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With fall in full swing, so is oyster festival season in the Tar Heel State. Though each oyster-oriented festival has its own character, they all typically offer music, contests involving oysters, food and beverage vendors, and lots of oysters for sale in various forms. Steaming buckets of the tasty bivalves are the most typical festival fare, but the oyster is often celebrated raw, fried and in rich stews, as well.
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City Walk Brewing Oyster Festival
Oyster Fest makes its debut in 2025, bringing a brand-new shellfish celebration to downtown Hickory. Hosted by City Walk Brewing, the inaugural fest promises fresh oysters, craft beer and live music.
Oyster Roast at Wildwood
Eastern North Carolina flavor takes center stage at the Oyster Roast at Wildwood, just outside Greenville. Hosted on the scenic grounds of Wildwood Park, this fall event brings together fresh oysters, local music and craft beer for an evening that feels equal parts community hangout and seasonal celebration.
Day at the Docks
Day at the Docks is where the spirit of Hatteras comes alive with a celebration of working watermen and the community that supports them. Held each September, this one-day fest features seafood tastings, fish house tours, boat exhibits, children’s activities, cooking demos and more. Try your luck at crab races or net-throwing contests, as every event honors the resilience and heritage of North Carolina’s coastal culture.
Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival
A tradition since 1971, the Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival is a weekend-long salute to the coastal community’s deep seafood roots. The festival dishes out local shrimp every way you can imagine alongside arts and crafts, a parade, live music, pageants and fireworks. Come for the food, stay for the small-town charm — and get a taste of what makes Sneads Ferry a working waterfront with heart.
Oyster and Seafood Fest at the Farm
Highlands turns up the flavor with its Oyster & Seafood Fest. Slurp fresh oysters, savor Southern seafood favorites and enjoy live music, craft brews and cool mountain air — all from the comfort of The Farm at Old Edwards Inn. Proceeds benefit local nonprofits, so you can feel good while eating well.
North Carolina Seafood Festival
The North Carolina Seafood Festival is one of the largest festivals in the state and celebrates the bounty of NC’s natural resource with road races, an oyster-shucking contest, a flounder fling, carnival rides, outdoor expo, live entertainment and tons of fresh seafood prepared any way you can imagine.
Oyster Roast for the Coast
Enjoy local oysters, Surf City Brewing craft beer, live music and a photography showcase by Gavin Stanton Shwahla. The traveling Oyster Photo Exhibit will also be on display, sharing stories of North Carolina’s oyster heritage and industry.
The Airlie Gardens Oyster Roast
The Airlie Oyster Roast is Wilmington’s take on a timeless coastal tradition, set against the backdrop of the garden’s live oaks and waterfront views. This fall favorite features fresh local oysters, Southern sides, live music and a relaxed outdoor setting under the stars. Proceeds from the event help preserve and protect Airlie Gardens year-round, making it a night that’s as meaningful as it is memorable.
Outer Banks Seafood Festival
At the Outer Banks Seafood Festival, fresh catch meets local culture in a full-day celebration of coastal heritage. This Nags Head favorite brings together seafood vendors, educational exhibits, live music and storytelling that honors the people behind the plates — from fishers to chefs.
Working Watermen’s Festival
Celebrate the island's fishing traditions and enjoy watermen’s displays, local decoy carvers, NC oyster farmers shucking and roasting oysters, seafood snacks from guest chefs and live music.
North Carolina Oyster Festival
Considered the mollusk mother lode, with more than 30,000 fans of the almighty oyster typically in attendance, the North Carolina Oyster Festival has been celebrating seafood for 40-plus years. This festival includes the North Carolina Oyster Shucking Championships (an official route to the national tournament), an oyster stew cook-off, an oyster-eating competition, live entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, a bustling kids' area, many varied food and beverage booths, a shag competition and — of course — lots of freshly steamed oysters to eat.
Foodies who see beyond strictly seafood will want to take a bigger bite out of North Carolina with peach parties, watermelon festivals, sweet potato soirees, pig pickings, catfish fries and many more tasty possibilities in all four seasons.