Rhode Islanders have a knack for doing a few things well. We have the art of frozen lemonade down and we have numerous companies selling the refreshing beverage with Del’s being the most well-known. We also know how to make amazing food while putting on a heck of a party no matter the occasion. An example of the latter is the Ocean State Oyster Festival, which celebrates our state’s love for the delicious fare that comes served in a half shell. This year marks the 10th edition of the event and it’s going to be taking place at 195 District Park in Providence on Oct. 5. From 1-8 p.m., this extravaganza features 16 local oyster farms, live music, craft beer & wine and food trucks adjacent to the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge.

Along with being a fun experience for anyone who attends, the festival promotes environmental conservation through its partnership with a local organization and support for another with a similar vision.

“In the fall each year, we get together to celebrate and recognize the oyster as a treasured natural resource in Rhode Island with the largest collection of oyster farms from the Ocean State assembled at one time,” the organizers state via oysterfestri.com. “[We] partner with the Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island to rebuild natural habitat reefs and help support the Ocean State Aquaculture Association. Together, let's help sustain this important and lasting legacy by supporting our local oyster farmers and their ecosystem, Narragansett Bay and its estuaries! The Ocean State Oyster Festival's goal is to help honor and preserve this legacy.”

Through its collaboration with the Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island, the Ocean State Oyster Festival will reclaim the event’s discarded oyster shells to keep them out of the trash, recycle them and use them to rebuild the ocean’s reefs. Their support of the Ocean State Agriculture Association helps further the mission of educating and advocating for sustainable farming around Narragansett Bay and its estuaries. The festival also aims to recognize the indigenous roots of oyster farming, its effect on Rhode Island’s culinary culture and how it still resonates in the present day. As anyone can tell, this get-together will be a lot more than just a time for people to indulge themselves in a scrumptious delicacy. It will bring awareness to a cause that plays a bigger part in our everyday lives than folks might immediately recognize.

A few of the oyster farms that will be participating in this year’s festival include Blue Acres Oyster Farm, Moonstone Oyster Company, Quonset Point Oysters, Rocky Rhode Oyster Company and Thomas Point Oysters. For the live music portion, Newport surf rock shredders The Z-Boys, Providence arena rockers David Tessier All-Star Stars, local reggae act Bud Runner and Providence cosmic rock & roll space cadets Ghost Mojo will be performing. There will be plenty of off-street parking around the area and children & teenagers under the age of 14 are free admission. To get tickets, log onto the website that I mentioned earlier in this article. For more details and future announcements, check out the same website or look up the Ocean State Oyster Festival on either Facebook or Instagram.