Whether you like them the size of your hand or your thumb, Kilpatrick, or with a little lemon, tilt your head back and slurp down the freshest and largest variety of Rock Oysters on the South Coast at the Narooma Oyster Festival.

Southern NSW’s largest food and wine festival, with over 70,000 oysters consumed during last year’s festival, taste your way through the region with everything from oyster tastings, wine bars, cooking demonstrations, an oyster shucking and biggest oyster competitions, Yuin cultural program, food and market stalls, live music and art installations.

Held over the weekend on 5-7 May, the festival showcases and celebrates the region’s 1500km coastline of oysters, their passionate growers and the pristine environment. Now in its 16th year, the festival attracts over 10,000 people from around NSW, VIC and ACT.

“The oyster industry is still predominantly a family-run business, so for the farmers to be at the festival and serve their oysters that they have lovingly grown for three or four years and then see the look on the person’s face as they enjoy it is very special for them,” says Narooma Rocks Chair, Cath Peachey.

Offering a unique opportunity to try oysters, the Oyster Farmer Alley includes over 10 farmers from different Rock Oyster estuaries where attendees can try the oysters one by one and taste the difference.

Aside from oysters, there will also be a wide range of food products and trucks that represent the South Coast, such as lobster, prawns, kelp, sushi, tacos, slow meats, gourmet burgers and more.

For those wanting to fully immerse themselves in regional produce and seafood, the live cooking demonstrations attract highly regarded chefs each year. This year, learn from five chefs including New Zealand’s Martin Bosley, Corey Costelloe from The Rockpool Group and Hussein Sarhan from Sydney’s two-hatted restaurant Fred’s.

Limited tickets also remain for some of the additional experiences. If you’re heading down on Friday, don’t miss the new Yuin Native Food Exploration with catering by native food specialists and performing artists. On Saturday, end the day with a few margaritas, Mexican food and a boogie on the dance floor with Salty Festival Fiesta by Olsson’s Salt. Or experience a whole new way to enjoy Rock Oysters with a Hangtown Fry Breakfast at Club Narooma on Sunday.

The perfect excuse for Canberrans to head to the coast for the weekend, for those families who have a holiday house or accommodation booked around the South Coast, there’s no need to drive, with coaches running between Batemans Bay and Bermagui and a free shuttle within Narooma to ensure you have a great day!

Join growers, chefs and shuckers to celebrate everything oysters on the beautiful shores of Wagonga Inlet in Narooma.

To purchase tickets and experiences, visit https://www.naroomaoysterfestival.com/tickets/