by Tom Chillemi –
The 64th Urbanna Oyster Festival is set for Friday and Saturday, Nov. 5 and 6, and once again the event promises good times, delicious food, two parades, live music on three stages, historic buyboats, crowning of the Oyster Festival Queen and Little Miss Spat, the Virginia Oyster Shucking Contest and more. This year’s festival marks its return to its full, traditional, in-person format, after using a scaled-back, mostly online format last year in response to COVID-19 concerns.
See the special section in the Nov. 4 print edition of the Southside Sentinel for all the details on the 2021 Urbanna Oyster Festival.
Parades
The annual Fireman’s Parade is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, and the Urbanna Oyster Festival Parade is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6.
The Fireman’s Parade will wind its way through town, while the Oyster Festival Parade will bypass the main part of Virginia Street. Both parades will assemble on the west side of town.
The Fireman’s Parade will feature 60 fire and rescue units, beauty queens and dignitaries. It is sponsored by the Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) of Urbanna.
The Fireman’s dance follows the parade on the firehouse grounds from 8 p.m.-midnight with the band “The Janitors” (beer garden gates open at noon on Friday). The dance is sponsored by Al Pugh Distributing with Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra and Devils Backbone.
Saturday’s Oyster Festival Parade will have about 35 units, leading off with the main sponsor, Quarles Petroleum. A special parade guest will be Smokey Bear. About five or six high school bands will be marching in the parade.
Festival Queen
The 2021 Oyster Festival Queen and Little Miss Spat will be crowned Friday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m. inside the Urbanna firehouse. This year, the four Queen contestants and four Little Miss Spat contestants raised more than $19,998 and contributed more than 496 hours of community service.
As the Oyster Festival has evolved over the years, so has the selection of the Queen and Little Miss Spat (a spat is a baby oyster). What was once a beauty pageant is now a scholarship-based competition for the Queens. The Queen contestants must be high school seniors and residents of Middlesex County. Each Queen contestant mentors a first-grade contestant as her Little Miss Spat.
The Queen and Little Miss Spat competition starts early in the spring and extends until the crowning. The 2021 Queen contestants and their Little Miss Spat contestants include: Madysen Davis and Emalynn Norwood; Kendall Lucas and Caroline Entsminger; Haylie Foster and Piper Anderson and Kaydence Congleton and Faith Whitaker.
The Queen contestants are judged in five areas: individual community service project, individual judges’ interview, academic achievement, a spontaneously written response to a random question, and overall participation in the competition.
The Little Miss Spat contestants are judged separately from the Queens in the following areas: participation at an ice cream social and a tea party, individual judges’ interview, and overall participation.
The foundation of this competition is character building and community service. Each Queen contestant must volunteer a minimum of 25 hours benefiting Middlesex County. This year’s Queen and Spat contestants have volunteered well over the required time, completing over 496 hours and donating more than $19,998 for the betterment of this community.
Urbanna Museum
The historic James Mills Scottish Factor Store (formerly called the Old Tobacco Warehouse), which houses the Urbanna Museum and Visitor’s Center on Virginia Street just up the hill from Urbanna Creek, will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days of the festival. Robert Keyes, a multi-faceted solo finger-style guitarist, will perform on the front porch both days.
A museum exhibit, “Oyster is King,” traces the influence of the oyster industry on the area.
There will be a live and video presentation of the historic James Mills Scottish Factor Store and the Mitchell Map inside the museum.
The museum porch overlooks “Community Row,” sponsored by Primis Bank, which will be on Virginia Street between Cross Street and the waterfront. Community Row will feature crafts, demonstrations and exhibits from Middlesex artists and local non-profit groups.
Car show
An old tradition — an antique auto show — returns this year. Classic vehicles will be on display at the corner of Waverly Road and Virginia Street across from the Urbanna Firehouse on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This will be a “people’s choice” voting event. The winners in each class will be featured in Saturday’s Oyster Festival Parade. The car show is sponsored by Ken Houtz Chevrolet-Buick.
Food and crafts
More than 100 vendors will be open for business when the festival begins at 10 a.m. on Friday and goes until midnight with the dance at the Urbanna Firehouse, and on Saturday the festival runs from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Bring your appetite. An array of foods will be available from more than 30 food vendors. The honored oyster is always featured in a variety of presentations—raw, roasted, fried, steamed and stewed. The famous Middlesex Lions Club oyster fritters return this year at its same location on Virginia Street at Rappahannock Avenue.
