connect suppliers, restaurants and diners for a better seafood experience. Pearl records diner preferences that restaurants can use to drive more efficient ordering behaviors.
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For oyster lovers, the Pearl app takes advantage of a unique mobile design that allows users to search for favorite oysters and locate restaurants nearby that have them on the menu. Users view flavor profiles, save oysters they like, and rate oysters. The app allows farmers to load flavor profiles and restaurants to drop in their oysters and specials as they have them. Pearl matches these oysters and instantly displays their profile in the app.
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Linger longer in our towns Photo: George Stenberg Photography
Stay a while or consider returning!
ALLYN, located in the protected waters of the
BELFAIR (ON HOOD CANAL)
Belfair Motel | 23322 NE SR 3, Belfair | 275-4485 | belfairmotel.net Cabin on Hood Canal | 121 NE Wagon Wheel Rd, Belfair | 277-0257 | cabinonhoodcanal.com The Cherokee Beach House | 130 NE Dulalip Landing, Belfair | (877) 232-7941 | selahinn.com Gladwin Beach House | 391 Gladwin Beach Rd, Belfair | 337-2960 | gladwinbeach.com Sisters Point Waterfront Cabin | 12121 NE North Shore Rd, Belfair | 275-6816
UNION (ON HOOD CANAL)
Alderbrook Resort & Spa | 10 E Alderbrook Dr, Union | 898-2200 | alderbrookresort.com Cameo Boutique Cottage & Suite | 6871 E Hwy 106, Union |490-7006 | cameoboutique.com Harmony Hill Retreat Center | 7362 E Hwy 106, Union | 898-2363 | harmonyhill.org Robin Hood Village Resort | 6780 E Hwy 106, Union | 898-2163 | robinhoodvillageresort.com
SHELTON AREA LODGING A Lighthouse on Hammersley | 292 Libby Rd | (360) 427-1107 | lighthouseonham.com Harstine Island Beach Cabin | 21 E Dana Dr | (253) 943-5264 | harstinerental.com Little Creek Casino Resort | W 91 SR 108 | (800) 667-7711 | little-creek.com Pirates Cove Caboose | 202 E Pirates Creek Rd | (360) 569-2799 | greatgetaways.com Shelton Inn | 628 W Railroad Ave| (360) 426-4468 | sheltoninn.com Super 8 Motel | 2943 Northview Circle (360) 426-1654 | super8.com
*Phone number area code 360, unless otherwise specified.
Railroad Avenue in Downtown Shelton
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South Sound, is famous for kayaking and boating on Case Inlet. Stop in to enjoy a selection of restaurants and shops including a unique chainsaw carving retail outlet, Bear in the Box.
BELFAIR is nestled in the tip of Hood Canal.
Belfair hosts local and chain restaurants along with major grocery stores and many small local shops. Belfair is the last major retail zone when approaching Hood Canal from the east.
UNION is renowned as an artists’ haven. With a
range of lodging – from quaint cottages to inclusive resorts, the town was recognized as a “Prettiest Town in America.” Stop by the Union City Market for local produce and gifts including oysters and clams to take home.
SHELTON is the westernmost city on Puget
Sound. Shelton was once served by a fleet of steamboats. Traveling down Hammersley inlet on the tidal currents, these ships delivered supplies. Tugboats still ride these tides to deliver throughout Puget Sound. There is no shortage of shopping or dining in Shelton. Head uptown for the newer chain restaurants near Walmart – venture downtown for the more nique flavors. From milkshakes at Nita’s Cafe to sushi at Osaka’s and all choices between – a perfectly prepared steak at the Strip or BBQ at Mo’s. All located on Railroad Ave., just minutes from OysterFest!
Thank you! Staying at OysterFest OysterFest will be held again on the north side of the Port of Shelton property. The festival, including car parking and RV’s, will be inside a fenced area.
OYSTERFEST would not be possible without the generous support of the 100’s of volunteers. Thank you!
The Skookum Rotary Club is proud to take the funds raised with your support and give back to the community! The 2016 OysterFest supported: $20,000 in Scholarships $16,000+ in Community Grants & Services supporting organizations working to improve lives of people in Mason County.
