By Eleanor Cade Busby
Shuckers were hard at work to keep up with hungry patrons. (Eleanor Cade Busby photo) |
The Pemaquid Oyster Festival drew thousands on Sunday to the Schooner Landing Restaurant and Marina, Damariscotta, for the annual celebration of the working waterfront.
 |
Lee Ann Lord, 5, and sister Norah, from Round Pond, made Oyster Necklaces at the Pemaquid Ouyster Festival’s craft table. (Eleanor Cade Busby photo) |
The unseasonably warm late summer weather brought people from all over Maine and visitors from as far away as Hong Kong to enjoy oysters, entertainment, and educational
opportunities.
“We love the oysters, and we really enjoy the camaraderie,” said Paul Magnusson, a transplant to Hong Kong from Maryland. “We’ve made this feast a family tradition
for six years now.”
Over 20,000 oysters were shucked and prepared on the docks. Among the volunteer shuckers, 25 students from Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I. came to lend a
hand. Dr Dale Leavitt, associate professor of marine biology, said he has been bringing aquaculture students to the event for the last seven years. “They camp out in Lee
Parson’s field,” he said. “It is a great opportunity for them to see oyster farming done right.”
Oysters were the star of the day. Oysters Rockefeller, Thai Chili, and Parmesan offered fans of cooked delicacies an alternative to the more popular raw oysters.
Schooner Landing was filled to overflowing with entertainment from The Newell Family Fiddlers, Old Grey Goose, and others.
The Annual Oyster Poetry Contest had two separate categories this year. Politicians were allowed to enter, but had to read their own work.
State Senator Chris Johnson took home the honors in that category with a distinctly un-political ditty, which was appreciated by the gathered crowd. The rules state
that the word “oyster” must be in all entries.
Competition among “real” poets was won by Carolyn Maunz, who managed to get the river, oysters and Maine acqualture pioneeer Ed Meyers into her offering.
The winner of the Maine Champion Oyster Shucking Contest was Jeff “Smokey” McKeen.
Boat rides on the Damariscotta River, educational booths, a live touch tank from the Darling Center and crafts for the kids gave plenty of opportunities for fun.
Although other foods were offered, cardboard trays of raw oysters seemed to be the favorite. Patrons of the delicacy were lined up along Main Street waiting to get
on the dock until nearly dusk. The lines moved along quickly and crowds were controlled by allowing newcomers on deck in small groups.
A final count of numbers, dollars raised and the beneficiaries of this year’s grants was not available at press time, but will be announced next week. The total
amount of cumulative grants provided to organizations devoted to a sustainable waterfront is expected to exceed $100,000 this year.
Now in its 13th year The Pemaquid Oyster Festival benefits the Edward A. Myers Marine Conservation Fund. The popular event is an important fundraiser for the fund.
The late Myers, a Walpole resident, pioneered aquaculture in the Damariscotta River and had a vision of a sustainable working waterfront that also protected the
marine environment.
The Pemaquid Oyster Co. and Schooner Landing have hosted the event since the first Pemaquid Oyster Festival in 2001. Both of the hosts contribute all of their
profits from the day to the Myers fund.
For a newcomer to the festival, it was a welcoming crowd. “I was driving by up on Route 1,” said Jennifer Parmenter, a traveler from New Brunswick heading home after
a visit to Boston. “I intended to stop and just see what was happening. Now here it is hours later. I’ve been on a riverboat ride, had the best oysters ever, and I feel like I’m
already home. These people are the friendliest folks ever.”
The smiles on hundreds of faces at The Pemaquid Oyster Festival this year bear out her statements. The celebration seemed an ideal way to bid summer farewell, with
people enjoying not just food, but company, music and dancing with the backdrop of an early fall day on the Damariscotta River.