In addition, visitors can enjoy crab soup, crab bisque, seafood chowder, clams, crab cakes, shrimp, fish, corn dogs, sausages, hamburgers, hot dogs, turkey legs, roast beef, funnel cakes, kettle corn, roasted nuts, ice cream, cotton candy, snow cones, candy apples and many other goodies.
In addition to great food and desserts, visitors will delight in the variety of crafts available throughout town. Among the many offerings are stained glass, wood carvings, sculpture, pottery, dolls, brass, silver, leather goods and jewelry. Many craft vendors will be in Taber Park on Rappahannock Avenue at Festival Village.
VIP Oyster Lovers
The VIP Oyster Lovers Experience returns for its fourth year and has sold out for both days.
Included for VIPs are exclusive VIP tables and seating, support from a festival concierge to help navigate the event, private restroom facilities, bottled waters, discounts at local businesses from Nov. 2021 to April 2022, VIP seating at the Virginia Oyster Shucking Contest on Saturday, Nov. 6, a 2021 Urbanna Oyster Festival commemorative poster, six wine tastings, six beer tastings, six oyster tastings, and a gift swag bag.
Plan ahead for 2022 and find VIP ticket information at urbannaoysterfestival.com. VIPs must be 21 years or older to purchase a ticket. An ID will be required.
Waterfront
Two water taxis will operate from the Urbanna Town Marina on both Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. They will transport visitors to and from their boats anchored in the harbor. Boat tours of the creek also will be available.
The Oyster Festival waterfront at the Urbanna Town Marina will showcase the area’s varied history and emphasize the conservation and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.
Since its days as a crucial colonial port, Urbanna’s waterfront has always been an essential part of town life. In its recent past, its docks were filled with Chesapeake Bay buyboats and deadrise workboats as watermen bought and sold oysters and crabs they had harvested.
During the Oyster Festival, history comes alive at the waterfront. Festival-goers are welcome to board the Lynx, a replica of “an American privateer” sailing schooner that engaged British ships in the War of 1812. It was involved in one of the war’s larger naval battles that occurred on the Rappahannock River.
Waterfront activities
The waterfront area of the festival provides opportunities for visitors to look at the beautiful Urbanna Town Marina and harbor, learn about the marine life of the Chesapeake Bay region, and listen to live music. Come to the waterfront to climb aboard a historic boat, examine marine creatures in touch tanks, and taste some local seafood.
Highlights for this year include:
- A replica of the American privateer Lynx will be open for tours. The original tall ship was involved in the War of 1812.
- A variety of hands-on exhibits from the Watermen’s Museum, the Fairfield Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and the Tidewater Soil & Conservation District.
- Music and refreshments
Oyster Shucking Contest
The Virginia Oyster Shucking Contest, sponsored by Rappahannock Oyster Company, will start at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, behind the firehouse.
Since Urbanna is the home of Virginia’s “official” Oyster Festival, it is only appropriate that some of the best oyster shuckers in the world practice their trade near the town. The top professional shucker in the contest wins $300. The first place prize in each of the men’s and women’s divisions is $100; second, $50; and third, $25.
The winner is declared state champion and advances to compete in the National Oyster Shucking Contest in St. Mary’s County, Md., in October 2022.
There will be an amateur shucking competition with a plaque for the winner, and an official Oyster Festival poster for second and third place finishers. Registration begins at 9 a.m. behind the firehouse.
Wine tasting
Returning this year is wine tasting featuring several Virginia wineries. The wine tasting area, courtesy of IsaBell K. Horsley Real Estate Ltd., will be on Virginia Street next to the post office from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on both days of the festival. There is a $15 admission fee.
“Boutique” oyster tasting from Rappahannock Oyster Company of Topping, also will bring the flavor of its oyster-tasting room named Merroir that is located at Locklies Marina in Topping to the wine tasting. The taste of these aquaculture-raised specialty oysters varies from heavy salt, sweet, and mildly salty, depending on where they were raised. Their names give a clue to their flavor — Olde Salts, Rappahannock River Oysters, and Stingray Oysters. Chefs will prepare the oysters, pairing them with local wines from Mattaponi Winery, Williamsburg Winery, Byrd Cellars and Zoll Vineyards.
The Craft beer tasting event will be at the far end of Festival Village. Craft beers include Ardent, Blue Mountain, Bold Rock, Devils Backbone, Hardywood, New Realm, Port City and That Damn Mary.
The $10 admission includes a souvenir and four tastings. Brewery reps will be on hand to answer questions.