Support to groups & programs:
Food Bank
Habitat for Humanity
HOST – helping homeless
young adults finish high school
Sound Learning which provides GED and ESL in Mason County
RV’s will be parked on the east and west sides of the festival, just outside the paved runway, outside the inside fence, stretching the entire length of the festival. All sites are $35/night Friday and Saturday including one day admission for two people each night. Camping is also available on Thursday and Sunday for $20/night. Campers may arrive starting at 12PM on Thursday. On-site registration will be open on Thursday from 12 – 6PM, Friday from 9AM until 8PM, and Saturday from 4PM until 6PM. Outside of these times you are welcome to park in the overflow area, and come to the RV registration tent when it opens. The ground is very level and packed dirt/gravel/grass. There are no hookups. Showers are on the west side of the event, near the tent camping. Quiet hours will be from 11PM until 7AM. You are welcome to run your generators at all other times.
Reserved Sites & Groups
Reservations (200+) will be taken for reserved sites until mid-September, unless this area fills before then. Reserved sites are adjacent to the event. All sites in the reserved area that are not taken will be available for first-come/first-served reserved camping. When you arrive you will be told if you are in the overflow area or reserved area. You can register on line for these sites up until the time you.
Tent/Small RV
This area will be first-come/first served. Sites will not be marked – it’s up to the campers to arrange appropriately. Want more information or like to make your reservations online? Visit oysterfest.org for best options or to reserve your perfect space!
Join us in April for daily Oyster Month celebrations; the perfect month to enjoy a Hood Canal oyster from our beach.
Academic Excellence – recognizing the top 10% of 8th graders and taking them to a college campus for a day. Also recognizing the top 10% of juniors.
Science Fair – creating opportunities for students to explore science by presenting Science Fair projects at Skookum Rotary’s Annual Science Fair.
360.898.2145
10 E Alderbrook, Union, WA
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Collect your shells
PHOTO: Tom Michalski | Beach tours with Sea Grant guides and U-Pick oysters at Hama Hama’s Oyster Rama, a Spring tide beach celebration in Lilliwaup, WA.
With a salt water canal at its center and a myriad of lakes, waterfalls and streams surrounding the inner fingers of Puget Sound – this area is rich in aquaculture and water related opportunities. It’s time to start planning your outdoor adventures!
If you harvest clams or oysters, make sure to keep them on ice or eat them soon after harvest. DOH advises that shellfish recreationally harvested from June through September, should be cooked thoroughly to avoid illness from Vibriosis. It is best practice to read posted warnings or call the Marine Toxins/PSP Hotline: 1-800-562-5632 for a recorded message that is updated regularly. Visit the Shellfish Safety Map at doh. wa.gov/ShellfishSafety. There is also a mobile friendly version of the map at doh.wa.gov/shellfishmobilemap. Clam and oyster season are beach specific and may change annually. Always Check BEFORE you dig.
South Puget Sound
Hope Island State Park, Boat access only. Oysters are incidental at this site but clamming can be quite good. This beach is a very popular place to dig for geoducks. A tide lower than -2.0 feet is best for geoducks. Most of the oysters are on the west side of the island near the south end. The season only open for the month of May. North Bay – Abundant Manila clams and an enhanced oyster bed. The season here is short and locked into May and September under terms of a shoreline agreement. Oakland Bay Tideland, – Open year-round, good shore access with parking. Manila clams and oysters can be found here.
Hood Canal
Belfair State Park – Excellent beach for oysters and Manila clams can be found here. Potlatch State Park – Seasonally open - oysters and a variety of clam species. Clams, mussels and oysters open April 1 through August 31 Lilliwaup State Park – Open year-round, excellent for oysters and native clams. Clamming
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is difficult due to the cobble substrate, but the beach is abundant with butter clams. Rendsland Creek – Open year-round, excellent for oysters and a variety of clams can be found here although not in great densities. Twanoh State Park – Open year-round for oysters and seasonally for clams, check season before harvesting. Good beach for Manila clams. DNR 33, 47 & 48 – Are boat access only beaches, open year-round for clams and oysters. Eagle Creek – Open year-round for oysters and seasonally for clams, check seasons before harvesting. This is an excellent oyster beach. Triton Cove State Park – There is very little clam resource on this beach, but there are good numbers of year-round oysters. Dosewallips State Park – This is an excellent beach for clams. The best areas are in the mid-upper tidal zone in mixed sand and gravel substrate. Productive digging is also found around and among the oysters, an area often overlooked by harvesters. Please take care not to cover oysters with sand and mud as this will potentially kill the oysters.
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