Be ready to get your bivalve on — the Shelter Island Historical Society‘s “Oyster-R-Here” event is back Saturday, September 28, and not a slurp too soon.
“It’s been on hiatus for five years,” says SIHS executive director Nanette Lawrenson. “There’s a big tent, all the oysters you can eat and plenty of food for non-oyster eaters, too. It’s a fun, sloppy, casual Shelter Island event — the kind we like!” laughs Lawrenson.
In addition to the salty fun, there’s another facet to the event, too. SIHS partners with Mashomack Nature Preserve in order to educate the public on the benefit of local oysters — and not just the delicious part. Just one of these bountiful bivalves can filter up for 50 gallons of water a day, helping to get rid of impurities and pollutants that lurk in our waters.
“The reason we started the festival was to bring awareness to the public not only that our local oysters are delicious, but they’re important in terms of cleaning our waters, which is also why we partner with Mashomack,” says Lawrenson. “Educating the public is part of our mission and we do that while having fun at the same time.”
The last incarnation of the all-you-can-eat oyster festival, held on the grounds of the History Center at 16 South Ferry Road, was held in the History Center’s barn. This year, the grounds of the SIHS will be your oyster, with lots of room to roam, slurp and sip. And perhaps shake hands with Oscar the Oyster.
But Oscar isn’t just a cute character made up for the festival at hand; he was actually a historical piece of the Shelter Island Oyster Company, used as a caricature to represent the once prolific oysters harvested from Dering Harbor, preserved and sold by founder John Plock Sr. in forest green cans with golden yellow lettering.
The company remained in the Plock family until the 1960s, when it was sold and, eventually, the factory demolished. You may well have seen those covetable green cans around certain antique shops on the North Fork (if you’re lucky enough to find one). What you can more easily find is an actual Plock. Fun fact: Rebecca Plock, daughter of Bill and Lori Plock, is a former archivist for the Shelter Island Historical Society. And Bill? You can find him sharpening kitchen knives via his business, Long Island Knife Works at the Havens Farmers Market on Saturdays. (The black-and-white photos here are courtesy of the Plock family.)
Alice’s Fish Market in Greenport, a favorite feature at the Havens Market, is supplying all the oysters and shuckers. There will also be charcuterie from Shelter Island’s King Andrew Cheese, as well as beer from Shelter Island Brewery and wine from local wineries like Croteaux, Pellegrini, the Old Field and Lenz, a souvenir event glass and a gift certificate for a complimentary cocktail at the lovely Pridwin Hotel. Add to that some pretty exciting raffle and silent auction prizes, and it’s not a bad slurpy Saturday afternoon at all.
The event on September 28 will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at 16 S. Ferry Road; tickets are 100 bucks (dollars, that is; not deer — maybe that’ll be a different event…) and you can nab them here.