Fun for children
Wildlings Play Scapes will sponsor the children’s activity area in Festival Village, where children ages 4-10 will get creative. Hands-on crafts available for children include paper bag puppets, foam animal hats, sand art, necklaces, face painting and many zoo animal themed crafts. “Students are excited to be part of providing this high-quality children’s experience!” said a festival spokesperson.
Magician/juggler Jonathan Austin will wow the crowd with his high energy and mesmerizing acts in the children’s area on Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and again 1 to 4 p.m.
There will be carnival games provided by Adventure Family Amusements.
Music and entertainment
A variety of musical entertainment has been booked for the Urbanna Oyster Festival’s three stages on both days of the festival.
On Friday performing on the Festival Village stage, which is sponsored by Gloucester Toyota, is Nate Oyler (Americana) from 10 a.m. to noon; and Sweet Justice (classic rock) from 12:30-4:30 p.m.
At the Waterfront Stage, which is sponsored by Kathleen M. Hall, CPA, PC, on Friday is the reggae band “Stuck On A Name” playing one hour sets at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.
Performing on the porch of the Mills Scottish Factor Store on Friday will be Robert Keyes, a multi-fact solo finger-style guitarist. He will perform one-hour sets at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m.
The Fireman’s Parade is at 7 p.m.
Saturday bands
On Saturday, “Rip Tide” performs southern and classic rock on the Festival Village stage from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1-5 p.m.
Performing on the Waterfront Stage from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. will be “The Collectiv3” (soul and R&B). From 2-5 p.m. “Nate Oyler & the Unknowns” will play Americana.
Performing on the porch of the Mills Scottish Factor Store on Friday will be Robert Keyes, a multi-fact solo finger-style guitarist. He will perform one-hour sets at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.
The Oyster Festival Parade is at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
See a full schedule of musical entertainment and events, and more in the special Urbanna Oyster Festival pull-out section in the Nov. 4 print edition of the Southside Sentinel.
Street closings, parking
On Friday, Nov. 5, the Oyster Festival begins at 10 a.m. and closes at midnight. On Saturday, Nov. 6, the festival runs from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Under the Oyster Festival plan, the town will be closed to motor vehicle traffic as a safety precaution on Friday from 6-8 p.m. for the Fireman’s Parade, and on Saturday from about 9 a.m.-8 p.m. There will be no exceptions. Town residents and guests are urged to make their plans accordingly.
The town streets may also be closed to motor vehicles on Friday as pedestrian conditions dictate.
On Saturday only, six shuttles will transport senior and handicapped persons across the bridge to and from parking areas on the Rosegill (east) side of town. The shuttle runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The fee is $2 per person each way with proceeds benefiting the Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department of Urbanna.
Official Oyster Festival parking prices on both sides of town will be $20 on Friday and Saturday. A portion of the parking fees offset Oyster Festival expenses and contribute to Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation programs and its promotion of the festival. Since 1991, the Foundation has sponsored the festival.
There are a number of smaller parking lots in town that will be available Friday and until 9 a.m. on Saturday.
Vehicles will be restricted from entering or leaving town starting between 6-8 p.m. on Friday.
Cars parked in town on Saturday will not be able to leave until the roads are re-opened at about 8 p.m.
Handicapped parking is on the west side of town and will be at the corner of Virginia Street and Red Hill Drive. It is operated by the K-9 Alert Search and Rescue Dogs, which benefits from the parking fees. Follow the signs.
Merchandise
This year’s official Urbanna Oyster Festival Poster, can be purchased for $20 at the Oyster Festival Information RV, provided by Dodd RV of Yorktown on the corner of Virginia Street and Rappahannock Avenue. It can also be purchased by calling the festival office at 804-758-0368.
The official Oyster Festival souvenirs vendor will be for sale under the tent near Primis Bank on Friday and Saturday.
Free Oyster Festival programs will be distributed at parking areas and at the information center near Primis Bank.
First responders
The police headquarters will be at the intersection of Cross and Prince George streets in the parking lot behind Bay Design.
Emergency medical services will be covered by zones and stationed at the Urbanna firehouse on Virginia Street near Urbanna Market; Bonner Street and Rappahannock Avenue near Festival Village; and the intersection of Virginia and Cross streets.
Lost and found will be at the Oyster Festival Information RV near Primis Bank.
For more information, call the Oyster Festival Foundation at 804-758-0368 or visit www.urbannaoysterfestival.com.
