Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival Welcomes Summer’s End

The 37th annual Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival celebrates the end of summer with food, fun and festivities for the entire family. This year's event will run the first weekend after Labor Day, Friday, September 5 through Sunday, September 7 in Norwalk, Connecticut. Presenting sponsor for the fourth consecutive year is First County Bank.

The Festival has a wide variety of activities the whole family will enjoy. Making its debut this year is the Nerveless Nocks Thrill Show, aerial stunt artists performing such feats as a motorcycle high wire acts and daredevil stunts. Also new this year will be a Gondola Ferris Wheel with light show, allowing riders to get a birds-eye view of the festival, as well as sites in the city of Norwalk and Long Island. And back by popular demand for the second year is the Accurate Auto Repair Craft Beer tent for adults with more than 25 varieties of unique and distinctive brews.

"This year's festival promises to be one of the best with popular headline entertainers, thrills from the Nerveless Nocks and Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, an abundance of family entertainment in the Kids' Cove, and plenty to see and do throughout the weekend," says Oyster Festival Chairman Mike Reilly.

Musical Entertainment

The Festival offers continuous entertainment by national acts and local musicians. Grammy Award winner Scott Stapp of Creed opens the weekend's nighttime entertainment on Friday, performing on the main stage. On Saturday night, the sound of rock and roll continues with Grammy Award nominee and Billboard Chart band Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Great music continues on Sunday with a Latin and Jazz musical journey with the Tito Puente, Jr. Orchestra at 4:00 p.m. Also on Sunday, back after a 19-year absence is the U.S. Army Field Band, The Volunteers, a contemporary, 6-piece band that will play rock, pop, country, and patriotic music at 1:00 p.m.

For the Kids

Families and children are always welcome at the Norwalk Seaport Association's Oyster Festival with entertainment choices for the kid in all of us. The always-popular Kids' Cove with a variety of games and rides promises to be the largest ever. The centerpiece is the Chevy Big Top circus tent with an endless list of entertainment including by Center Ring Productions (www.centerringpro.com) featuring quick change artists from the Moscow Circus, a dog show, a Wild West performer, acrobats and clowns. Other entertainers include a storyteller and the Backyard Circus with a puppet parade. On Sunday, Family Day, at 2:30 p.m., a special Fantasy and Fairy Tale Circus will be held with favorite fairy tale characters, princesses and pirates along with face painting and photo opportunities with the characters.

For the Whole Family

In addition to the debut of the Nerveless Nocks Thrill Show (www.nervelessnocks.com), the STIHL Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show (www.lumberjackent.com) returns featuring logrolling, axe throwing, tree climbing, dragster chain sawing and more. The Pirates Coast Adventure will delight all, where families can share a song or two with pirates, hear tales from the sea, and join in pirate activities. For those looking for a souvenir or a gift, the Arts and Crafts Pavilion hosts more than 100 artists and crafters.

Other Highlights

Food of all kinds abounds at the Festival with culinary fare ranging from Italian and Polish favorites to all-American hot dogs and hamburgers. Much of the food is prepared by dozens of local nonprofit organizations allowing them to raise funds for their charitable causes. Oysters are also on the bill, at the food booths, the Webster Bank Oyster Pavilion exhibiting Norwalk's oystering and maritime history, and the popular oyster slurping and shucking contests.

The Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival is held at Veteran's Park, adjacent to Norwalk Harbor on Seaview Avenue in Norwalk, CT. Hours are Friday, September 5: 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.; Saturday, September 6: 11:00 a.m. –11:00 p.m.; and Sunday, September 7: 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Admission for adults is $10 on Friday, $12 on Saturday and Sunday. Children 5-12 years old are $5. U.S. military personnel on active duty are free. All entertainment is included in ticket prices. Tickets can be purchased at www.seaport.org.

About the Norwalk Seaport Association

The Norwalk Seaport Association was founded in 1978 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, education and public awareness of Norwalk's maritime environment and heritage. The Seaport Association and its volunteers are solely responsible for organizing and financing the Oyster Festival. In addition to the Oyster Festival, the Norwalk Seaport Association owns Sheffield Lighthouse and its volunteers maintain the lighthouse and grounds as a museum and nature preserve. The organization also offers harbor cruises, special events, maritime education programs and habitat restoration projects with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information, visit www.seaport.org. or call (203) 838-9444.

R
Submitted by Redding, CT

Become a Local Voice in Your Community!

HamletHub invites you to contribute stories, events, and more to keep your neighbors informed and connected.

Read Next