Nelson Bay will become a hive of activity this weekend with cooking demonstrations, seafood tastings, oyster shucking, educational talks and children’s activities being held as part of the Love Seafood Festival.
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The weekend, being staged at d’Albora Marina, will also feature seafood masterclasses, entertainment, fish feeding, touch tanks, interactive displays.
The activity will get underway at 11am on August 18 and 10am on August 19.
Visitors will be able to meet the Port’s oyster growing families, try and buy fresh seafood and watch an oyster shucking show-down, fish filleting and cooking demonstrations.
On Saturday morning, from 11am, a number of Port identities including mayor Ryan Palmer, councillor Glen Dunkley, oyster grower Dean Cole of Cole Brothers Oysters, Salamander Bay Rotary Club’s Michael Mace and Department of Primary Industries’ Geoff Allen will try their hand at oyster shucking in a competition that will see the winner walk away with a title and trophy.
Cooking demonstrations will be provided by Ben Way from Little Beach Boathouse, Brigid Treloar and Alex Stollznow from Sydney Fish Market, The Poyers’ Ludovic Poyer and Michael Jenkins from The Anchorage.
Ocean and Coastal Care Initiatives (OCCI) will be on hand to answer questions and share their knowledge, as will experts on recreational fishing and water safety.
A special screening of the documentary Oyster will show at Nelson Bay cinema on Saturday.
The movie was a finalist at the 2018 Sydney Film Festival and recently took out the Best Environmental Feature Film at the 2017 Chesapeake Film Festival in the US.
The feature-length documentary captures the daily routines, chaos and drama of a lively, hard-working second-generation NSW oyster farming family.
“It really captures a day in the life of oyster farmers – their joys, worries, the challenges,” Andy Myers from Oceanwatch Australia, said.
“You really experience the wonderful environment oyster farmers work in and their connection and knowledge of the water system they work with.”
Following the screening, which starts at 6pm, there will be a Q&A with Port Stephens oyster farmers.
Tickets, available through Destination Port Stephens, cost $19.
Buy tickets through DPS by calling (02) 4981 2964, email info@portstephenstourism.com.au or buy them online from the portstephens.org website.
Love Seafood weekend activities:
Saturday
- Cooking demonstrations and tastings
- Learn to shuck an Oyster
- Oyster shucking competition – local industry vs public
- Taste and purchase oysters straight from the farmer
- Fish filleting demonstration
- Interactive displays and touch tables
- Fresh local seafood available to purchase
- Children’s activities – fish feeding, fish bingo and face painting
- Markets on the foreshore
Sunday
- Cooking demonstrations and tastings
- Taste and purchase oysters straight from the farmer
- Interactive displays and touch tables
- Fresh local seafood available to purchase
- Children’s activities – fish feeding, fish bingo and face painting
- Children’s drawing competition winners announce
